c

cJapan's Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yukio Edano, said the inner reactor container wasc
intact following a hydrogen explosion at Japan's stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear
plant, NHK
reported Monday.
To watch the first VIDEOS of the Explosion PLEASE CLICK HERE
A massive column of smoke was seen belching from the plant's No. 3 unit Monday. The
reactor
had been under emergency watch for a possible explosion as pressure built up there
following a
hydrogen blast Saturday in the facility's Unit 1. Officials have been racing stave off
multiple
reactor meltdowns after a devastating quake and tsunami incapacitated the Fukushima
plant.
More than 180,000 people have evacuated the area, and up to 160 may have been
exposed to
radiation.
Four nuclear plants in northeastern Japan have reported damage.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said Sunday that a hydrogen explosion could
occur at
Daiichi's Unit 3, the latest reactor to face a possible meltdown. That would follow a
hydrogen
blast Saturday in the plant's Unit 1.
iii
 
ÿAt the risk of raising further public concern, we cannot rule out the possibility of an
explosion,ÿ
Edano said. ÿIf there is an explosion, however, there would be no significant impact on
human
health.ÿ
Operators have been dumping seawater into units 1 and 3 in a last-ditch measure to
cool the
reactors. They were getting water into the other four reactors with cooling problems
without
resorting to corrosive sea water, which likely makes the reactors unusable.
A meltdown at the No. 3 reactor could be more serious than at the other reactors
because it is
fueled by both plutonium and uranium, BBC News reported. The others have only
uranium fuel.
Edano said residents within about 12 miles (20 kilometers) of the Daiichi plant were
ordered to
evacuate as a precaution, and the radioactivity released into the environment so far was
so small
it didn't pose any health threats.
Such statements, though, did little to ease public worries.
ÿFirst I was worried about the quake,ÿ said Kenji Koshiba, a construction worker who
lives near
the plant. ÿNow I'm worried about radiation.ÿ He spoke at an emergency center in
Koriyama,
about 40 miles (60 kilometers) from the most troubled reactors and 125 miles (190
kilometers)
north of Tokyo.
At the makeshift center set up in a gym, a steady flow of people ² mostly the elderly,
schoolchildren and families with babies ² were met by officials wearing helmets,
surgical
masks and goggles.
About 1,500 people had been scanned for radiation exposure, officials said.
Up to 160 people, including 60 elderly patients and medical staff who had been waiting
for
evacuation in the nearby town of Futabe, and 100 others evacuating by bus, might have
been
exposed to radiation, said Ryo Miyake, a spokesman from Japan's nuclear agency. It
was unclear
whether any cases of exposure had reached dangerous levels.
A foreign ministry official briefing reporters said radiation levels outside the Daiichi plant
briefly
rose above legal limits, but had since declined significantly.
Edano said none of the Fukushima Daiichi reactors was near the point of complete
meltdown,
and he was confident of escaping the worst scenarios.
Officials, though, have declared states of emergency at the six reactors where cooling
systems
were down ² three at Daiichi and three at the nearby Fukushima Daini complex.
iii
 
The U.N. nuclear agency said a state of emergency was also declared Sunday at
another
complex, the Onagawa power plant, after higher-than-permitted levels of radiation were
measured there. But radiation levels at that plant returned to normal later Sunday.
A pump for the cooling system at yet another nuclear complex, the Tokai Daini plant,
also failed
after Friday's quake but a second pump operated normally as did the reactor, said the
utility, the
Japan Atomic Power Co. It did not explain why it did not announce the incident until
Sunday.
Edano denied there had been a meltdown in the Fukushima Daiichi complex, but other
officials
said the situation was not so clear.
Hidehiko Nishiyama, a senior official of the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry,
indicated the
reactor core in Unit 3 had melted partially, telling a news conference, ÿI don't think the
fuel rods
themselves have been spared damage,ÿ according to the Kyodo News agency.
A complete meltdown ² the melting of the radioactive core ² could release uranium
and
dangerous contaminants into the environment and pose major, widespread health risks.
The steel reactor vessel could melt or break from the heat and pressure. A concrete
platform
underneath the reactor is supposed to catch the molten metal and nuclear fuel, but the
intensely
hot material could set off a massive explosion if water has collected on the platform.
Radioactive
material also could be released into the ground if the platform fails.
The explosion that destroyed the walls and ceiling of Daiichi Unit 1's containment
building was
much less serious that a meltdown would be ² in fact, it was operators' efforts to avoid
a
meltdown that caused it.
Officials vented steam from the reactor to reduce pressure, and were aware that there
was an
explosion risk because the steam contained hydrogen, said Shinji Kinjo, spokesman for
the
government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency. The explosion occurred when
hydrogen
reacted with oxygen outside the reactor.
iii
 
cc c c

c

Japan: 5 ways to
help
By Christine Macdonald
*ith the world in shock over the devastation in Japan, it¶s hard to go about
the day without thinking about the many people who are suffering and in
need of our help.
Here are some ways you can.
Ä
Ä

  
Donating $10.00 has never been easier. Text REDCROSS to 90999 on your
cell phone and ten dollars will be added to your phone bill. Money received
will directly impact the rescue and rebuilding efforts by The American Red
Cross.
 ÄÄ 

  
Michelle Jackson, AmeriCares emergency response manager, who has
arrived in Japan, reports that the Tokyo airport is operational and rail
service in the city is functioning, but many rail lines heading north are shut
down.
AmeriCares promise is simple: when people are in crisis, they will get the
help they need, wherever they are, whenever they need it. Your donation is
a vital part of that promise. To donate, please visit their website.
  
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Save the Children serves impoverished, marginalized and vulnerable
children and families in more that 120 nations. Their programs reach both
children and those working to save and improve their lives, including
parents, caregivers, community members and members of our partner
organizations. They help save children¶s lives, protect them from
exploitation and assist them in accessing education and health care.
( 3  !(

 #*#"$ 
Text JAPAN to 50555 to give a $10.00 donation.
How does Global Living work? GlobalGiving begins with the dedicated,
tenacious individuals who are driving change in their communities. From
running orphanages and schools, to helping survivors of natural disasters,
these people are do-gooders to the core. They connect these "good idea
people" with the "generous giver people" and help projects of all sizes
receive donations of all sizes.
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 $
$
$## 
Their Mission: From Relief to Self-Reliance
nternational Medical Corps is a global, humanitarian, nonprofit
organization dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through
health care training and relief and development programs. Established in
1984 by volunteer doctors and nurses, nternational Medical Corps is a
private, voluntary, nonpolitical, nonsectarian organization. ts mission is to
improve the quality of life through health interventions and related
activities that build local capacity in underserved communities worldwide.
By offering training and health care to local populations and medical
assistance to people at highest risk, and with the flexibility to respond
rapidly to emergency situations, nternational Medical Corps rehabilitates
devastated health care systems and helps bring them back to self-reliance.
*e are all connected through humanity. Sometimes it takes a disaster to
remind us.