dee-luded

Fukushima homes unliveable for years Justin McCurry PEOPLE who lived close to the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant are to be told their homes may be uninhabitable for decades. Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan is expected to visit the area at the weekend to tell evacuees they will not be able to return to their homes, even if the operation to stabilise the plant's stricken reactors by January is successful. Mr Kan's announcement will be the first time officials have publicly recognised that radiation damage to areas near the plant could make them too dangerous to live in for at least a generation. A government source is quoted in local media as saying the area could be off-limits for ''several decades''. New data has revealed unsafe levels of radiation outside the 20-kilometre exclusion zone, increasing the likeliness that entire towns will remain unfit for habitation. The exclusion zone was imposed after several explosions at the plant following the earthquake and tsunami in March. The government had planned to lift the evacuation order and allow 80,000 people back into their homes inside the exclusion zone once the reactors had been brought under control. Several thousand others living in random hot spots outside the zone have also had to relocate. However, in a report issued last weekend the science ministry projected that radiation accumulated over one year at 22 of 50 tested sites inside the exclusion zone would easily exceed 100 millisieverts, five times higher than the safe level advised by the International Commission on Radiological Protection. ''We can't rule out the possibility that there will be some areas where it will be hard for residents to return to their homes for a long time,'' said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano. ''We are very sorry.'' Mr Edano refused to say which areas were on the no-go list or how long they would remain uninhabitable. He said a decision would be made after more tests. The government has yet to decide how to compensate the tens of thousands of residents and business owners who will be forced to start new lives elsewhere. The state has hinted that it may buy or rent land from residents in unsafe areas, although it has not ruled out trying to decontaminate them. Futaba and Okuma, towns about three kilometres from the Fukushima plant, are expected to be among those on the blacklist. The annual cumulative radiation dose in one district of Okuma was estimated at 508 millisieverts, which experts believe is high enough to increase the risk of cancer. The plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power, is working to bring the three crippled reactors and four spent fuel pools to a safe state known as ''cold shutdown'' by mid-January. Last week the company estimated that leaks from all three reactors had dropped significantly over the past month. But signs of progress at the plant have been tempered by widespread contamination of soil, trees, roads and farms. Experts say that while health risks can be lowered by various measures, vulnerable groups such as pregnant women and children should avoid even minimal exposure. http://images.theage...shima-200x0.jpg

Or stern! LOL.

Japan seals radiation leak From: AAP August 03, 2011 12:34AM THE operator of Japan's damaged nuclear power plant says an area where potentially lethal levels of radiation were detected has been sealed. Tokyo Electric Power Co said yesterday radiation exceeded 10 sieverts at two locations near a duct connected to a ventilation stack between two reactor units at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant. TEPCO says no one has been injured. The area required no immediate work and was closed off. It also said radiation levels around the complex were not rising. That's a sign the duct wasn't leaking. TEPCO said melted fuel in the No.1 reactor might have collected inside the duct after leaking from the containment vessel during venting early in the crisis. The plant was crippled by an earthquake and tsunami March 11. http://www.heraldsun...x-1226107089633

Record high radiation at Japan nuke plant From: AAP August 01, 2011 11:12PM TOKYO Electric Power Co (TEPCO) said it had monitored record high radiation at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant crippled by the March 11 quake and tsunami. TEPCO said radiation levels reached at least 10 sieverts per hour near the debris left between the number one and number two reactors of the plant at the centre of the ongoing nuclear crisis. The previous record was three to four sieverts per hour monitored inside the number one reactor on June 3. "Three plant workers were exposed to a dosage of four millisieverts while they were monitoring radiation," a TEPCO spokeswoman said. "We are still checking the cause of such high levels of radioactivity." The government and TEPCO say they remain on target to bring the reactors to a safe state of cold shutdown by January at the latest now that a water circulation system has been established. Efforts to stabilise the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl 25 years ago have continued since a 9.0 magnitude earthquake triggered a tsunami, sparking reactor meltdowns at the plant and spewing radiation into the environment. The government has said radiation levels around the plant, which lies 220 kilometres from Tokyo, had fallen to "two-millionths" of the peak recorded March 15. Tens of thousands of people remain evacuated from homes, businesses and farms in a no-go zone around the plant. http://www.heraldsun...x-1226106280508

He looked like 'Mentally', he'd grown up in the 12 Months. He looked just emotionally tougher. And in the time trial, he looked like a man possessed.

Hmmn, I've wondered the same since about 2 weeks after the Edishat game.

Cadel, you Lil' Ripper... Absolute Aussie Champ.

'effectively, the leader tonight won't be challenged,,,, during the Champs Elysees parade.

Go Cadel! He's in with his best chance. Go you good thing.

I'd be surprised If we could afford to use these tactics against the strong midfield players of the Hawks, or Blues,,, Cats maybe, but skilled stadium is narrow & with our inexperienced forwards, it may be difficult there. Against the Eagles @ etihad we may be able to try to stretch them down back,,, & following that game, I think it's worthwhile tactic for the Tigers, GoldCoast & Port games...

The Key to this is one of the rucks, Jamar/Gawn) becoming a dominant power forward with Martin holding a tall utility role like Leigh Brown. It falls over if one of the 2 rucks don't play well. If things go wrong, it hurts the teams chances.

I don't think this thread has started over the outcome of one game, nor he being a saviour. But he blends well with the young guys in the forward zone & shares & teaches. He looks to have won the players respect & confidence. He could be worth a look.

IMO Wattsy will end up something in between a Matthew Richardson/Nick Riewoldt in body size. IMO bigger than Riewoldt.

Jamar/Martin would be get out long kick options.. Fitzpatrick is that tall like a Paul Salmon or Tippett type. What we don't have is a true full forward in the old model, to play as the different body shape style to the Rucks and the Skyscraper/beanpole types. Watts/Cook/Fitzpatrick are 3 years off being dominant. and then there's Gawn as well to come through. He's also probably at least a 2013 prospect, as a forward presence. I think a Fev would cost @ most a 2nd Rnd Pick, to maybe a rookie spot...

We've got young Fitzpatrick who'll come through to get his first game next year. At 201 cms, he's a Tall who would be in the mold of Jesse, without that transfer pricetag. And we have Martin learning & developing & Jamar to go forward. So we have a mature Jamar, a learning Martin who'll take poss' another 12 months to hit his forward straps,,, with Watts now coming through but will take another 2 years to fill out before he can play deep on a regular basis. Cook who is just showing his Class in patches @ VFL level, may get one game this year as a taste. Next year will be a year for him to get some AFL games, maybe 6 - 10,,, so he would still be most likely a 2013 - 2014 prospect... Fitzpatrick is a bit behind Cooks timeframe, 2014 - 2015 IMO for him... Watts 2013 before he has the body to match up like a Cloke does... so he'll prob' continue the leadup type role until he's bigger. So atmo we have Jamar, Martin as mature frames, & some mobile medium forwards to create mischief,,, rather than causing Havoc. If, we want to speed up our rise up the ladder, we need to find a mature deep power forward.

If scull goes and we get 2 picks... We may have some cap room for a 2 Year contract, whilst Cooky and Fitzpatrick mature. And we could then use those picks to further our young list well into the future. Cook is coming on fine, but will need a big strong forward to keep the heat off him & Watts. FF/ Martin - Fev - Davey HF/ Petterd - Watts/Cook - Jurrah

I think Walker is already signed.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/ipad/nuclear-watchdog-slams-japan-reaction/story-fn6s850w-1226077831698 Nuclear watchdog slams Japan reaction THE UN's atomic watchdog has criticised Japan for failing to implement the agency's convention on dealing with nuclear emergencies. A report to be published Monday at a five-day ministerial conference on nuclear safety said Tokyo should have followed guidelines laid down by the document after the Fukushima plant was crippled by a tsunami following an earthquake. The convention lays down the rules for cooperation between the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and states that may need help, in the areas of security and communication. The report, which was drawn up by experts who visited Japan last month, said Tokyo never implemented the convention. Japan also did not follow IAEA guidelines about tiered safety measures against outside threats, it said. IAEA safety standards are not binding for member states. The agency said that Japanese authorities had also failed to implement anti-tsunami measures that were tightened in 2002.The agency said earlier this month that Japan underestimated the hazard posed by tsunamis to nuclear plants, but praised Tokyo's response to the March 11 disaster as "exemplary". The experts' final report will be made available to the IAEA's 151 member states during the ministerial conference which starts Monday.

Germany to close all nuclear plants by 2022 Germany today became the first major industrialised power to agree an end to nuclear power in the wake of the disaster in Japan, with a phase-out due to be completed by 2022. Environment Minister Norbert Roettgen announced the decision on Monday by the centre-right coalition, which was prompted by the crisis at Japan's Fukushima plant, calling it "irreversible". "After long consultations, there is now an agreement by the coalition to end nuclear energy," he told reporters after seven hours of negotiations into the small hours at Chancellor Angela Merkel's offices. "This decision is consistent, decisive and clear." Germany has 17 nuclear reactors on its soil, eight of which are currently off the electricity grid. Seven of those offline are the country's oldest nuclear reactors, which the government shut down for three months pending a safety probe after the emergency at Fukushima that began in March. The eighth is the Kruemmel plant, in northern Germany, which has been mothballed for years due to repeated technical problems. http://www.theage.com.au/world/germany-to-close-all-nuclear-plants-by-2022-20110530-1fchu.html

Japan nuclear plant worker dead - report A WORKER has died at Japan's disaster-stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant as emergency crews worked to prevent a major meltdown, a report says. The male worker, aged in his 60s, was confirmed dead after he was rushed to hospital after falling unconscious at the plant, Jiji Press news agency said. A spokesman for the plant's operator Tokyo Electric Power Co earlier confirmed the worker was in a serious condition but could not immediately confirm his death. "It was confirmed that he has not been contaminated by radiation," TEPCO spokesman Shotaro Okawara said. Mr Okawara said the worker, who was not immediately identified, was carrying equipment inside a facility to treat contaminated water being released from the plant's crippled reactors. The tsunami triggered by the massive magnitude-9.0 seabed quake on March 11 knocked out the plant's water cooling systems, leading fuel rods inside several reactors to partially melt and sparking explosions. Workers have since doused reactors and fuel rod pools with water to stop them from overheating and releasing far greater amounts of radiation. TEPCO hopes to bring the plant into stable "cold shutdown" some time between October and January. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/japan-nuclear-plant-worker-dead-report/story-e6frf7jx-1226055809403

Melting of reactor 1 fuel 'no surprise' Experts were not surprised Thursday to find that most, if not all, of the fuel rods in reactor No. 1 at the Fukushima No. 1 power plant had been fully exposed, melted and fell to the bottom of the pressure vessel. Tokyo Electric Power Co. announced the finding Thursday after workers entered the reactor building earlier this month and fixed equipment to monitor the water level in the pressure vessel. The new finding doesn't increase the likelihood of a hydrogen explosion because the temperature in the pressure vessel is still low, experts said. http://www.youtube.c...player_embedded

Radiation leak at second Japanese nuclear plant http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/radiation-leak-at-second-japanese-nuclear-plant/story-e6frf7jx-1226052868010 THE operator of the Tsuruga nuclear power plant in western Japan said today that a "minute" amount of radiation leaked into the environment, Kyodo News reported. A reactor at the plant, 220 miles west of Tokyo, was shut Saturday for an inspection. Earlier this month, the operator, Japan Atomic Power Co., reported a rise in radiation levels, possibly caused by leaks from fuel rods into cooling water. It said at the time that no radiation was leaked into the environment. The radiation leak added to concerns over the state of Japan's nuclear industry. Workers at the Fukushima plant were continuing to grapple with the world's worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl, caused by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. The government last week ordered that the Hamaoka plant, located on a major fault line 125 miles west of the capital, be shut pending safety improvements. Its operator, Chubu Electric Power Co, agreed today to the request at a board meeting.

Just keeping a record of Info.

Japan's reactor crisis hits maximum level, equal to Chernobyl http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/strong-earthquake-hits-japan-rocks-tokyo/story-e6frg6so-1226037789064 JAPAN will upgrade the rating of the Fukushima nuclear crisis to the same level as the 1986 Chernobyl disaster in the former Soviet Union. News of the re-rating of the nuclear crisis came as Japan’s main island, Honshu, was battered by another series of strong aftershocks today. Japan’s chief cabinet secretary Yukio Edano confirmed this morning that the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi plant would be upgraded from a level 5 to a level 7, which is the maximum, on the international scale. He said the decision was made by the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency and it would announce the details at a press conference. Earlier today, the nuclear power plant operator said workers discovered a small fire near a reactor building at the Fukushima Dai-ichi complex but it was extinguished quickly. Tokyo Electric Power Company said the fire at a box that contains batteries in a building near the No. 4 reactor was discovered at about 6:38 am on Tuesday morning and was put out seven minutes later. It wasn't clear whether the fire was related to a magnitude-6.3 earthquake that shook the Tokyo area this morning. The cause of the fire is being investigated. It’s believed the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency estimated the amount of radioactive material released from the Fukushima plant reached 10,000 terabecquerels per hour for several hours following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. That level of radiation places the Fukushima incident at the maximum rating on the INES scale, developed by the International Atomic Energy Agency, which rates incidents from one to seven. A composite image shows newly released photos from Japan's Fukushima nuclear reactor in the aftermath of last month's tsunami. Water can be seen near an access road, left, and then flooding the plant. Source: AP

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/japan-quake-moved-sea-bed-24-metres/story-e6frf7jx-1226034940956 Japan quake moved sea bed 24 metres "THE seabed near the epicentre of the massive earthquake that rocked Japan last month was shifted 24 metres by the tremor, the country's coastguard says. Sensors found that one part of the ocean floor had been stretched to a point 24 metres east-southeast of its position before the 9.0 undersea quake, which triggered a massive tsunami that engulfed large areas of Japan's northeast coast. The undersea movement is more than four times bigger than any observed on land, where part of the Oshika peninsula in Miyagi prefecture was found to have shifted 5.3 metres. The US Geological Survey (USGS) said in March that the force of the quake moved Honshu - Japan's main island - by 2.4 metres."