"On the wire"

On the news wire right now from Kyodo are some statements we already knew and one that's somewhat surprising.

The "we said this" statements, apparently from NISA during its briefing, are that the water in No. 2 plant's turbine building is highly contaminated (not news to our readers) and that it very likely came from the reactor itself (also not news to our readers.)

The somewhat surprising statement is that now the seawater off the plant is no longer just about 1250 times the limit for iodine but something like 1850 times the limit.

We just don't know how much more clear it can be that there is serious core damage in all three plants... from the high radiation fields, to the spread of fission products in the region and in food, to the apparent reactor coolant now filling up the turbine buildings. Is there primary containment breach? Unless there are relief valves stuck open, or feed lines broken, there's little other way for all the coolant and products to get as many places as they are.... and the destruction of the reactor buildings by radiolytic and/or metal-water generated hydrogen certainly does not help. Still somewhat surprising is the continued status on various JAIF documents indicating that the containments... that is, secondary or concrete containments.. are not damaged. Is that credible? I wonder.

10:55 PM Eastern Sunday 3/26
ATOMIC POWER REVIEW

UPDATE: Level in water in No. 2 turbine building is TEN MILLION TIMES the normal activity of reactor coolant. (NHK TV)