# 4 reactor breached

Top US officials have testified before congress today that situation in Japan has a reached a catastrophe of proportions on par with Chernobyl. Both the Secretary of Energy Steven Chu and Gregory B. Jaczko, the chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission gave dire testimony before the The House Energy and Commerce committee.

At this point both the primary and secondary containment vessels at the Fukushima nuclear reactor #4 are breached. To make matters worse radiation readings taken by the US indicate that the cooling pond is empty indicating which means the fuel rods are in a state of complete meltdown with no cooling to counteract the meltdown in progress.

The latest reports out of Japan are that plant operations have been once again suspended due to the extremely high lethal levels of radiation coming out of the plant. Helicopters that were dumping water and boric acid onto the plant from the air have been called off as well. The news comes on the heels that the US has issued a 50 mile evacuation zone around the plant.

Highlights of the testimony from the NY Times:

Radiation levels outside of the plant are lethal within a very short period of time.

Representative Michael Burgess, Republican of Texas, asked for detail about the radiation levels at the Japanese nuclear plant. “Are we talking about radiation equivalent to a chest X-ray? A CAT scan?’’ he asked.

Mr. Jaczko replied, “Levels that would be lethal with a fairly short period of time.’’

“It’s certainly a more recent development than we’ve seen, these very, very high readings,’’ the commission chairman said.

US Embassy tells all Americans within 50 miles to evacuate the area.

The American Embassy in Tokyo has told American to evacuate to a radius of “approximately 50 miles” from Fukushima, the chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission testified before the House subcommittee, based on advice from the commission.

The advice reflects a far more grave assessment of the situation at the stricken reactors than the decisions made by the Japanese themselves do; the Japanese have told everyone within 20 kilometers, about 12 miles, to evacuate, and those between 20 and 30 kilometers, or about 19 miles, to take shelter. And the recommendation comes as the Japanese government has indicated that it will be releasing less information about the situation.

The recommendation was based on what the commission would do “for a comparable sitiuation in the U.S.’’ said the chairman, Gregory Jaczko.

A complete meltdown at reactor#4 has caused the cooling pond to boil completely dry.

Mr. Jaczko (pronounced YAZZ-koe) said the commission believed that all the water in the spent fuel pool at Fukushima Daiichi unit 4 had boiled dry and that as a result, “we believe that radiation levels are extremely high, which could possibly impact the ability to take corrective measures.”

In fact, experts say that it would be hard to approach a pool that was dry because radiation levels would be so high, he said. In a normally operating pool, the water provides not only cooling but radiation shielding.