Category Archives: waste

Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant Suffers Falkland Syndrome – I got my doubts

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You know, it is really hard to have fun with a nuclear disaster. You have heard the phrase of course, digging a hole to China. It became a popular phrase in the late 1880s because China was so far away and exotic and because it is on the “opposite side of the world”. However as this vido points out that phrase is spectacularly wrong.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAxGccJNw0A

So a nuclear disaster here in the US would actually amount to a St. Paul syndrome and a nuclear disaster in Japan would amount to a Falklands syndrome. Every since the discussion about what would happen if a nuclear reactor core got out of its containment and of course the wildly popular but who knows how true to real life movie “China Syndrome”, I’ve had serious doubts. The first premise is that the reactor core is “running” when it breaches the power station. The second premise is that it would tunnel down to the Earth’s magma. The third premise is that would somehow amount to an explosion that would end the world. Comon. Even in pristine imaginary terms that probably does not happen. First that is a lot of bedrock to eat through and the reactor still maintain its symmetry. No symmetry no nuclear reaction. Second if it hit the magma, it would lead to a volcanic eruption but we have those all the time. Am I saying it would be a good thing. NO. I just got doubts. These 2 authors think otherwise.

http://www.examiner.com/human-rights-in-national/fukushima-27-hiroshimas-per-day-china-syndrome-inevitable-abused-islanders

Fukushima: 27 Hiroshimas per day, China Syndrome inevitable, Abused Islanders

Deborah Dupre's photo

Human Rights Examiner

November 21, 2011 –

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Though when I read the article it seemed like her editors had merge 2 computer files to make for a very confusing piece. And this guy who quotes other sources.

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http://www.zerohedge.com/contributed/fukushima-china-syndrome-inevitable-huge-steam-explosions-or-nuclear-bomb-type-explosion

Fukushima: “China Syndrome Is Inevitable” … “Huge Steam Explosions”, or “Nuclear Bomb-Type Explosions” May Occur

George Washington's picture

Submitted by George Washington on 11/21/2011 23:45 -0500

By Washington’s Blog

I’ve repeatedly noted that we may experience a “China syndrome” type of accident at Fukushima.

For example, I pointed out in September:

Mainichi Dailly News notes:

As a radiation meteorology and nuclear safety expert at Kyoto University’s Research Reactor Institute, Hiroaki Koide [says]:

The nuclear disaster is ongoing.

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At present, I believe that there is a possibility that massive amounts of radioactive materials will be released into the environment again.

At the No. 1 reactor, there’s a chance that melted fuel has burned through the bottom of the pressure vessel, the containment vessel and the floor of the reactor building, and has sunk into the ground. From there, radioactive materials may be seeping into the ocean and groundwater.

***

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Both pieces are really long so you will have to go there and read them. More tomorrow.

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Global Warming Is Huge – And so are the storms it spawns

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This years weather was truly weird. Hot cold hot cold hot cold. Next year will be even more uneven. I wonder when the farmers are going to wake up to the fact that their livelihoods are on the line. Nitrogen fertilizer is one of the chief causes. Yet next spring they will be spraying it with gay abandon.

http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/climate-weather/blogs/un-wilder-weather-on-the-way#

Russell McLendon

U.N.: Wilder weather on the way

The threat of heat waves and heavy precipitation are becoming especially severe, warns the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Russell McLendon

U.N.: Wilder weather on the way

The threat of heat waves and heavy precipitation are becoming especially severe, warns the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Fri, Nov 18 2011 at 12:36 PM EST
People around the planet should prepare for “unprecedented extreme weather,” according to a report released Friday by top international scientists and disaster experts. Earth’s recent wild weather is likely just a sneak peek, the report warns, as rising global temperatures cook the oceans and atmosphere into a frenzy.

“We need to be worried,” one of the study’s lead authors tells the Associated Press. “And our response needs to anticipate disasters and reduce risk before they happen rather than wait until after they happen and clean up afterward. … Risk has already increased dramatically.”

This dire outlook comes via the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a Nobel Prize-winning research group that issues periodic reports on global warming. The IPCC’s next big report is due in 2014, but a panel meeting in Uganda this week decided the threat of extreme weather warrants a warning now. If greenhouse gas emissions keep rising, the IPCC says temperatures — and weather — could quickly spiral out of control.
“For the high-emissions scenario, it is likely that the frequency of hot days will increase by a factor of 10 in most regions of the world,” says the IPCC’s Thomas Stocker. “Likewise, heavy precipitation will occur more often, and the wind speed of tropical cyclones will increase while their number will likely remain constant or decrease.”
Scientists avoid blaming specific storms on climate trends, but the broader link between weather and warming has been discussed for years — especially after the horrific 2005 hurricane season. It has become an increasingly common topic of debate over the last two years, as blizzards battered North America and Europe, wildfire and droughts ravaged Russia and Somalia, floods inundated Pakistan and Thailand, and tornadoes leveled U.S. cities from Missouri to Massachusetts.

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Go there and see the neat graphs and the rest of the story. More tomorrow.

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Cement Kilns Burn Toxic Waste – But are not regulated like toxic burners

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I skipped the lead which is about people having mixed feelings about the trade off between providing employment and pollution.  Personally I do not have mixed feelings because pollution controls supply jobs not take them away. But I skipped to the main fact that these kilns burn toxic waste but are much more loosely regulated. Nuff said.

http://www.npr.org/2011/11/10/142183546/epa-regulations-give-kilns-permission-to-pollute

Kilns ‘Not Designed To Burn Hazardous Waste’

Regulators have resisted, citing Ash Grove’s compliance with pollution standards. But those standards give cement kilns permission to pollute when they burn toxic junk for fuel.

Kilns are legally allowed to pump more toxins into the air than are hazardous-waste incinerators, which burn many of the same dangerous materials, including industrial solvents, aluminum plant waste and other toxic leftovers from the production of chemicals, oil and pharmaceuticals.

The Ash Grove Cement Kiln, as seen from an aerial photograph, sits on the northern edge of Chanute, Kan. 
Enlarge David Gilkey/NPRThe Ash Grove Cement Kiln, as seen from an aerial photograph, sits on the northern edge of Chanute, Kan. 

“The problem with cement plants that burn hazardous waste is that they’re not designed to burn hazardous waste,” says Jim Pew, a lawyer for the environmental group Earth Justice. “In my view it’s a loophole for the cement industry.”

Kilns like the one in Chanute that were built or rebuilt before 2005 can emit 43 percent more lead and cadmium — close to four times the hydrogen chloride and chlorine gas, and twice the particulates — than actual hazardous waste incinerators. Thirteen cement kilns in six states operate under those standards.

Three newer or upgraded kilns can emit even more toxic pollutants under EPA standards, including 18 times the lead and cadmium and 15 times the mercury.

These elevated levels are not harmful, says the EPA’s Brooks, because federal pollution limits are “set with a margin of public healthy and safety.”

The industry considers the safety margin huge — “far lower than what is necessary to protect human health and the environment,” says Mike Benoit of the Cement Kiln Recycling Coalition. The numbers are deceiving, he adds, and the actual emissions are minuscule.

“We’re talking about nanograms,” Benoit continues. “We’re talking about micrograms. Millionths of a gram — billionths of a gram.”

Mercury Pollution

But tiny measurements can add up, especially when it comes to mercury emissions at Ash Grove.

“In the year 2004, for example, the Chanute plant was the second-largest emitter of mercury in Kansas,” says Craig Volland, an environmental consultant who advises the Kansas Sierra Club on air pollution issues.

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Go there and read. More tomorrow.

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Mild Radiation Blankets Europe – But nobody knows where it is coming from

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NO, there is no danger per se. This isotope decays in 8 days, but the detections have been coming in since Oct. 19th and so the source must be ongoing. The most troubling thing besides everyone’s complacency is the inability to pin point the source.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2060469/Radiation-Europe-UN-nuclear-agency-mystified-soaring-levels.html

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Riddle of the radiation sweeping across Europe: UN nuclear agency mystified by soaring levels

  • IAEA say Fukushima blast not to blame
  • No increase reported in U.K despite changes in Europe

By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 5:52 PM on 12th November 2011

Very low levels of radioactive iodine-131 have been detected throughout Europe, but the particles are not believed to pose a public health risk, the U.N.nuclear agency said on Friday. 

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Vienna-based U.N. watchdog, said it did not believe the radioactive particles were from Japan’s stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant after its emergency in March.

The Czech Republic’s nuclear security watchdog said it had tipped off the IAEA after detecting the radiation it thought was coming from abroad but not from a nuclear power plant. It suggested it may come from production of radiopharmaceuticals.
 

Germany’s Environment Ministry said slightly higher levels of radioactive iodine had been measured in the north of the country, ruling out that it came from a nuclear power plant.

Hungary, Slovakia, Austria and Sweden also reported traces at very low levels that did not pose a health risk.

Experts said the origin of the radiation – which has been spreading for about two weeks – remained a mystery but could come from many possible sources ranging from medical laboratories or hospitals to nuclear submarines.

Iodine-131, linked to cancer if found in high doses, can contaminate products such as milk and vegetables.

Paddy Regan, a professor of nuclear physics at Britain’s University of Surrey, said the suggestion that it may have leaked from a radiopharmaceuticals maker ‘sounds very sensible and totally reasonable.

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I skipped the parts about it coming from a nebula, a nuclear submarine and patient’s excrement because they are ludicrous. You can go there and read the rest but the most likely source repeated a couple of times is some pharmaceutical company. Wonder why they can’t find it. Hmmm.
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More tomorrow.

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The Gulf Is Crying And The Animals Keep Dying – Humans too

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I know I posted pretty much the same thing last week. Guess what I could pretty much post the same thing next week; and the week after that, and on and on. Still, the Gulf is in trouble and no one is offering answers.

http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/rkistner/willie_seaman_of_irvington_al.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+switchboard_rkistner+%28Switchboard%3A+Rocky+Kistner%27s+Blog%29

Rocky Kistner’s Blog

As Dolphins Die, Gulf Residents Ask What About Us?

Willie Seaman of Irvington, AL, lays carpet and floors for a living. But last summer, as the BP well gushed thousands of barrels of oil daily into the Gulf, Seaman signed up with the BP cleanup program, working on a shrimp boat several miles off shore.

It was brutally hot and the smell of oil was putrid, Seaman remembers. His job was to use a net to try to pull in the thick, reddish BP crude that he says was up to a foot thick in places. Problem was, the white protective suits didn’t do much to keep the oil off, Willie recalls. Instead, he says they acted like absorbent pads, soaking up the oil that would rub against his skin.

Seaman says before long he started breaking out in blistery red hives on his hands and feet. The itching was so bad a coworker said Seaman would scrub his feet with a wire brush until his skin sloughed off like scales of a fish. Despite shots of steroids and numerous doctor visits, Seaman endured countless bouts of painful hives; and he still gets them, he says, especially after eating seafood from the Gulf. He also says he knows others who have broken out in hives after eating seafood.

“They took advantage of everyone down here because we were all poor and broke,” he says. “They told us in hazwhoper class that we didn’t have to worry about the toxins because the oil was weathered and there were no fumes. We’ll it was so bad my eyes were on fire and I had tears running down my throat.”

Seaman reports he got $12,000 from BP last year for lost wages and then took a $5,000 quick claim buyout from BP claims administer Ken Feinberg. “I needed the money, but now I can’t sue because I took the money,” he says.

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Go there and read more. You do not have to worry about the toxins. How sad. More tomorrow.

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Fracking – This needs to be regulated hard

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This just the beginning. The drillers have no idea what they are doing down below. They have very little idea of all the formations they are drilling through. They absolutely have no control over the venting of the gas. And yes, they need to disclose, recover and retain all of the high pressure fluids that they use.

http://coloradoenergynews.com/2011/10/breaking-news-epa-to-regulate-fracking-wastewater-disposal/

Breaking News — EPA to Regulate Fracking Wastewater Disposal

October 20th, 2011

Federal environmental regulators say they will develop national standards for the disposal of polluted wastewaters generated by hydraulic fracturing for natural gas. The agency said it will draft standards for fracking wastewater that drillers would have to meet before sending it to treatment plants.

Staff-Updated

“Fracking” as it is commonly referred to is used extensively in natural gas extraction throughout the United States, including Colorado and neighboring Wyoming. It has been the main technique for freeing up large pockets of shale gas deep underground, and involves injecting sand and chemical additives mixed with millions of gallons of water. The potential impact on water quality in the areas where fracking is practiced is the main concern, although the industry points out there have not been any documented cases of water supplies being contaminated, and hydraulic fracturing operations take place far below water tables.

The EPA’s announcement said the agency will draft standards for fracking wastewater that drillers would have to meet before sending it to treatment plants

Major natural gas companies like Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc., which has a major presence in Colorado, and Chesapeake Energy recycle a large percentage of fracking wastewater, other operators inject it underground. However, a certain amount is sent to treatment plants that are not equipped to handle it.

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More tomorrow.

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Fukushima Reactors Still Not Controlled – Now the Japanese government bails out TepCo

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Really this whole situation is absurd. TepCo claims that the plants are still behaving weirdly, that it could be 10 years before they can start to tear the reactors apart and 20 years before it will be resolved. Yet the Japanese government gives them 11 billion $$$. What?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/15550270

November 2011 Last updated at 02:30 ET

Japan nuclear crisis: Xenon detected at Fukushima plant

By Roland Buerk BBC News, Tokyo

A radioactive gas has been detected at Japan’s crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, the facility’s operator says.

Tepco said xenon had been found in reactor two, which was previously thought to be near a stable shutdown.

There has been no increase in temperature or pressure, but the discovery may indicate a problem with the reactor

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And Yet:

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Japan Starts Tepco Bailout as Fukushima Causes More Losses

November 04, 2011, 7:32 AM EDT

By Tsuyoshi Inajima and Yuji Okada

(Updates with comment from company in 13th paragraph.)

Nov. 4 (Bloomberg) — Tokyo Electric Power Co. won approval for a 900 billion yen ($11.5 billion) bailout from the government after the Fukushima nuclear catastrophe to avert bankruptcy and start paying compensation for the crisis.

Trade and Industry Minister Yukio Edano approved the support after the company known as Tepco committed to cutting 7,400 jobs and 2.5 trillion yen in costs. The utility forecast an annual loss of 600 billion yen, its second since the March earthquake and tsunami wrecked its Fukushima nuclear plant.

The government of Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda is stepping in to ensure residents, farmers, fishermen and forestry businesses are properly compensated by a utility that supplies power to 29 million customers in the political and economic heart of Japan. Tepco may need more aid after March 2013, said Takashi Aoki, who helps manage 120 billion yen at Tokyo-based Mizuho Asset Management Co.

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Read both articles or until you get sick. Which ever comes first. More next week.

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Do Not Put It Off – Weatherize today

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This says it all. Quite frankly all this stuff keeps you cool in the summer as well.

http://homerepair.about.com/od/exteriorhomerepair/ss/winterize.htm

Easy Home Winterizing Checklist

By , About.com Guide

In the fall is when you want to get ready for the winter cold. The worst thing in the world is trying to put your storm windows in when its 20 degrees outside. Or worse, not having your sprinkler system purged before the freezing weather comes.I’m going to give you a fairly easy checklist of things to do for the various systems of your home. From plumbing to roof, we’ll walk through each system and hit the major things to make sure you do before winter so you can enjoy the snow and not worry about your home.
OK, lets start with the basics of making sure you have heat when you need it. The time to check that is in the Fall, no later than the end of October. Give your system a test run through and make sure all systems are “GO“.

Heating System Checklist

  • Test Run:
    Turn the thermostat to heat mode and set it to 80 degrees just for testing. You should hear the furnace turn on and warm air should blow within a few minutes. If it’s running OK, turn the thermostat back to its normal setting. If it’s not running properly, you can try to diagnose it as outlined in Troubleshooting a Gas Furnace. Depending on what’s wrong, you can fix it yourself or you may need a qualified service technician.
  • Seasonal Maintenance:
    Either have the furnace checked by a service technician or do it yourself as outlined in Seasonal Furnace Maintenance.
  • Replace the Air Filter:
    Put in a new clean air filter. It’s easy, just follow the steps in Furnace Filter Replacement
  • Fuel:
    If you have a propane or oil furnace, make sure to have your fuel storage tank topped off and ready to go.
  • Heating Vents:
    Clear obstacles to heating vents so air can freely flow.
  • Check for Carbon Monoxide Leaks:
    This silent killer can easily be detected with either an inexpensive test badge or battery operated alarm. Whichever way you decide, just please decide to protect your family with one of these units.
    See Testing for Carbon Monoxide for more information.

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This is 2 pages out of 10. Please go there and read the rest. New topic next week.

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Weatherizing Your Home – So much to do so little time

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More tips today and tomorrow. Then we move on.

http://life.gaiam.com/article/top-5-places-top-25-ways-weatherize-your-home

Top 5 Places & Top 25 Ways to Weatherize Your Home

Excerpted from the Solar Living Sourcebook by John Schaeffer. See the book for a helpful cutaway illustration pointing out 42 places to weatherize that are discussed in this weatherization article.

Short of printing your own money, weatherization and insulation are the best bets for putting cash in your wallet — and they’re a lot safer in the long run than counterfeiting. Weatherization, the plugging and sealing of air leaks, can save you 25 to 40 percent on your heating and cooling bills.

The average unweatherized house in the United States leaks air at a rate equivalent to a four-foot-square hole in the wall. Weatherization is the first place for the average home owner to concentrate for the most benefit with the least effort and expense. You’ll save money and help the planet!

The following suggestions are adapted with permission from Homemade Money by Richard Heede and the Rocky Mountain Institute.

1. In the attic

  • Weatherstrip and insulate the attic access door.
  • Seal around the outside of the chimney with metal flashing and high-temperature sealant such as flue caulk or muffler cement.
  • Seal around plumbing vents, both in the attic floor and in the roof. Check roof flashings (where the plumbing vent pipes pass through the roof) for signs of water leakage while you’re peering at the underside of the roof.
  • Seal the top of interior walls in pre-1950s houses anywhere you can peer down into the wall cavity. Use strips of rigid insulation, and seal the edges with silicone caulk.
  • Stuff fiberglass insulation around electrical wire penetrations at the top of interior walls and where wires enter ceiling fixtures. (But not around recessed light fixtures unless the fixtures are rated IC [for insulation contact]). Fluorescent fixtures usually are safe to insulate around; they don’t produce a lot of waste heat. Incandescent fixtures should be upgraded to compact fluorescent bulbs).
  • Staple Radiant Barrier under the rafters or joists to reflect 97 percent of the radiant heat that strikes it
  • Seal all other holes between the heated space and the attic.

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Go there and read the other 4 sections. More tomorrow

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This Piece On Weartherproofing Is Pretty Good – But I am skipping all of the types of caulk

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Look  just buy good caulk. That is it. Nothing lasts for 25 years so do not believe that. Usually caulk lasts for six or seven years. That’s it. So do not pay 6 $$$ per tube. But, if you pay 3 or 4 $$$ you are in the right range. If you can get that exact same type of caulk on sale all the better.

http://alsnetbiz.com/homeimprovement/info10.html
The average house–even when well-insulated–contains cracks and gaps between building materials that add up to a hole about 14 “square (Fig. 1). In the winter, those gaps may make the house drafty and chilly. All year long, a leaky house not only wastes energy, but can lead to water damage and provide a path for insects. Inside this document you will find information about: 
  • Weatherproofing Basics
  • Types of Caulking
  • Using Caulking
  • Types of Weatherstripping
  • Installing Weatherstripping

WEATHERPROOFING BASICS

  • In all the discussion of insulation and R-values, don’t forget that poor weatherproofing is often a more important source of discomfort, as well as high heating and cooling bills. 

  • Some air leakage can be prevented during construction by using housewrap or getting a tight fit between framing members, for example. Once the house is built, however, the remaining gaps must be sealed. Gaps around doors and window sashes should be weatherstripped, and gaps between permanent building materials sealed with caulking.


FIG. 1 – Where caulking should be applied, from the Sunset book, Insulation and Weatherstripping, © Sunset Publishing Corp.

TYPES OF WEATHERSTRIPPING

  • The greatest source of air leakage in most homes occurs around doors, windows, and access hatches, such as the ceiling opening from the living area into an unheated attic (Fig. 4). Weatherstripping can be a delicate job because those openings need to be fitted loosely enough that the door or window operates freely, yet tightly enough that air leakage is stopped. 

  • The type of weatherstripping you’ll use depends on the location and the type of opening. Three types of weatherstripping are common: 

  • Compression–Compression weatherstripping (Fig. 5) is used to seal swinging doors and window sashes. It consists of a molded strip (it may be wood, aluminum or rigid vinyl) with a flexible vinyl bulb along one side. As a rule, compression weatherstripping is the most durable type available. 

  • V-Type Strips–V-shaped weatherstripping (Figs. 6 & 7) is fitted against the side of the door or window jamb so it presses against the edge of the door or sash and forms a seal. V-stripping may be vinyl or bronze. 

  • Foam–Foam weatherstripping (Fig. 8) is used to seal either swinging or sliding doors or windows. It comes in various sizes with an adhesive backing on one side. It is fastened to the edge of a door or window stop, or to the bottom of a sliding window sash. 

  • Thresholds and Door Bottoms–A threshold fills the gap between the floor and the bottom of a door. It may have a built-in vinyl bulb. If not, it must be used in combination with a door bottom (Fig. 9), mounted on the lower edge of the door.

 

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So if you want to read about all that caulk or look at the pretty pictures about how to install weather stripping. Please go to the sight and look. More tomorrow.

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