Setbacks in Stabilizing the Fukushima Nuclear Plant

Valuable time was lost when officials were forced to pull workers out of the Fukushima nuclear plant on Tuesday, March 15. The mission to reduce pressure among the 6 nuclear reactors contained at the plant was put on hold when radiation levels skyrocketed. The radioactive presence in the plant was stemmed from overheated fuel rods that were not cooperating due to the extent of the earthquake that hit Japan on Friday. For the last four days, earthquake recovery workers and plant officials have been steadily pumping seawater into the reactors, in an effort to cool down its interior so another explosion or fire would not erupt.

Following the removal of workers, the conditions at the Fukushima power plants are making a dreadful downward spiral. On Wednesday, March 16, a second fire was sparked within a reactor, causing the nuclear situation to go from bad to worst. The patience of the people of the Japanese nation has officially reached its limits; citizens are frustrated with the awaiting of conditions to become stabilized, as radiations levels continue to rise and force residents to remain indoors. The spiked level of radiation currently surpasses ten times the ‘normal’ level of radiation that should be exposed to a human within a calendar year.

In addition to this crisis, Japanese citizens are going into their sixth day of food, water and heat deprivation. The days that lie ahead are projected to be far more difficult that the days immediately following the earthquake eruption that conspired Friday. Earthquake recovery teams are working day and night to get a grasp on the extent of the damage. These efforts are estimated to take months before true progress can be seen and the masse of the reconstruction phase can begin.
