Japan's Nuclear Disaster Cleanup

Introduction

The recent Typhoon that has racked the Philippines has been making me think about the incredible

power Mother Nature has on it citizens. This recent tragedy has sparked my remembrance of the tsunami that hit Japan more than two years ago, and the resulting Fukushima nuclear meltdown that ensued. I proceeded to the trusty internet to see what kind of progress had been made on the disasters clean up. This fruitful search turned up what I find to be a very informative and well written piece by the New York Times. After reading it I became curious of the impact it will have Biosystems engineers and the judgments of our work. The article I read can be found at http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/11/world/asia/removing-fuel-rods-poses-new-risks-at-crippled-nuclear-plant-in-japan.html?_r=0

The Article
This article by Hiroko Tabuchi is very well written and I believe a credible account of the goings on in japan right now. Tabuchi gains credibility in ethos because she has been writing for several years, the last five years at The New York Times reporting on the business, economics, and technology in Japan. Also, I trust this article because it is full of logos. She backs her clams in the report with concrete facts, citing certain dates and referencing well know scientist and professionals in the area. This article is also is trustworthy because it is clearly not an opinions article because there is practically no emotional pathos involved.

Background

The tsunami and earth quake sent the Tokyo Electric Power Company’s (tepco) nuclear power this facility is projected to be a long process and the removal of fuel rods at Reactor No. 4 is merely one step. A step that happens to be potentially dangerous. The rods have to be removed by crane and if the casks are dropped, further disaster would ensue. “The company said it has taken extra precautions. The plant has been preparing for months, erecting a steel structure around and over the damaged reactor building and fitting it with a crane to lift the casks about 100 feet in the air.” Reports Hiroko Tabuchi. The entire cleanup process will have an effect on Nuclear energy and the engineers that are devoted to it.

complex out of control. A hydrogen explosion blowing of the roof of the spent fuel pool at Reactor No. 4 leaving its more than 1,500 radioactive fuel assemblies left exposed. It is this dangerous situation that is first on the long list of clean up that needs to happen at Fukushima. The cleanup of

Public Image

The disaster at Fukushima raises some important environmental questions, and the success or failure of proper clean up at the facility will have an impact on the connotation of nuclear power. If they Tepco team is successful in the cleanup the company will regain some of its credibility and it will give praise to the engineers on the team proving that there skills are up to the task. If the cleanup process goes well I think it will also lend a hand to the image of nuclear power. Events like Chernobyl and the general risk of harnessing nuclear power scare the general population, and with good reason, but I think that if all goes well at the facility it will show that even in the face of environmental disasters, nuclear power can be contained in a safe way. On the other hand if problems occur that result in further damage to people or the environment, the image of nuclear power will be further diminished.

Challenges for future

The disaster has brought up questions future Biosystems or Nuclear engineers will need to consider. The main question clearly is how can we prevent future disaster? This questions pits Mother Nature

against man made technology. Future engineers will have to prepare for natures events, earth quakes, tsunamis, tornados, hurricanes, etc. To do this they will have to consider the very location of a plant and design a structure that can withstand these events. Also they will need to be more conscious or the worst case scenario and be highly prepared if it happens.