Fukushima, technological determinism & exitless dead-ends

4 months later, 3 of the Fukushima reactors continue to meltdown. Only the constant spraying of water upon the ruined fuel rods keeps them from turning into magma, hitting the earth beneath the reactors and causing volcano-like explosions.

In March I wrote about reactor 2, b/c—having toured the VT Yankee’s simulation reactor last fall—I realized that, of all the reactors, it was in the worse shape. Today Japan’s Mainichi Daily News confirms what I thought: the donut-shaped torus at the bottom of the fission-chamber (used to capture and recycle cooling water) is severely damaged:

At the No. 2 reactor, a hydrogen explosion damaged the pressure suppression pool [also called the torus]. According to analysis by the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, there is a hole of about 300 square meters there. Therefore, in order to circulate cooling water through the reactor, either damaged parts would need to be repaired or the pool would need to be covered with something like a huge concrete structure. But it is difficult for workers to approach the reactor because radiation levels in the reactor building are so high. As a result, TEPCO has not even been able to confirm damaged spots.

Sadly, as can be seen here, repairing the torus would require moving everything above and around it—which is impossible:

Fukushima reactor: torus is the donut @ the bottom

Pouring concrete over the mess will not work either, b/c the melting rods need to be constantly cooled; a concrete structure cannot contain volcano that will erupt when the radioactive magma hits the wet earth beneath the torus.

In the meantime, no human being can get close enough to assess the damage.

Sadly x10, technological determinism has forced Japan into an exitless dead-end.

Related posts:

1. technological determinism: how it leads to exitless dead-ends
2. Revisiting Vermont Yankee
3. technological determinism: what it is
4. What Caused the Fukushima Meltdowns
5. Whatever we do to nature, we do to ourselves