Everything That Went Wrong in the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster
Everything That Went Wrong in the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster
Find out how Fukushima became the most radioactive place on the planet in today’s epic new video that breaks down what caused the nuclear disaster that is still emitting contaminated radioactive waste to this day.
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Content
0.12 -> March 11, 2011, 2:46 p.m.
3.48 -> The surface of the Earth shifts as the
Pacific Plate slides under the North
7.5 -> American Plate at a subduction zone 81 miles
or approximately 130 kilometers east of Sendai,
13.68 -> Japan. This region of the planet is part of the
Ring of Fire, a hotbed for geologic activity such
19.68 -> as earthquakes and volcanoes. This particular
earthquake will lead to a tsunami with waves
25.2 -> as high as 130 feet or 40 meters and one
of the worst nuclear disasters in history.
31.26 -> The massive wave travels at speeds of up to
500 miles or 800 kilometers per hour towards
37.14 -> Japan. Within 30 minutes, the initial wave
slams into the coast. 1,242 miles or around
43.32 -> 2,000 kilometers of the Japanese shoreline
is obliterated in a matter of minutes. The
48.9 -> magnitude of the earthquake is initially
measured at 8.9 on the Richter scale but
53.52 -> will later be revised to a 9.0. It’s the 5th
largest earthquake to occur since scientists
59.16 -> started recording the magnitude of the
natural phenomena over a century ago.
63.24 -> March 11, 2011, 3:27 p.m.
66.6 -> The tsunami wave has penetrated miles
across the Japanese islands. The Fukushima
71.52 -> Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant is flooded
by seawater. Entire towns and villages
75.9 -> are wiped out as the onslaught of water
begins rushing back into the ocean. The
80.34 -> proximity of the earthquake’s epicenter
to the eastern coast of Japan means that
84.24 -> there was very little time for residents
to seek shelter or brace for the impact.
88.62 -> The tsunami and the resulting flooding causes
serious damage to the nuclear power plant owned
93.78 -> by the Tokyo Electric Power Company. The 6
nuclear reactors at the facility have been
98.7 -> generating energy since 1979. At the time the
tsunami hit, 3 of the nuclear reactors were
104.34 -> already shut down for routine inspection.
However, the reactors that still remain
108.54 -> operational are under immediate threat of
melting down due to the devastation caused
113.46 -> by the tsunami. The reactors are designed to shut
down automatically in the event of an earthquake,
118.02 -> while backup diesel generators continuously pump
water into the system to keep the fuel rods cool.
123.9 -> Unfortunately, these diesel generators are
severely damaged by the power of the tsunami and
129.36 -> the ensuing flood. The generators fail. Without
fresh water being pumped into the reactors,
134.22 -> they begin to heat up. It’s only a matter
of time before Fukushima goes critical,
138.48 -> only adding more chaos to the mayhem
caused by the tsunami. The engineers
142.86 -> at the facility know they need to get the
generators back online fast. Otherwise,
147.36 -> the power plant and the surrounding
area could be doused with radiation.
151.14 -> March 11, 8:15 p.m.
153.48 -> The Japanese government is reeling. Search and
rescue efforts are launched all along the eastern
158.34 -> coast of the islands. Thousands of people are
dead; thousands more are missing. The extent of
163.56 -> the damage caused by the tsunami is not yet clear,
and the death toll is only going to rise. But as
168.96 -> the government scrambles to save its citizens,
they are faced with a new problem. Officials
173.16 -> have recently been informed of the problems
arising at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant.
177.06 -> They release a statement declaring a separate
state of emergency in the Fukushima Prefecture.
181.92 -> This will be the first warning to the general
public that a second deadly crisis is now arising.
187.5 -> 45 minutes after the announcement, an evacuation
order is issued for anyone living within 2 miles
193.02 -> or approximately 3 kilometers of the power plant.
As the people around Fukushima try to recover from
198.72 -> the devastation of the tsunami, authorities are
now telling them that all of their pain and loss
203.22 -> may be compounded by a nuclear meltdown. Many
begin packing their most prized possessions and
208.62 -> make plans to leave the area. However, thousands
of people don’t have this option. They will need
213.78 -> to be placed in emergency shelters or decide to
ride out the nuclear storm in their own houses.
218.22 -> March 12th, 2:06 a.m.
220.56 -> Warning lights go off in the control room at the
Fukushima power plant. Radiation levels in reactor
226.02 -> number 1 are rising. It’s clear that the lack
of fresh water being pumped through the system
230.4 -> is becoming a serious problem. Engineers have
also identified a small radiation leak in one
235.32 -> of the reactors caused by the tsunami. The power
plant is severely understaffed due to everything
239.88 -> that is going on. It’s not clear what
the extent of the damage is yet or if
243.84 -> the workers on hand will be able to contain
any further leaks and prevent a meltdown.
248.22 -> March 12th, 6:46 a.m.
250.74 -> The pressure in reactors 1 and 2 begins to
rise. The fuel rods are becoming so hot that
256.26 -> the water in the coolant tanks is beginning to
boil. Steam fills the chamber as more and more
261.18 -> water evaporates from the intense heat. The
Tokyo Electric Power Company confirms that
265.92 -> radioactive substances are leaking from the
power plant. A reading conducted by Japan’s
270.6 -> Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency discovers
that radiation near the facility’s main gate is
275.82 -> more than 8 times normal levels. They detect high
amounts of cesium 137 and iodine 131 in the area.
282.48 -> Officials at TEPCO order workers to begin pumping
seawater into reactor number 1 to keep it from
288.24 -> going critical. The salt in the water begins to
corrode the piping and pumps in the reactor. This
293.76 -> could have disastrous consequences down the
road. At the same time the saltwater is being
298.44 -> injected into reactor 1, reactor number 2’s
water levels begin to drop. Japan's Nuclear
303.96 -> and Industrial Agency which is keeping a close eye
on the situation, concludes that the radioactive
308.94 -> cesium escaping from the nuclear power plant is
likely being caused by the melting of fuel rods.
314.22 -> March 12th, 6:22 p.m.
316.62 -> A buildup of hydrogen has been growing in
reactor number 3. As the temperatures rise,
321.84 -> huge amounts of water are evaporating from the
cooling tanks. Suddenly, the excess hydrogen in
326.88 -> the chamber ignites, and the roof is blown
off the top of the containment structure,
331.08 -> injuring 2 plant workers and 2 subcontractors
who were trying to get the reactors under
335.7 -> control. The explosion itself does not damage
the reactors, which is extremely good news for
341.04 -> anyone still in the area or working at the
plant. The containment structure, however,
345.3 -> is not so lucky as the blast causes a
partial collapse. If the engineers and
350.04 -> workers at Fukushima Daichii don’t work
fast, a catastrophic failure is imminent.
354.78 -> Two hours after the explosion, residents within
12 miles or 20 kilometers of the power plant
360 -> are ordered to evacuate. Around
200,000 residents flee for their
364.44 -> lives. As authorities try to persuade everyone
to seek refuge outside of the evacuation zone,
369.24 -> they also proclaim that no radioactive
gasses have escaped from the reactors yet.
373.74 -> This seems to be true as radiation levels
around the power plant have begun to fall.
378.78 -> Workers continue to flood the containment
structure around the overheating reactors
382.92 -> with salt water to keep temperatures
down. A large shipment of iodine tablets
387.36 -> is transported to Fukushima and the
surrounding area to be distributed
390.72 -> to residents who lived the closest to the
nuclear power plant. This is done to help
394.8 -> prevent radiation poisoning in the early
stages of the Fukushima Daiichi disaster.
399.06 -> March 13th, 3:20 a.m.
401.58 -> A group of 90 people who have been evacuated from
their homes near the power plant are put through
406.92 -> a series of tests. The goal is to see if anyone
has been exposed to high levels of radiation and
412.32 -> get a better idea of how bad the situation is. 3
people in the group test positive for radiation
417.36 -> exposure. There is clearly a radiation leak
at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Chief
422.4 -> Cabinet Secretary, Yukio Endo, warns TEPCO and
the agencies involved in the containment process
427.98 -> that there is a very real possibility that
reactor number 3 may incur another explosion.
433.44 -> March 14th, 11:00 a.m.
435.72 -> Workers run for their lives. Hydrogen levels in
reactor number 3 are increasing. The pressure
441.36 -> is growing, and it’s only a matter of seconds
before there is another blast. The hydrogen
445.92 -> combusts. The cooling system at reactor number
2 suffers a massive amount of damage. 11 people,
451.38 -> including employees, subcontractors,
and 4 civilian defense workers,
455.58 -> are injured during the explosion. They are
carried out of the wreckage, decontaminated,
459.84 -> and loaded into emergency vehicles that
bring them to a nearby medical facility.
463.92 -> One of the walls of the containment structure
collapses. Now the structure is missing a side
468.72 -> and its roof. However, officials still maintain
that the reactors themselves are contained,
473.46 -> which should help reduce the
amount of radiation escaping
476.34 -> from the power plant. To increase the
effectiveness of the cooling process,
479.94 -> emergency crews mix boron with ocean water.
Boron is highly effective at absorbing neutrons,
485.88 -> which as a result, slows the nuclear
chain reactions happening in the core.
490.02 -> Even though authorities still claim that
the radiation is contained at Fukushima,
494.28 -> they recommend anyone who did not leave during
the first evacuation should remain indoors until
499.74 -> further notice. As a result of the explosion
and the cooling pumps being left unattended,
504.42 -> approximately 8.9 feet or 2.7 meters
of the control rods in reactor number
509.7 -> 2 are above water. Radioactive steam
begins to build up in the structure.
514.08 -> March 15, 6:00 a.m.
516.24 -> There is a detonation in reactor number 2. The
intense heat from the exposed fuel rods caused
522 -> the hydrogen in the containment structure to
detonate. This damages the suppression pool,
526.26 -> which leads to more control rods being exposed.
As a result of the third explosion in four days
531.54 -> at the Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant, the
U.S. Navy decides to reposition its ships
536.22 -> and planes in the area. They have already begun
to detect low levels of airborne radioactivity,
541.44 -> and it seems like the situation is only
going to get worse. 3 sailors aboard
545.88 -> the U.S.S. Ronald Regan test positive for
low levels of radiation in their systems.
550.56 -> Later that morning, Secretary Yukio Edano
announces that a nuclear meltdown could
555.42 -> happen in the three damaged reactors at
the power plant. It is confirmed that the
559.5 -> amount of radiation around the facility
has reached levels that can “impact human
563.28 -> health.” Authorities recommend that anyone
who lives within 18.6 miles or 30 kilometers
568.92 -> of the power plant should remain indoors at
all times to minimize the risk of exposure.
573.72 -> A general evacuation order is given
at the power plant for all workers.
577.5 -> Around 800 people leave the area and seek
shelter away from the facility in case the
582.6 -> worst case scenario occurs. 50 skilled workers
remain behind to conduct emergency operations
587.82 -> in an attempt to keep the reactors from
melting down. They will likely receive
592.08 -> high doses of radiation by staying, but
they bravely accept this responsibility
596.52 -> in hopes of mitigating a disaster that could
end up being on the same scale as Chornobyl.
601.8 -> March 15th, 8:54 a.m.
604.08 -> A fire breaks out in reactor number 4. This
particular reactor had already been shut down
609.36 -> before the earthquake occurred. However,
it’s believed that the fuel storage pool
613.08 -> in the structure has caught fire and
is releasing radioactive steam into the
617.22 -> atmosphere. Prime Minister Naoto Kan explains
the situation to the Japanese people and
622.2 -> urges them to remain calm. He notes that
there is a very high risk of radioactive
626.46 -> materials leaking out of the Fukushima
Daiichi power plant at this time. The
630.66 -> government enacts a no-fly zone within
30 kilometers of the nuclear plant.
634.26 -> 2 hours later, the fire in reactor number
4 is put out. The International Atomic
639.48 -> Energy Agency has been collecting data
around the power plant and reveals that
643.44 -> radiation levels are 167 times the average
annual dose that is acceptable for someone
648.96 -> to receive. Further investigation determines
that the exposure rate near the facility is
654.18 -> up to 400 millisieverts per hour when a person's
exposure should only be around 2.4 millisieverts
661.08 -> per year. It’s concluded that the situation at
Fukushima is becoming dire. The explosion in
666.18 -> reactor number 2 may have compromised the
integrity of the main containment vessel.
670.2 -> Something must be done to suppress the high
levels of radiation escaping the reactor.
674.88 -> That night TEPCO plans to use helicopters to drop
water into the compromised containment structure
680.58 -> to aid in the cooling process.
March 16th, 7:00 a.m.
684.54 -> Another fire breaks out in the building that
houses reactor number 4. It’s determined that
689.04 -> around 70% of the fuel rods in Unit 1 and
33% of the fuel rods in Unit 2 have been
694.92 -> damaged. It is also suspected that the
core of reactor 3 is compromised. Cool
699.54 -> seawater is continuously injected into
the reactors to try and keep them stable.
704.04 -> March 17th, 4:35 a.m.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission releases
709.98 -> a statement highly recommending any U.S. citizens
that are located within 50 miles or 80 kilometers
715.68 -> of the Fukushima Daichi Power Plant evacuate
the area due to the risk of radiation exposure.
720.72 -> The head of the NRC informs Congress that the
spent fuel rod pool no longer has water in it,
726.06 -> meaning that huge amounts of radiation are being
released from the facility every second. Japanese
731.16 -> Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa initiates a plan
to combat the crisis from both the air and the
736.56 -> ground. The top priority is to cool reactor number
3 as soon as possible. Anyone who is involved in
742.32 -> this mission will be put at great risk. However,
time is running out, and something must be done.
747.66 -> March 17th, 9:48 a.m.
750.42 -> Helicopters arrive above the damaged power plant.
They dump gallons and gallons of seawater from the
756.18 -> Pacific Ocean onto reactors number 3 and 4 to cool
the structures. After hours of carrying out the
761.82 -> operation, there seems to be no measurable impact
on lowering radiation levels. The measurements in
767.34 -> the area still put the radiation at around 170
millisieverts per hour. The aerial bombardment
772.5 -> of water is ceased to reduce the risk of
exposure to the pilots and other emergency
776.7 -> personnel. At this point, it’s announced that at
least 2 people are missing at the power plant,
781.44 -> and another has shown signs of radiation poising
from prolonged exposure. As more information
786.84 -> comes out, the number of radiation-related
illnesses increases to approximately 20 people.
792.12 -> Around 7:30 p.m., the Japanese Defense Ministry
brings in five water cannon trucks to continue to
798.54 -> douse the reactors with cool water to keep them
from overheating. However, like the helicopter
803.52 -> operation, the water cannons have a minimal effect
and are withdrawn only 40 minutes later. For days,
809.46 -> the Tokyo Electric Power Company has been denying
claims that any of the spent fuel pools are dry,
814.62 -> even though many believe this is the reason
radiation levels are so elevated. Instead,
819.54 -> TEPCO claims that there is
still water in every tank,
822.06 -> but the amount in each is unknown.
Australia urges its citizens residing
826.68 -> within 50 miles or 80 kilometers of the
Fukushima Daiichi plant to evacuate.
831.18 -> March 18th.
832.62 -> Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety
Agency raises the crisis threat level
837 -> from level 4 to level 5. This puts it
at the same severity as the Three Mile
842.16 -> Island accident in 1979. The International
Nuclear Events Scale determines that a level
847.8 -> 5 incident will result in the release of
large quantities of radioactive material
852.24 -> resulting in several deaths.
March 19th, 9:00 a.m.
856.26 -> While the world focuses on the events
unfolding at the Fukushima plant,
859.86 -> the nation of Japan is still reeling from the
devastation of the tsunami. Search and rescue
864.84 -> operations are carried out across the country as
thousands of people are still missing. Their homes
869.64 -> have been swept away by the tsunami, and entire
towns have been leveled. The most tragic part is
875.16 -> that the bodies of many loved ones will never
be found as they have been carried out to sea
879.72 -> as the waters from the gigantic wave receded back
into the ocean. By this point, 7,348 people have
886.8 -> been confirmed dead. At least 10,947 people are
missing, and 2,611 people are being treated for
894.66 -> severe injuries all caused by the tsunami
that hit the Japanese coast 8 days prior.
899.76 -> That afternoon engineers and workers push
themselves to the brink of exhaustion to
904.14 -> restore power to the cooling systems at the
nuclear power plant. They hoped that within
908.16 -> the next two days, power will be back online. New
diesel generators are brought in and hooked up to
913.56 -> the water pumps of units 5 and 6. Progress
is slow, but as power comes back online,
918.84 -> the reactors begin to cool. Unfortunately, milk
and water tested around Fukushima are found to
924.66 -> contain high levels of radioactive iodine.
Tap water in Tokyo, which is located 140
930.18 -> miles or 225 kilometers away, has also tested
positive for elevated levels of radiation.
936.24 -> March 20th, 9:00 a.m.
938.52 -> Temperatures in reactors 5 and 6 reach safe
levels. Engineers are now able to enact a cold
943.98 -> shutdown as temperatures are below 100 degrees
Celsius or 212 degrees Fahrenheit. Electrical
949.92 -> cables are connected to the cooling systems of the
remaining reactors in preparation for restoring
954.6 -> power. Everything seems to be going according
to plan. The workers are on track to get all 6
960.06 -> reactors under control as long as nothing else
goes wrong in the next several hours. However,
965.04 -> at around 1:00 p.m., the pressure inside
reactor number 3 begins to increase again.
969.24 -> Workers panic as they were so close to
getting the power plant under control.
973.2 -> They scramble to reduce the pressure by any
means necessary to avoid another explosion.
978.6 -> An hour later, Japan's National Police Agency
releases the latest numbers for the tsunami
983.64 -> victims. 8,199 people are confirmed
dead; 12,722 are now reported missing.
990.96 -> March 21st.
992.22 -> Black smoke begins to rise from the containment
structure of reactor number 3. There is clearly
997.56 -> something very wrong. Fearing the worst, workers
are evacuated in case the reactor goes critical,
1002.9 -> and there is an explosion. Power has now been
restored to reactors 1, 2, 5, and 6. Reactors
1009.02 -> 3 and 4 are the only ones that pose a serious
threat at this point in time. But if the workers
1013.88 -> can’t return to the power plant soon, systems
could begin to fail, and they will be right back
1018.8 -> to square one. Emergency teams are on standby,
waiting for the all-clear to resume their work.
1023.72 -> March 22nd.
1025.1 -> Workers are allowed to return to the power
plant and resume their tasks. Seawater is
1029.66 -> still being pumped into units 2, 3, and 4.
The salt is continuously corroding the system,
1034.22 -> but if the water isn’t injected into the reactors,
1037.1 -> there will be a meltdown. Readings are taken
south of the Fukushima Daichi Power Plan,
1041.36 -> and it’s found that the water there contains 126.7
times the legal limits of radioactive iodine. It
1048.14 -> ‘s also discovered that Cesium 134 exceeds the
maximum limit by 24.8 times, and Cesium 137,
1055.34 -> which has a half-life of approximately 30 years,
is at levels 16.5 times higher than acceptable.
1061.52 -> The following day, radiation is found in 11 types
of vegetables from the area around Fukushima,
1067.04 -> and any shipments out of the region are halted.
However, workers at the power plant have made
1071.84 -> progress. All reactors now have electrical power
running to them, meaning that any undamaged
1077.18 -> systems can be brought back online. Tokyo’s
tap water is found to contain 210 becquerels
1083.06 -> per liter of iodine 131. This is over twice the
recommended limit for infants and young children.
1089.06 -> March 24th.
1090.56 -> Even with power restored, the water levels in Unit
4’s spent fuel pool are incredibly low. To remedy
1096.62 -> this situation, 135 metric tons of seawater are
flushed into the system. As this is being done,
1102.86 -> the temperature in reactor 1 increases to 752
degrees Fahrenheit or 400 degrees Celsius. The
1110.18 -> system was designed to only be able to handle
temperatures below 576 degrees Fahrenheit or
1115.58 -> 302 degrees Celsius. A plume of smoke
rises out of reactors 1, 2, 3, and 4.
1121.4 -> In order to install much-needed electrical cables
to Unit 3’s reactor pumps, 2 men wade through a
1127.16 -> pool of irradiated water. Although there are
inevitable risks involved, their suits are
1132.26 -> designed to handle intense heat and radiation.
Tragically, the irradiated water seeps into their
1137.54 -> protective gear and delivers 180 millisieverts of
radiation directly to their bodies. These men are
1143.78 -> heroes who put preventing a nuclear meltdown ahead
of their own lives and completed their mission.
1149.3 -> The cables are successfully connected, and the
pumps are powered up. Unfortunately, now they
1154.52 -> are paying the price. Both men are sent to the
hospital to be treated for radiation poisoning.
1159.02 -> March 25th.
1160.34 -> The pumps at reactor 1 are initiated.
Freshwater, instead of salt water,
1164.72 -> begins flooding into the cooling pool. This will
reduce the amount of corrosion done to the system,
1169.22 -> but the seawater has already taken its
tool. The temperature in the core begins
1173.48 -> to fall and eventually settles around
400 degrees Fahrenheit or 204.5 degrees
1178.34 -> Celsius. This is within normal operational
parameters. Evacuation efforts continue
1183.2 -> in the areas around the power plant.
Some families still refuse to leave.
1187.16 -> An airplane lifts off from a runway in Tokyo and
lands in China. Passengers disembark; however,
1192.92 -> two Japanese citizens are found to have
high levels of radiation in their bodies.
1196.64 -> They are sent to a nearby hospital
to begin decontamination treatments.
1200.48 -> March 26th.
1201.86 -> The water pump in reactor 2 is activated.
Freshwater begins to flow into the system.
1206.96 -> Tests are once again run on the ocean water to the
south of the power plant. It’s found to contain
1212.18 -> 1,250 times the legal limit of radioactive iodine
131. The previous day the seawater contained 103.9
1219.98 -> times the limit, meaning radioactive waste is
leaking out of the power plant and into the sea.
1225.32 -> Two days later, a damaged turbine is found
to be spewing contaminated water out of the
1229.88 -> facility. This has raised radiation levels
to around 1,000 millisieverts per hour,
1234.44 -> which is enough to give someone a fatal
dose of radiation within 4 to 5 hours.
1238.76 -> Workers are warned to stay away from the
leak until it can be fixed. On March 31st,
1243.74 -> Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency
tests the seawater near the power plant and
1248.6 -> finds it contains 4,385 times more radiation
than the maximum safety levels. The amount
1255.26 -> of radiation being spread into the ocean and
surrounding areas is increasing exponentially.
1260.24 -> April 1st.
1261.5 -> The Tokyo Electric Power Company brings
in an "anti-scattering" agent that is
1265.76 -> sprayed into the plant's common spent
fuel pool area. This is done to reduce
1269.78 -> the amount of radioactive particles carried
across the landscape by the wind and rain.
1273.92 -> April 2nd.
1275.18 -> The main leak is found. A 20-centimeter crack
near a water intake pipe in unit 2 is leaking
1282.5 -> irradiated water at 1,000 millisieverts per
hour into the surrounding environment. The
1287.48 -> crack must be filled in order to stop the
contamination. However, initial attempts
1291.56 -> to get the leak under control fail. Every
minute that the leak is allowed to continue,
1295.52 -> more and more radiation makes its
way into the environment. Samples
1299.3 -> of seawater now contain 7.5 million times
the legal limit of radioactive particles.
1305.12 -> The water and landscape around Fukushima
Daichii Power Plant are irradiated to the
1309.92 -> point that it’s no longer safe for residents to
return. Japan's chief cabinet secretary informs
1315.14 -> the population that the people who have been
evacuated from the area will not be able to
1319.4 -> come back to their homes for the foreseeable
future. Two days later, on April 4th,
1323.9 -> TEPCO dumps 11,500 tons of water with "low levels"
of contamination into the ocean. The company says
1331.46 -> this must be done to free up storage room for
highly contaminated water at the facility. This
1336.92 -> only worsens one of the biggest human-caused
environmental disasters in recorded history.
1341.84 -> April 6th.
1343.28 -> The 20-centimeter crack in Unit 2 is
finally fixed. It has been leaking for days,
1348.26 -> releasing untold amounts of radioactive
liquid into the environment. 6,000 cubic
1353.36 -> meters of nitrogen gas are pumped into reactor
1 to counteract a hydrogen buildup and reduce
1358.76 -> flammability in hopes of avoiding another
explosion. It's announced that it will take
1363.26 -> at least 10 years to decommission all of the
reactors at Fukushima. Until this is done,
1367.82 -> there is still a chance that something could
go wrong and lead to a full-blown meltdown.
1372.5 -> April 2011.
1374.42 -> On April 11th, exactly one month after
the 9.0 earthquake that generated the
1379.34 -> tsunami which damaged the Fukushima Daichi
Power Plant, another earthquake shakes the
1384.68 -> region. This one is slightly smaller
at 7.0 on the Richter Scale. However,
1389.24 -> it’s still enough to cause Fukushima to
once again lose power and cause water to
1393.68 -> stop flowing into reactors 1, 2, and 3 for at
least 50 minutes. Luckily, the generators are
1399.5 -> repaired and turned back on, restoring the
water flow before significant harm is done.
1403.88 -> As a result of all the new data collected from
the surrounding area, the Fukushima disaster
1408.68 -> is raised to level 7 on International Atomic
Energy Agency's severity scale. This is the
1414.56 -> highest possible rating. The only other
nuclear disaster to reach this level was
1418.88 -> Chornobyl. Although it’s important to note that
the amount of radioactive particles released at
1423.26 -> Fukushima is only about 10% of the amount spewed
from nuclear reactor number 4 at Chornobyl.
1429.26 -> For the remainder of April, workers continue to
pump cool water into the spent fuel pools to keep
1434.84 -> temperatures stable. They also construct
a steel-plated fence around the facility
1438.68 -> to prevent radioactive leakage from reaching the
ocean. Remote-controlled robots are brought into
1444.08 -> the power plant to gather data on the radiation
levels inside the reactors. It’s found that high
1448.82 -> levels of radiation are still escaping the
damaged fuel rods. TEPCO announces that all
1453.26 -> reactors will achieve a cold shutdown by January
2012, 10 months after the nuclear disaster.
1459.38 -> In order to protect the public’s health,
the Japanese government bans the shipment
1463.4 -> of fish caught along the waters of Fukushima
after they find 14,400 becquerels per kilogram
1469.88 -> of radioactive cesium. This is almost
30 times higher than the legal limit,
1474.56 -> which is 500 becquerels per kilogram. The
Japanese government orders the Tokyo Electric
1479.48 -> Power Company to pay $12,052 per household to
50,000 households in the Fukushima region as
1486.98 -> reparations for forcing them out of their homes
and contaminating the landscape with radioactive
1491.66 -> particles. This amounts to 602.6 million
dollars, money that TEPCO does not have.
1497.78 -> May 2011.
1499.28 -> The cooling system in reactor
1 still needs to be repaired,
1502.58 -> but the radiation levels in the chamber
are still too high for humans to withstand,
1506.6 -> even with protective gear. Vents are installed
in Unit 1 to allow workers to conduct repairs.
1511.94 -> New guidelines are released by the government
stating that the acceptable level of annual
1516.5 -> radiation exposure in Fukushima Prefecture's
elementary schools has been increased to 20
1521.6 -> millisieverts. The International Commission
on Radiological Protection limits radiation
1526.22 -> exposure to around 2 millisieverts per year for
the general public meaning that the radiation
1531.44 -> levels acceptable at elementary schools
in Fukushima are 10 times the recommended
1536.06 -> level. This results in outrage from the Japanese
and international community. The government is
1540.8 -> putting the lives of school children at risk, and
people will not stand idly by while it happens.
1545.78 -> On May 11th, anyone who was evacuated from the
12.4-mile or 20-kilometer no-entry zone around
1551.72 -> the Fukushima Dachii Power Plant is allowed
back into their homes for 2 hours to gather
1556.64 -> personal belongings and important documents.
They are not allowed to grab anything that
1561.02 -> may contain high amounts of radiation, such as
food and liquids. It ‘s a heartbreaking sight,
1565.7 -> as many of these people will never be
able to return to their former homes.
1569.18 -> As May progresses, it’s discovered that
reactor 1 has undergone at least a partial
1573.92 -> meltdown. The water levels in the reactor are
dangerously low due to a leak near the core.
1579.02 -> Around 50 metric tons of contaminated water has
escaped from the storage facility at the power
1584.06 -> plant resulting in the surrounding
area becoming even more irradiated.
1588.2 -> June 18th, 2011.
1590.06 -> Safe temperatures at all spent fuel pools have
finally been achieved. Temperatures in reactors 1,
1596 -> 2, and 3 continue to decline. 300 brave men and
women from Japan's Skilled Veterans' Corps offer
1602.06 -> to sacrifice their lives to help contain and clean
up the radiation released by the Fukushima Daiichi
1607.04 -> Power Plant. They are all elderly citizens that
feel it is their duty to do whatever they can to
1611.6 -> help their country. At the end of the month,
a report is released that states radioactive
1615.86 -> substances have been found in the urine of at
least 10 children from the Fukushima Prefecture.
1621.14 -> July 2011.
1622.46 -> Two-thirds of all Japanese people want to end
the use of nuclear power within their country.
1627.08 -> The Fukushima plant disaster has tainted the use
of nuclear energy as a power source. Even though
1632.48 -> future disasters can be avoided by implementing
stricter regulations and multiple fail-safes,
1637.58 -> the nuclear power industry has lost
the trust of the Japanese public.
1641 -> The government implements a program to conduct
lifelong checks on the thyroids of all Fukushima
1646.28 -> residents who were under the age of 18 at the time
of the nuclear crisis. This includes conducting
1651.32 -> ultrasounds on 360,000 children in the next few
years. At the end of July, the city of Soma in
1657.92 -> Fukushima Prefecture begins constructing a
solar power plant to supplement the energy
1662.66 -> lost from the nuclear plant and to pave the way
for alternative sources of energy in the future.
1667.64 -> August 17, 2011.
1669.74 -> The Independent releases a bomb that will
decimate the already tarnished reputation
1674.72 -> of the Tokyo Electric Power Company. It
is found that TEPCO conducted a cover-up
1679.28 -> about cracks in the circulation pipes at Fukushima
Daichi in 2002, 9 years before the tsunami. These
1687.2 -> findings mean that the systems in place at
the power plant were already compromised,
1691.52 -> and if they had been fixed properly, it could
have prevented some of the radioactive materials
1696.08 -> from leaking out of the facility in 2011.
This gross negligence on TEPCO’s part is
1701.36 -> one of the reasons that the area surrounding
the power plant is so heavily contaminated.
1705.44 -> TEPCO releases its own statement
to try and draw attention away from
1709.28 -> its horrendous coverup and informs the
public that the amount of radioactive
1712.82 -> substances leaking from the power plant
is now 200 million becquerels per hour,
1717.38 -> or around one ten-millionth of the radioactivity
that was being released in early March. However,
1722.96 -> the damage has already been done, and although
it’s good that the contamination levels are
1727.04 -> going down, they never needed to be so high
in the first place. To add insult to injury,
1731.78 -> TEPCO also announces that the cleanup and
stabilization of the reactors at the power
1735.8 -> plant are taking longer than expected and will
take an additional several months to complete.
1740.96 -> October 2011.
1742.7 -> The installation of a new roof on the Unit 1
reactor building is completed. The amount of
1747.44 -> radiation being emitted from the power plant
has been reduced to 100 million becquerels
1752.12 -> of radiation per hour, which brings the
levels down to 1 eight-millionth of what
1756.38 -> it was right after the tsunami. A report
is published that states around 70% of the
1760.94 -> people evacuated from Fukushima still
have not been able to obtain new jobs.
1765.2 -> November 2011.
1766.82 -> Japanese officials inform the country and
the world that it will take over 30 years
1771.14 -> to decommission the damaged reactors at the
Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. This
1775.4 -> means that no one will be able to return
to their homes in the evacuation zone for
1779.78 -> at least that long. However, in order to
prove that clean-up efforts are working,
1783.86 -> a Japanese parliamentary secretary scoops up a
glass of water from a puddle near the Fukushima
1789.38 -> power plant and drinks it. A collective
cringe from people across the country
1793.16 -> arises as radioactive particles likely aren’t
the only harmful things in the puddle water.
1798.2 -> Rice shipments from the Fukushima Prefecture are
banned as samples contain up to 630 becquerels
1804.38 -> per kilogram, which is around 5 times
more than the government safety limit
1808.46 -> of 130 becquerels per kilogram. This is
followed by the first decontamination
1813.08 -> efforts by the government within the
no-entry zone around the power plant.
1816.56 -> December 7, 2011.
1818.6 -> A new leak arises. 150 liters
of radioactive waste spills into
1823.82 -> the Pacific Ocean before it can be
contained. It’s estimated that this
1827.24 -> incident results in 26 billion becquerels
of radioactive material entering the sea.
1832.52 -> On December 16th, Japanese Prime Minister
Yoshihiko Noda announces to the Japanese
1837.2 -> people and the world that all reactors at
the Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant are in
1841.58 -> cold shutdown. They are kept at around 158
degrees Fahrenheit or 70 degrees Celsius.
1846.62 -> Radiation levels are now below 1 millisievert
per year around the power plant. The immediate
1852.44 -> danger of a complete meltdown has been avoided.
However, experts warn that cleaning up all of the
1857.3 -> radioactive material in the surrounding
area will be a long and dangerous process.
1861.56 -> On December 29, 2011, the last emergency
evacuation shelter in Fukushima closes.
1867.44 -> 448,000 evacuees move to temporary housing,
hotels, and apartments across the country.
1873.74 -> February 2012.
1875.42 -> The mayor of Kawauchi, a village
just outside of the evacuation zone,
1879.62 -> says that all local authorities will be
returning to the town in April. Schools,
1884.06 -> clinics, and public services will resume in
Kawauchi at that time. Former residents are
1888.62 -> encouraged to also return in order to
work towards the future. This will be
1892.34 -> the first township to declare its intentions to
return since the disaster almost a year prior.
1897.62 -> A few days later, a report is released stating
that earthworms at Kawauchi have been found to
1902.78 -> contain cesium levels as high as 20,000
becquerels per kilogram. This worries
1907.46 -> scientists and medical professionals as there
is a concern that radioactive materials will
1912.2 -> bio-accumulate up the food chain. This
means that as animals, including humans,
1916.58 -> eat plants and other animals in the ecosystem,
more and more radiation will accumulate in their
1921.5 -> bodies. Eventually, the radiation levels could
become so high that it could pose a health risk.
1926.12 -> The Japanese government bails out TEPCO
for $8.5 billion so that it can cover its
1931.4 -> compensation payments. A study finds
that around 42.2 percent of Fukushima
1935.96 -> Prefecture residents have been exposed
to over 1 millisievert of radiation,
1939.98 -> meaning the power plant disaster has increased
their exposure to above-normal levels. However,
1945.26 -> the same study finds that 94.6 percent
of residents were exposed to less than
1950.18 -> five millisieverts, which bodes
well for their future health.
1953.36 -> March 2012.
1954.98 -> It’s been 1 year after the Fukushima Daichi
Power Plant disaster that resulted from
1959.42 -> the negligence of the Tokyo Electric Power
Corporation and the tsunami that decimated
1963.92 -> the Japanese coast. As of this moment in time,
there have been zero deaths as a direct result
1968.84 -> of the radiation from the power plant. 78,000
people are not allowed to return to their
1973.58 -> homes that are located within 20 kilometers of
the power plant. There are only 2 operational
1978.32 -> reactors currently producing energy in Japan
out of 54 that were built since the 1960s.
1984.08 -> As a result of what happened at
the Fukushima Daiichi Power Plan,
1987.2 -> nuclear safety requirements are becoming more
strict. No one wants another nuclear disaster,
1992.3 -> and by implementing clear protocols, stringent
quality checks, and multiple fail-safes,
1997.34 -> nuclear power has become safer than its ever
been. It’s estimated it will take at least 30
2002.38 -> years to decommission the Fukushima plant
and decontaminate the surrounding areas.
2006.94 -> Now watch “Chernobyl Nuclear Explosion
Disaster Explained (Hour by Hour).” Or
2012.58 -> check out “What If North Korea Launched
a Nuclear Bomb (Minute by Minute).”
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YstpxrVMnQM