Beyond Nuclear

The Japanese government has declared a second nuclear emergency at another reactor site following the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

The first emergency was declared when offsite and emergency backup power to the cooling system failed at the Fukushima Daiichi Unit 1 in Ohkuma, Fukushima Prefecture. Tokyo Electric Power Company operators are fighting rising pressure and radiation levels in the Fukushima Daiichi Unit 2 as well. A second nuclear emergency has now been declared following problems with power to the cooling system at a separate reactor site, Fukushima Daini, in Naraha, Fukushima Prefacture.

A fire in the turbine building of the Onogawa reactor site was extinguished earlier in the day. However, local activists have mounting concern that "There is almost no information about the Onogoawa site. Tohoku Electric's home page site almost appears non-functional. Also there is virtually no news
about Onogawa by media. It's strange."

Radiation levels are now reported to have risen 1000 times in the reactor building at Fukushima Daiichi Unit 1 perhaps indicating that some core damage has already occurred. The operators are now deliberating venting radioactive steam into the atmosphere to relieve internal pressure to save the containment structure from rupturing.