Smoke rises from Japan's crippled nuke plant
ZAO, Japan
Four of the troubled Fukushima Dai-ichi plant's six reactors
have seen fires, explosions or partial meltdowns in the week since
the tsunami. While the reactor cores where energy is generated are
a concern, Japanese and U.S. officials believe a critical danger
are the pools used to store spent nuclear fuel: fuel rods in one
pool were believed to be at least partially exposed and in danger
of leaking radiation.
Friday's smoke came from Unit 2, and its cause was not known,
the nuclear safety agency said. An explosion had hit the building
on Tuesday, possibly damaging a crucial cooling chamber that sits
below the reactor core.
More urgent, Japan's chief government spokesman said, was the
adjacent Unit 3. Fuel rods there may have been partially exposed,
and without enough water, the rods may heat further and possibly
spew radiation. Frantic efforts were made Thursday to douse the
unit with water, using helicopters and firetrucks, and authorities
prepared to repeat the effort Friday.
"Dealing with Unit 3 is our utmost priority," Chief Cabinet
Secretary Yukio Edano told reporters.
In the week since the massive earthquake and tsunami, Japan's
government and the utility that runs Fukushima have struggled to
contain the plant's cascading troubles.
Edano said Friday that Tokyo is asking the U.S. government for
help and the two are discussing the specifics. "We are
coordinating with the U.S. government as to what the U.S. can
provide and what people really need," Edano said.
The U.S. and Japan, close allies, have offered differing
assessments over the dangers at Fukushima in recent days. U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Gregory Jazcko said in
Washington Thursday that it could take days and "possibly weeks"
to get the complex under control. He defended the U.S. decision to
recommend a 50-mile (80-kilometer) evacuation zone for its
citizens, wider than the 30-mile (50-kilometer) band Japan has
ordered.
Crucial to the effort to regain control over the Fukushima plant
is laying a new power line to the plant, allowing operators to
restore cooling systems to the reactors. The operator, Tokyo
Electric Power Co., missed a deadline late Thursday but said Friday
workers hoped to complete the effort, first reconnecting Unit 1.
Also Friday, the Group of Seven major industrialized countries
agreed to support Japan -- whose infrastructure and industries were
badly battered by the disasters -- by intervening in currency
markets. The group did not say what it would do but the efforts
would likely focus on weakening the Japanese yen, which has risen
this week. A strong yen could make Japanese exports less
competitive, crimping any recovery.
The quake and unfolding nuclear crisis have led to power
shortages in Japan, forced auto and other factories to close,
sending shockwaves through global manufacturing and trade, and
triggered a plunge in Japanese stock prices.