Japan could be just a couple of hours away from a Nuclear meltdown.

[Kevin Greene]

[5:48 p.m. ET, 7:48 a.m. Tokyo] A meltdown may be under way at one of Fukushima Daiichi's nuclear power reactors, an official with Japan's nuclear and industrial safety agency told CNN Sunday.

A meltdown is a catastrophic failure of the reactor core, with a potential for widespread radiation release. However, Toshiro Bannai, director of the agency's international affairs office, expressed confidence that efforts to control the crisis would prove successful.

Meanwhile, a second reactor at the same facility failed shortly after 5 a.m. Sunday, the Tokyo Electric Power Company said, according to TV Asahi. The power company said it was having difficulty cooling the reactor and may need to release radioactive steam in order to relieve pressure.

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/12/japan-earthquake-live-blog-death-toll-rises-amid-widespread-destruction/

[Goosfraba21]

My father in law is very high up in GE Hitachi nuclear and has people at that plant. They are pumping sea water around the reactor to try to get it to cool down. As soon as he can he is leaving for Japan to help out. He is always over there working. Just glad he wasn't over there when it happened.

[Davidson Deac II]

The reactor situation is scary. I pray they get it under control.

BP oil spill and nuclear reactors. Getting the energy to run the modern world is a very dicey thing.

Btw, US Navy has sent or is sending 10 vessels, including a carrier and several large deck amphibs. Thats a lot of helicopter lift capability, plus hospital beds and freshwater making capability.

[Kevin Greene]

[9:54 p.m. ET, 11:54 a.m. Tokyo] A meltdown may have occurred at at least one nuclear power reactor in Japan, the country's chief cabinet secretary, Yukio Edano, said Sunday.

He also said that authorities are concerned over the possibility of another meltdown at a second reactor.

"We do believe that there is a possibility that meltdown has occurred. It is inside the reactor. We can't see. However, we are assuming that a meltdown has occurred," he said of the No. 1 reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility. "And with reactor No. 3, we are also assuming that the possibility of a meltdown as we carry out measures."

not good

[jasonluckydog]

thats bad...real bad

[Murph]

It might be happening now. Pray for the outer containment shell to hold

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ap_on_bi_ge/as_japan_earthquake_nuclear_crisis

[mmmbeans]

And yet France hasn't had a problem...

wat?

[CLTPanther]

France doesn't lay beside the deepest subduction zone trench in the world either

[Mvp2014]

Everything's gonna be alright

[Hawk]

that country has a lot to deal with as it is...

[jasonluckydog]

Looks like they gave up and will let this reactor just go and meltdown.