Venting failed twice at Fukushima plant, possibly damaging reactor: TEPCO

TOKYO —

The operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant failed twice to vent steam out of the containment vessel of the No. 2 reactor, most likely resulting in damage done to part of it, a plant operator source said Wednesday.

The failure in the immediate aftermath of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami and subsequent trouble at the plant, such as the release of massive amounts of radioactive material into the air and the discharge of contaminated water, call into question Tokyo Electric Power Co’s crisis management, observers say.

The world’s worst nuclear crisis since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster has yet to be contained, with the government and the utility struggling to restart key cooling functions at most of the six reactors there.

The venting is meant to relieve pressure that is building up inside a reactor’s containment vessel by letting steam escape into the air.

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http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/venting-failed-twice-at-fukushima-plant-possibly-damaging-reactor-tepco

Chernobyl notwithstanding?

Seems we have such a long way to go to contain this one that underestimating its dimensions is a mistake.

Not meant to be a criticism of you Asahinakimi. I am just wondering about the use of this qualifier in every article as if there is not a tipping point where the "worst since Chernobyl" phrase is no longer valid.