Thanks, Peter, for posting that link above to the Kyodo News Agency which largely confirms what I have said about what is happening at both Fukushima 1 and Fukushima 2 (two separate but neighboring nuclear power complexes).

It makes more sense to have a workforce of 180 with shifts of 50 or so, than a skeleton crew of 50 trying to do everything. Of course they are endangered but hopefully their efforts will help save others.

Fears about radiation reaching the United States at levels dangerous to human health are overblown, in my opinion. But as experts have pointed out, it's not just a function of distance from the crippled reactors that is important.

The health risk for the Japanese public is much higher, and pretty much tied to the whim of the winds. The prevailing winds for the next day or two are expected to blow out to sea which is good news in a bad situation. But the process of meltdown at the Fukushima 1 complex is most likely going to continue for a week or longer. And it will be weeks before clean-up of radioactive deposits can be safely attempted. If there are more explosions and fires, the health risk will become much more dire and the clean-up will become much more complex.

No useful further info from CNN or MSNBC.

Charley Noble