U.S. to send drones over damaged nuke plant

An unmanned aerial vehicle similar to this one will be used to take a closer look at the damaged Fukushima nuclear complex.

/ Getty Images

(CBS/AP) They've been used in the drug war in Mexico and to help fight the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now, unmanned U.S. spy planes will be used over Japan to take a closer, safer look at the damaged Fukushima nuclear complex.

CBS News' Harry Smith reports that the drones are equipped with infrared cameras, which will allow officials to look inside the complex and find the hot spots where there might be the most trouble.

Conditions at the plant deteriorated Wednesday, with surging radiation forcing Japan to order workers to temporarily withdraw from the plant. In response, the U.S. recommended citizens within 50 miles of it evacuate.

Other countries, including Australia and Germany, have issued more sweeping recommendations for their citizens, advising them to consider leaving Tokyo and other earthquake-affected areas. Tokyo, which is about 170 miles from the stricken nuclear complex, reported slightly elevated radiation levels Tuesday, though Japanese officials said the increase was too small to threaten the 39 million people in and around the capital.

The Pentagon said U.S. troops working on relief missions can get closer than 50 miles to plant with approval. Spokesman Col. David Lapan said the U.S. would review requests from the Japanese for assistance that would require troops to move within that radius, though no approval for such movement had been given since the more strict guidelines were enacted.

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The Pentagon said troops are receiving anti-radiation pills before missions to areas where possible radiation exposure is likely.

With the arrival of three more ships to the massive humanitarian mission, there were 17,000 sailors and Marines afloat on 14 vessels in waters off Japan. Several thousand Army and Air Force service members already stationed at U.S. bases in Japan have also been mobilized for the relief efforts.

Airmen have been flying search and rescue missions and operating Global Hawk drones and U-2 reconnaissance planes to help the Japanese assess damage from the disasters. The operation is fraught with challenges, mainly how to continue to provide help amid some low-level releases of radiation from the facility, which officials fear could be facing a meltdown.

Weather also temporarily hampered some relief plans on Wednesday. Pilots couldn't fly helicopters off the deck of aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan until late afternoon because of poor visibility. The 7th Fleet said 15 flights with relief supplies were launched from the eight-ship carrier group, about half as many as the 29 flights reported the previous day to deliver food, water, blankets and other supplies.

Several water pumps and hoses were being sent from U.S. bases around Japan to help at Fukushima, where technicians were dousing the overheating nuclear reactors with seawater in a frantic effort to cool them. The U.S. had already sent two fire trucks to the area to be operated by Japanese firefighters, said Cmdr. Leslie Hull-Ryde, a Pentagon spokeswoman.

[Janfebmarapr]

If the Japanese did not have their usual "we are superior and don't need help" attitude, this thing would not have gotten so serious.

[violist47]

I agree that this is a far better use of drones than sending them off to Pakistan tobomb target terrorists but hit wedding parties and children instead. The Japanese are showing tremendous courage and are being quite inventive in trying to cope with something clearly beyond their control. I fear we in America would not be able to cope half as well, since our nuclear power facilities are not nearly as safe as those in Japan. San Onofre can take a 7.5 quake, for example...

[Ericwvb]

We need to help Japan in every way we can. When the reactor radiation levels gets too high, no human can go in there and be useful. You'll keep over from radiation sickness right away!

[rwsmith29456]

Now that's a good peacetime use for a drone.

[sjc_1]

Sure is, these aircraft can send back images without endangering humans.

[Diamonddavej]

In 1986, the USSR knew what had to be done and the bravely got on with it. They attacked Chernobyl like it was an invading enemy and eventually won with great cost. But the Japanese blithely walk about in blue boiler suits, run away when radiation exceeds safety limits, timidly drip sprinkles water on reactors from a "safe" distance.

They have to understand this is war and you don't retreat from an enemy if it fires too many bullets at you! They have to realise they maybe fighting for the very existence of their Nation. Some sort of malaise or shock, perhaps related to their culture of Shame, has struck them dumb.

[Diamonddavej]

"Has anyone asked why they don't build nuclear plants in dry man-made lakes which could 'not' [sic.] be flooded?

Seriously, how hard is that???"

Vast mounts of water is used to cool the reactors during normal operation, which "dry man-made lakes" lack.

[slownewsdayomewannagohome]

Don't try to change my original statement. You apparently don't know what [sic] means. Look up the Latin.

Put them in dry man-made lake beds you can flood, Einstein. I'm sorry you didn't understand it the first time.

[Janfebmarapr]

I was wondering why before this thing got so bad, they did not use a bunch of 12" PVC, put the pipes around the damaged reactor, and then cool it down by using other pumps. Why do reactors not have ports like dumpsters and shipping containers where water can be flooded into them form outside?
Actually the dry lake thing is a good idea. the bottom could be lined with the same stuff they use to line low level nuclear waste dumps.

[E_Hennigan]

Hi! I hope someone here can and will answer these questions:
1. Is there a way to stop the production of radio-activity in the Fukushima nuclear plants to decrease the pressure and volitility?
2. Is there a way to release the radiation into some sort of containment vessel for storage, in lieu of allowing it to escape into the air? Some sort of balloon cover? Some sort of pipe leading out of the plant and into a containment vessel?
3. Is there a chemical or mechanical reaction procedure to convert radioactivity into a less dangerous gas, solid or liquid? Something inert? Something neutral? Something benign? Something harnessable and or useful yet not dangerous?
4. Can the Japan Nuclear Power plants be "turned off" (i.e. cease producing radioactive gas) and then funnel what remains in the storage tanks to some other location, power plant, containment facility near by?
5. Again&can the radio activity produced by nuclear power plants be mechanically or chemically altered into a benign state? What happens if the elements produced by fission are compressed back together again? What substance(s) would be created?

[slownewsdayomewannagohome]

Has anyone asked why they don't build nuclear plants in dry man-made lakes which could be flooded?

Seriously, how hard is that???


.

[morriswise]

Many times it takes common not scientific sense to solve a problem. The Dai-ichi nuclear facility should be broken up into small pieces and dumped into the sea. There it will be cooled and the problem will be solved. But thick headed scientists make simple solutions complex in order to earn their pay by covering up the obvious.

[rightbehind]

That's a good use for a drone. Not on patrol spying on citizens of the US. I don't want some politicians relative named billy bob spying on me at my expense.