Skip to content Skip to footer

Thom Hartmann: Second Japan Nuke… More Dangerous Than Fukushima?

Kevin Kamps, Nuclear Waste Watchdog at Beyond Nuclear joins Thom Hartmann. If Japan didn’t have its hands full with one melted down nuclear plant at Fukushima – it certainly does now with another nuclear power plant on the verge of melting down. About 300 miles southwest of Fukushima sits the Monju nuclear reactor – a … Continued

Kevin Kamps, Nuclear Waste Watchdog at Beyond Nuclear joins Thom Hartmann. If Japan didn't have its hands full with one melted down nuclear plant at Fukushima – it certainly does now with another nuclear power plant on the verge of melting down. About 300 miles southwest of Fukushima sits the Monju nuclear reactor – a prototype fast-breeder reactor filled to the brim with plutonium – the deadliest element on the face of the planet. And last year – a 3 ton device of some sort fell into the Monju reactor blocking access to the nuclear fuel rods in the reactor core – and despite several attempts – has yet to be recovered. Another attempt will be made next week to clear the 3 ton object from the reactor – but critics caution that the procedure is extremely dangerous and could trigger an explosion in the nuclear fuel rods. One ominous sign of just how dangerous the situation is – a top manager at the plant just recently committed suicide. Think of the damaged Monju plant as a nuclear bomb just waiting to go off that could take out the city of Kyoto which is just 60 miles from the plant – and has a population of 1.5 million people. And Japan's largest city Tokyo is downwind from the crippled Monju plant. So what does this all mean? And what's the latest with the two nuclear plants that are in danger right here in the United States – in Nebraska?

​​Before you go: Truthout faces a serious threat after 22 years of publishing.

Truthout has been a stalwart independent news publication for over two decades. Since our founding in 2001, we’ve relied on reader donations to fund our work. And by eschewing corporate money and advertising, we maintain our journalistic integrity and never have to compromise on ethics.

But today, Truthout faces a crisis. As social media algorithms de-prioritize news content, fewer readers ever make it to our site. We’ve seen hefty losses in donations as a result.

To make up for these losses, we’re asking our readers to support us on a monthly basis. Monthly giving is absolutely critical to keep Truthout online now and in the future. Right now, we’re working to add $200 in monthly donations before midnight tonight. Please, consider making a monthly (or one-time) gift today.