What Would Be the Fallout from an Accident at Fukushima’s Fuel Pools?

What Would Be the Fallout from an Accident at Fukushima’s Fuel Pools?

Dr. Paul Gailey sent me the following email:

Because so many claims were flying around with regard to Fukushima’s spent fuel pool number 4, we performed a technical analysis of the situation to gain some perspective on the parameters of the crisis. If you are interested, there is a link to our Special Report on Fukushima at www.holophi.ch/blog/ , along with some overview perspectives in our April newsletter also at that web address.
Our analysis is done in a way that is difficult to dispute because we based everything on published scientific reports and measurements and performed the analysis in a straightforward way. While the many anecdotal radiation measurements and reports by members of the public may very well be accurate and important, we felt there was a need for a scientifically defensible analysis that did not depend on public measurements, which are difficult to substantiate and can be easily criticized.

Dr. Gailey holds advanced degrees in physics and engineering. An associate professor of Physics and Astronomy at Ohio University (with joint appointments in the Departments of Biology and Mathematics), Dr. Gailey is also a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences Committee on Global Science and Technology, the Director of Electric and Magnetic Fields Health Effects at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and a researcher in health effects, instrumentation, computational models, and economic impact of electric and magnetic field effects for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
He is a biophysicist (most of the world’s top experts in the effects of radiation on health are biophysicists).
Gailey’s new report notes that the risk of a fire in fuel pool number 4 is real, and that the risks of contamination are so severe that an international effort is required.
The report follows (original pdf version here).
Holophi Special Report – April 2012