WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN A HELLISH
ORDEAL.
>> Reporter: THE SCALE OF THIS
NATURAL DISASTER IS NOW HORRIBLY
EVIDENT.
ENTIRE COMMUNITIES WIPED OUT.
0,000 PEOPLE MISSING -- 10,000
PEOPLE MISSING IN ONE PORT TOWN
ALONE A INTERNATIONAL EFFORT
UNDERWAY TO REACH SURVIVORS AND
UNFOLDING NUCLEAR EMERGENCY.
WHEN A MASSIVE EXPLOSION ROCKED
THE FUKUSHIMA POWERPLANT JAPAN
SEEMED ON THE VERGE OF A NUCLEAR
DISASTER.
THE GOVERNMENT'S FIRST RESPONSE,
GET PEOPLE OUT OF THE AREA AWAY
FROM THE REACTOR.
THE PRIME MINISTER ANNOUNCING
THAT ANYONE LIVING WITHIN A
20-KILOMETER RADIUS HAD TO
LEAVE.
FOR THOSE WHO FLED TO SHELTERS,
THE FEAR THAT IT WAS TOO LATE.
THE GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED IT
WOULD HAND OUT IODINE TABLETS, A
TREATMENT FOR RADIATION
POISONING.
I'M WORRIED THE RADIATION HAS
ALREADY REACHED US HE SAYS.
THEY SAID 10 OR 20 KILOMETERS
AWAY IS SAFE BUT THE RADIATION
MAY CHANGE HE SAYS AND GO OUT
WIDER.
IT'S VERY DISTURBING.
>> AN EXPLOSION...
>> Reporter: THE GOVERNMENT
SAYS THE EXPLOSION OCCURRED IN
AN OUTER BUILDING THE REACTOR
WAS NOT BREACHED IT SAYS THERE
WAS NO MELTDOWN.
THE RADIATION HAS NOT INCREASED
SAID THE CABINET SECRETARY.
HE ANNOUNCED THE REACTOR WOULD
BE COOLED WITH SEA WATER.
AND TO MAKE THINGS EVEN MORE
DIFFICULT, MUCH OF THE NORTHEAST
REMAINS IMPASSABLE WITH SOME
TOWNS AND VILLAGES CUT OFF OR
SIMPLY GONE.
JAPAN HAS SENT 50,000 SOLDIERS
INTO THE DISASTER ZONE.
THERE IS LIMITED WATER AND
ELECTRICITY.
HOSPITALS ARE OVERWHELMED.
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE
ARE LIVING IN SHELTERS AND THAT
NUCLEAR EMERGENCY WHILE
SEEMINGLY CONTAINED STILL A VERY
SERIOUS PROBLEM.
PAUL WORKMAN, CTV NEWS,
WASHINGTON.
>> Scott: NOW IF YOU HAVE ANY
FAMILY OR FRIENDS THAT YOU'RE
TRYING TO REACH YOU CAN CALL
FOREIGN AFFAIRS AT TOLL FREE
NUMBER IS 18003873124 OR IF
YOU'RE IN THE OTTAWA AREA,
(613)943-1055 AS CANADIANS LEARN
MORE ABOUT THE DESTRUCTION IN
JAPAN MANY HAVE BEEN PERSONALLY
TOUCHED.
THEY ARE OPENING THEIR HEARTS
AND TRYING TO DO WHATEVER THEY
CAN TO HELP.
CTV'S GARETH McDONALD HAS MORE
FROM HALIFAX.
>> Reporter: IT WAS A SCENE OF
UNIMAGINABLE DEVASTATION.
ONE OF THE MOST TECHNOLOGICALLY
ADVANCE NATIONS IN THE WORLD
PUMMELED MY MOTHER NATURE.
FIRST A MASSIVE EARTHQUAKE.
THEN A TERRIFYING TSUNAMI.
FOR MANY IN OUR REGION IMAGES OF
THE DESTRUCTION WERE ALMOST
SURREAL.
>> I STILL CAN NOT BELIEVE IT'S
HAPPENING IN JAPAN AND I FEEL SO
TERRIBLE.
>> Reporter: NAT.
UKO MOVED TO HALIFAX FROM JAPAN
TO STUDY.
SHE SPENT MUCH OF YESTERDAY
FRANTICALLY TRYING TO GET IN
TOUCH WITH LOVED ONES IN HER
HOME COUNTRY.
THEY ARE SAFE BUT TODAY HER
THOUGHTS ARE WITH THOSE LESS
FORTUNATE.
>> EVERY TIME I GO HOME AND I
CHECK THE INTERNET JUST LIKE
PEOPLE WHOSE MISSING WHO IS
PEOPLE DYING THAT'S INCREASING
LIKE EVERY HOUR.
SO YEAH, IT'S AWFUL FEELING.
>> Reporter: AS THE LIST OF
THE DEAD AND MISSING GROWS INTO
THE THOUSANDS, MANY MARITIMERS
ARE REFLECTING ON THIS TRAGEDY.
>> IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE, YOU
KNOW, HERE IN HALIFAX WE HAVE A
BIT OF RAIN AND OVER THERE THEY
HAVE JUST UNBELIEVABLE STORM
THAT WE CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE.
>> ONE CAN ONLY HOPE THAT
SOMEWHERE SOME PEOPLE CAN START
AGAIN AND PUT THEIR LIVES BACK
TOGETHER.
>> IT'S A HORRIBLE THING AND OW
WISHES GO OUT TO ALL THE PEOPLE
IN JAPAN THAT HAVE BEEN
DEVASTATED BY THIS.
>> Reporter: THE GENEROSITY OF
MARITIMERS BEING FELT BY THE RED
CROSS.
STAFF HAVE BEEN BUSY OVER THE
LAST 24 HOURS AS MARITIMERS BOTH
PHONE IN AND DROP OFF THEIR
DONATIONS.
RED CROSS OFFICIALS SAY
DONATIONS CAN ALSO BE MADE
ONLINE.
SINCE FRIDAY MORNING, ALMOST
HALF A MILLION DOLLARS HAS BEEN
RAISED ACROSS CANADA TO HELP
THOSE AFFECTED.
>> ANY AMOUNT IS, YOU KNOW,
APPRECIATED.
SMALL AMOUNT DOES MAKE A
DIFFERENCE.
AND IT IS GOING TOWARDS THOSE
EFFORTS IN JAPAN RIGHT NOW.
>> Reporter: SHE SAYS THE
SUPPORT OF ATLANTIC CANADIANS
HAS NOT GONE UNNOTICED.
>> LIKE SO MANY PEOPLE YOU KNOW
ME TEXT ME, FACEBOOK, ASK ME IF
MY COUNTRY IS OKAY AND SOME OF
THE PEOPLE POSTED CANADIAN RED
CROSS THE DONATION SITE AND I
THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE VERY
HELPFUL TO OUR COUNTRY.
>> Reporter: AND WITH THE TRUE
COST OF THESE NATURAL DISASTERS
T.B.ING TO GROW, JAPAN CAN USE
ALL THE HELP IT CAN GET.
GARETH MACDONALD, CTV NEWS,
HALIFAX.
>> Scott: WE'RE GOING TO
RETURN TO THE BREAKING NEWS OF A
POTENTIAL THAT A NUCLEAR
MELTDOWN COULD BE HAPPENING
RIGHT NOW IN JAPAN.
THERE HAS BEEN FEAR THROUGHOUT
THE DAY IN FACT FOR A FEW DAYS
NOW THAT THERE COULD BE A
NUCLEAR MELTDOWN AND WE'RE
RECEIVING WORD NOW THAT THAT
COULD BE HAPPENING.
JOINING US NOW VIA BROADBAND
FROM MONTREAL GORDON EDWARDS
HE'S WITH THE CANADIAN COALITION
FOR NUCLEAR RESPONSIBILITY.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS NEWS
THAT THERE COULD BE A MELTDOWN
HAPPENING RIGHT NOW AND WHAT
EXACTLY IS A MELT DOWN?
>> OKAY TWO GOOD QUESTIONS.
FIRST OF ALL, A MELTDOWN IS DUE
TO THE FACT THAT YOU CAN NOT
SHUT THE REACTOR COMPLETELY OFF
BECAUSE EVEN WHEN IT'S SHUT DOWN
TOTALLY THERE IS STILL 200 MEGA
WATTS OF HEAT BEING GENERATED
JUST BY THE RADIO ACTIVITY ALONE
AND NOBODY KNOWS HOW TO SHUT OFF
RADIO ACTIVITY.
UNLESS YOU KEEP COOLING THE CORE
OF THE THE REACTOR FOR DAYS
AFTER IT'S SHUT DOWN IT'S GOING
TO SUFFER AN INCREASE OF
TEMPERATURE WHICH WILL
EVENTUALLY CAUSE A MELTING AT
THE FUEL AT 5,000° FAHRENHEIT
WHICH IS MORE THAN TWICE THE
MELTING POINT OF STEEL AND THAT
MEANS THAT NOT ONLY IS THIS
GOING TO MELT DOWN INTO THE
GROUND LITERALLY, BUT IT'S ALSO
GOING TO GIVE OFF ENORMOUS
QUANTITIES OF GASES, VAPORS AND
SOLIDS, ASH INTO THE ATMOSPHERE.
ULTIMATELY WHETHER IT FINDS ITS
WAY INTO THE OUTER ATMOSPHERE IS
A QUESTION OF WHETHER THE
CONTAINMENT IS DAMAGED.
>> Scott: IS A MELTDOWN A
POINT OF NO RETURN?
IS THERE ANYWAY OF RECOVERING
FROM THAT IN WHAT HAPPENS?
>> WELL CHERNOBYL WAS AN EXAMPLE
OF A COMPLETE MELTDOWN AND THREE
MILE ISLAND IS A PARTIAL MELT
DOWN.
SOMETIMES WHEN IT STARTS TO MELT
YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO ARREST IT
AND I GATHER THAT THAT'S WHAT
THEY'RE TRYING TO DO PUMPING SEA
WATER NOT INTO THE CORE OF THE
REACTOR BUT INTO THE ACTUAL
REACTOR BUILDING IN AN EFFORT TO
DROWN THE REACTOR AND SURROUND
IT BY SO MUCH WATER THAT IT
WON'T ACTUALLY REACH THAT
MELTING POINT.
ALREADY, HOWEVER, THERE ARE
INDICATIONS THAT THERE HAS BEEN
SOME MELTING GOING ON.
BECAUSE IODINE HAVE BEEN
RELEASED INTO THE ATMOSPHERE AND
WE HEAR THERE ARE THREE PATIENTS
IN A NEARBY HOSPITAL ABOUT
3 KILOMETERS AWAY WHO HAVE
ALREADY SHOWN SIGNS OF RADIO
ACTIVE CONTAMINATION.
SO IT'S A DANGEROUS SITUATION
FOR PEOPLE AROUND ESPECIALLY
YOUNG CHILDREN AND PREGNANT
WOMEN.
>> Scott: IS SEA WATER IN THIS
CASE FOR COOLING, IS THAT
CONSIDERED A AVAILABLE OPTION?
DOES IT WORK AND I GUESS THAT
MEANS THAT THE INTERNAL SYSTEM
HAS COMPLETELY BROKEN DOWN?
>> YES.
THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THE
REACTOR.
THEY SUFFERED A LOSS OF
ELECTRICITY, OF COURSE, OFF SITE
ELECTRICITY BUT THEN THEY HAD
THREE EMERGENCY GENERATORS WHICH
ONLY FUNCTIONED FOR LESS THAN AN
HOUR.
THEN THEY TURNED TO BATTERY BUT
THE BATTERY ONLY LASTS FOR FOUR
HOURS AND THE RESULT IS THEY
JUST WEREN'T ABLE TO KEEP THE
PUMPS GOING.
IF YOU CAN'T KEEP THE PUMPS
GOING YOU CAN'T COOL THE CORE
AND ACCOUNT CORE IS GOING TO
MELT.
SO THEY'RE NOW PUMPING SEA WATER
IN AT DESPERATE EFFORT TO TRY
AND JUST SURROUND IT WITH SO
MUCH WATER THAT IT NEEDS TO
BISPHENOL THE WATER BEFORE IT
CAN PROCEED TO A COMPLETE
MELTDOWN.
>> Scott: HOW FAR WOULD PEOPLE
HAVE TO GET AWAY FROM A MELTDOWN
IN ORDER TO BE SAFE.
>> WELL AS WE'VE SEEN WITH
CHERNOBYL, YOU KNOW, THOUSANDS
OF KILOMETERS IS THE POSSIBLE
REACH.
IT DEPENDS WHICH WAY THE WIND IS
BLOWING.
IF THE WIND IS BLOWING OVER THE
OCEAN THAT WOULD CERTAINLY RE'
LEAF A LOT OF THE JAPANESE FROM
BEING EXPOSED AND THE CHINESE
HOWEVER IF THE WIND SHIFTS
AROUND THEN YOU HAVE A PLUME
THAT GOES WHEREVER THE WIND
WANTS TO TAKE IT.
RIGHT NOW, HOWEVER,
20 KILOMETERS IS NOT NEARLY
ENOUGH FOR YOUNG CHILDREN AND
PREGNANT WOMEN.
THEY REPRESENT THE FUTURE
GENERATION AND THE TROUBLE IS
THAT RADIO ACTIVE MATERIAL IN
THEIR BODIES CAN NOT ONLY CAUSE
CANCER, BUT IT CAN CAUSE MENTAL
RETARDATION.
IT CAN CAUSE STUNTED GROWTH A
LOT OF OTHER THINGS SO THEY
SHOULD BE URGING YOUNG CHILDREN
AND PREGNANT WOMEN TO GET AS FAR
AWAY AS POSSIBLE.
>> Scott: GORDON EDWARDS WITH
THE CANADIAN COALITION FOR
NUCLEAR RESPONSIBILITY THANK YOU
VERY MUCH AND BECAUSE THIS IS A
DEVELOPING SITUATION HOPEFULLY
WE CAN TALK TO YOU LATER ON THIS
EVENING IF IN
