From bigthink
As of Sunday morning, Japanese workers are heroically laying electrical cables to Units 1,2,3,4, hoping to restore power to the backup pumps. If they are successful, then perhaps the pumps can once again maintain water above the cores of the reactors and the spent fuel ponds, and hence stabilize the accident. Then the dangerous phase of the accident would end, and the long, years-long process of clean up may begin.
But workers have to be extremely careful as they turn on the electricity. Many of the badly damaged pumps may not work. Or, an electrical spark may set off an explosion. Then the electrical cables are useless.
From Business Week:
After appearing to have stabilized, the plant’s Unit 3 reactor became troublesome again Sunday.
Pressure rose inside the vessel that contains the reactor core, necessitating a tricky venting of the gases inside to relieve the buildup, officials with the nuclear safety and the plant’s operator said.
Lord God, Creator of heaven and earth,
On the second day, You created the firmament and separated the waters under the firmament from the waters above it. This is beyond my understanding, and I cannot visualize it.
But, if there is untainted air and water above the firmament available to replace the radioactive steam vented from the reactors on earth, then we humbly beseech You to carry out that exchange.
You are the God of creative exchanges. You created the vegetation to exchange carbon dioxide for oxygen and the animals to exchange oxygen for carbon dioxide.
Your Son exchanged His stripes for our illness and His righteousness for our sins.
Cleanse earth’s atmosphere, Lord! We look to You. Amen.
