Desperation in Fukushima is growing as one by one the remaining options to prevent the "recriticlaity" of reactor 4 slide away. After the idea floated earlier to pour water on the core in hopes of cooling was dashed following a fire which broke out about 2 hours earlier and technical difficulties associated with the actual implementation , the latest and probably last recourse proposed is to disperse boric acid - a radiation retardant - all over everything in a blind "shotgun" strategy. How that will do anything to prevent the nuclear fall out from the containment bed which is now supposedly exposed to the open air, remains a mystery. And another update from Kyodo: "Fuel rods damage at Fukushima's 2 reactors estimated at 70%, 33%"

From Reuters:

Nuclear power plant operator Tokyo Electric Power said on Wednesday that it is considering dispersing boric acid, a fire retardant, over the Fukushima Daiichi plant's No. 4 reactor from a helicopter.



The plant operator also said a fire seen earlier in the day at the No.4 reactor was no longer visible.



The operator was responding to questions from reporters regarding reports that it was mulling dumping water on the No.4 reactor, which first caught fire on Tuesday, by helicopter.

And from Kyodo: