Fukushima - Why the urgency?

Nuclear Engineer: The question is, why all of a sudden the urgency at Fukushima plant, what do they know?
They’re obviously feeling pressure, like it’s one move away from checkmate

Title: Interview with Chris Harris
Source: Nutrimedical Report
Date: Oct. 31, 2013

At 34:30 in

Tim Alexander: Chris, we were talking on the break about they seem to be in a hurry now to move these rods… My question to you was if the No. 4 unit… goes critical, can it spread to the other ones — it can right?

Chris Harris, former licensed Senior Reactor Operator and engineer: Yeah, if you raise the neutron flux to extend out through Unit 3 let’s say, there will be an effect on there — I’m not sure what the state of their neutron absorbers in those pools. Can you imagine that, one pool going critical and then all of a sudden, elements in another pool going critical also? […]

The question is, why all of a sudden the urgency — what do they know? They had an earthquake there. But we know that even from North Anna’s earthquake that happened here a year and a half ago, was that it took weeks to assess the damage there. And that plant was actually fixable […]

They’re obviously feeling pressure, like they’re one move away from checkmate.