Meltdown

Is it possible to have anything more than a vague idea of what's really happening with the stricken nuclear plants in Japan?
It seems par for the course these days, for official reporting to be so sanitised that you might consider them untrue. I read in today's paper that an American nuclear expert believes that the pumping of seawater into the Fukushima plant was a 'desperate measure' - "It's a Hail Mary pass." he said.
The Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary, on the other hand said the cooling operation at Unit one was going smoothly after the seawater was pumped in.
Both may be correct, but I'm deeply suspicious that spin is being employed furiously.
As an aside, I was puzzled by the response by America, in flying coolant to Japan at the first  hint of trouble at the nuclear plants. Coolant? In an aircraft? How could any small amount of coolant help the situation of a potential meltdown?
I read today that boron, which I take to be the substance in question, 'disrupts nuclear chain reactions'.
I hope it disrupts it real good!