February 23, 2015

Feb 23, 2015 | Fukushima Accident Updates

  • A drainage ditch radiation monitor alarmed on Sunday morning. Beta-emitters suddenly jumped from about 200 Becquerels per liter to more than 7,000 Bq/l. The alarm set-point is 1,500 Bq/l, and the “high-high” set-point is 3,000 Bq/l. All water transfer operations were immediately ceased and the gate downstream of the monitor was shut. The ditch outlet is inside the Fukushima Daiichi port. Tepco says it is possible that some of the contamination may have leaked into the port area before the gate was closed, but the “latest radioactive data has shown no significant changes inside the port as well as upstream of the drainage”. The outlet of the port area shows no detectible activity of any kind, thus there is no evidence of leakage into the open sea. No storage tank water levels have dropped and none of the coffer-dams surrounding the tank clusters have indications of leakage. Tepco says typical rainwater run-off can show Beta activity at about 1,000 Bq/l. Tepco continues to investigate. http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushima-np/handouts/2015/images/handouts_150222_03-e.pdf Tepco has also provided a graphic depiction showing the locations of the drainage ditch, alarming liquid monitor, and the closed gate. Please note that the ditch’s outlet was changed from outside to inside the inner port area in November, 2014. http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushima-np/handouts/2015/images/handouts_150222_01-e.pdf  It should be noted that some of the typically antinuclear Japanese news outlets posted misleading headlines. Two examples are… (1) Mainichi Shimbun – “Toxic water at Fukushima plant leaked into bay”. From the Tepco data, there seems to be no contamination actually reaching the F. Daiichi inner port. In addition, the Mainichi is making typically cavalier use of the term “toxic”. (2) Japan Times – “Strontium-90 levels spike alarmingly at Fukushima No. 1 plant”. Strontium is a Beta-emitter, but is only one of more than 60 Beta-emitters in the contaminated waters. Japan Times’ headline makes it seem that Strontium is the only Beta emitter detected, which is false.
  • Fish recently caught outside the F. Daiichi port’s break-wall are below radiation limits. Japan’s national standard for fish consumption is 100 Bq/kg. Of the ten types of fish caught, only three contained detectible Cesium-134 radioactivity, and five registered Cs-137 activity. The highest total Cesium activity was with a species of flounder at 70 Bq/kg (Microstomus Achne). Five species were taken from inside the break wall with only one registering below the national standard; a flatfish containing about 55 Bq/kg total Cesium activity. One important point needs to be made; at least two fish of one species was caught both inside and outside the break wall (Marbled Sole). The Cesium concentrations are significantly different. Inside the wall, the Sole’s total Cesium activity was 1080 Bq/kg, but outside the wall the Sole registered but 29 Bq/kg. http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushima-np/f1/smp/2015/images/fish02_150217-e.pdf — http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushima-np/f1/smp/2015/images/fish01_150217-e.pdf
  • The movement of rural radioactive wastes should begin on schedule. Tokyo has been working on preparing a temporary facility in Futaba to store the materials, but they needed Prefectural acceptance before transporting the first loads by March 11th. Jiji Press reports that the Fukushima government has accepted the proposal because Tokyo has included consideration for requests made by affected municipalities. It is expected that the formal announcement will be made Tuesday. According to sources, Fukushima Gov. Masao Uchibori may formally approve it at a meeting with Environment Minister Yoshio Mochizuki later this week. The government has been discussing the process with local officials in the host communities of Okuma and Futaba. http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco —  http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/02/21/national/fukushima-may-accept-delivery-of-radioactive-waste/#.VOiW26McQdU — http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2015/02/337555.html
  • MIT’s Richard Lester tells Japan that nuclear energy is needed to lower carbon emissions. At a Press conference in Tokyo, Dr. Lester said Japan is emitting much more atmospheric carbon than it was four years ago. He added, “There is, in my judgment, almost no likelihood that Japan will be able to achieve the kinds of reductions in carbon emissions that the world will look to.” Dr. Lester stressed that the debate between nuclear and renewables misses the point, “I think the central point that needs to be made here is that Japan and the U.S. and other societies will need much more of both, much more nuclear, much more renewables.” Dr. Lester was visiting the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuke station on Friday and met with the Press at that time. http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/02/21/national/science-health/japans-adherence-nuclear-power-critical-home-overseas-mit-luminary/#.VOiVp6McQdU