February 17, 2012

Feb 17, 2012 | Fukushima Accident Updates

  • TEPCO has submitted its official report on the faulty temperature monitor to NISA. The abnormal temperatures indicated were due to unusually high electrical resistance in the circuitry. The monitor will no longer be used. TEPCO plans to lower the water injection flow to the unit #2 RPV as soon as NISA approves the change. (NHK World)
  • The city of Shimada, Shizuoka Prefecture, has begun test incineration of March 11 tsunami debris. If the ash from the burning is below 500 Becquerels per kilogram, the city will formally agree to accept tsunami waste from Yamata in Iwate Prefecture. This will be the second city outside the Tohoku region to accept tsunami debris for disposal. The first was Tokyo, which has processed about 2,400 tons to date. Disaster Minister Goshi Hosono, Shizuoka governor Heita Kawakatsu and Shimada mayor Katsuro Sakurai witnessed the test run on Thursday. The city will allow residents to check the ashes on Monday to alleviate fears. Authorities will give residents dosimeters to measure contamination levels. Meanwhile, ~30 locals protested the trial voicing safety concerns based on fear of radiation exposure. “We are worried about environmental pollution and the health hazards,” one of the protesters said, while another demanded that authorities explain the contamination risks to residents in much greater detail. Shimada has a population of just over 100,000 people. (Japan Times)
  • Within the Tohoku Region, Yamagata Prefecture has disposed of nearly 50,000 tons of tsunami debris this winter without elevating local resident exposures. There has been little or no local outcry since the prefecture began processing the material. (Yomiuri Shimbun)
  • Eight Prefectures in Japan say they are willing to accept and dispose of tsunami rubble, if strict standards for Cesium levels can be met. 26 others say they are unwilling. In addition to Tokyo, Yamagata, and Aomori Prefectures which have begun accepting rubble, Akita, Saitama, Kanagawa, Shizuoka and Osaka are “taking measures” to begin their support of the clean-up. Seven others are “considering” acceptance. It seems the current trial run of incineration in Shizuoka Prefecture is the litmus test upon which most supportive prefectures will make a final decision. (Mainichi Shimbun)
  • On the downside, fears of radiation and nuclear energy holds sway in most prefectures. The most visible example is Kanagawa Prefecture where Gov. Yuji Kuroiwa has held three explanatory town meetings for Yokosuka residents in January and February. Kuroiwa has stressed the relative safety of the debris since December when he announced his intention to accept it, but a vocal minority has forced him to postpone a final decision. “Nuclear power plants have been considered safe. Nevertheless, a major accident [in Fukushima Prefecture] broke out. We can’t believe the central government’s safety standards,” one resident said. (Yomiuri Shimbun)
  • Mayor Takashi Kusano of Naraha, Fukushima Prefecture, says he will consider allowing a temporary disposal site for wastes containing radioactive Cesium. However, he says it should not be the only facility in the 20km no-go zone. He says it should be one of at least two facilities, pointing to the one proposed for Futaba. Criticism of his intent has caused him to clarify his position. On Wednesday, Kusano said, “It doesn’t mean the town of Naraha has decided to accept a storage facility. I meant by the remarks that we want intermediate storage facilities to be built as quickly as possible. If the central government officially requests it, we will have to discuss whether to accommodate such a facility.” Nonetheless, Kusano is the first no-go zone government head to speak positively about the possibility of temporary storage. (Yomiuri Shimbun)
  • Economists and businesses are pessimistic about the future of Japan’s de-facto moratorium on nukes. Japan’s Institute of Energy Economics believes replacing nuclear powered electricity with thermal (fossil-fueled) sources will increase fuel costs in 2012 by $42 billion over 2010 levels. This could mean an 18% hike in residential bills and a 35% increase for businesses. The Daiwa Institute estimates the increased costs will reduce the nation’s economy in 2012 by more than one percent, which will be the first downtrend in decades. The Institute’s chief researcher, Hitoshi Suzuki, says the situation “…could push Japanese companies to further shift production abroad.” The Institute also fears the loss of nuke electricity could cost japan 300,000 jobs by 2017. On the other hand, Masao Tanaka of Nagoya University says there was 4 to 5% electricity reserve in Japan last summer, so there should be enough to keep the economy rolling. However, Tanaka’s conclusion does not factor in the more than 10,000 MWE lost to nuke shutdowns since then. The only commodity estimated to grow significantly is solar and wind generating technology. Not to be outdone in the gloom-and-doom arena, president of leading renewable manufacturer Sharp Corporation Katsuhiko Machida says, “If we continue to rely on nuclear power and petroleum, modern society will be destroyed.” (Asahi Shimbun) No matter how you cut it, Japan’s economy circles the drain…
  • Because of public fears, the Environment Ministry will study levels of radioactive substances that could be feeding into Tokyo Bay from rivers. At the same time, the Education Ministry will study water, bottom mud, and Bay organisms. Incessant pleas from some residents who live in or near the bay are the root cause. They want to know if the fish they catch are safe to eat or if it is safe to let children swim in the waters. They fear that “fallout” from Fukushima has been washed into the Bay by rivers due to rainfall and concentrated in the Bay itself. They also fear that Fukushima Cesium has gotten into the bay’s food chain. The Environment Ministry’s study begins today and the Education Ministry’s work will begin in April. (Yomiuri Shimbun)