- The majority Democratic Party of Japan has drafted an energy policy which proposes keeping nukes in the electric supply mix for a few decades. The draft policy allows for the resumption of the idled reactors following safety checks by a new nuclear regulatory body, expected to begin soon. However, the DPJ paper calls for a strict limit of 40 years on nuclear plant operations so as to insure a reduced reliance on them in the future. In order to replace the lost nuclear capacity, they want expanded use of liquid natural gas and renewables. The suggestion of more nuke restarts has created controversy internal to the DPJ. A minority of the party’s lawmakers oppose nuke restarts under any condition. The DPJ working group wanted to finalize the report this week, but opposition made that impossible. (NHK World)
- Early tabulations of the government’s recent nation-wide nuclear policy survey indicate that 90% want nuclear energy abolished. Of the nearly 90,000 submissions, 7,000 were pulled at random for an early indication of trend. 90% of those favoring abolition want it to occur immediately. 8.6% favored a gradual shift to a nuclear-free energy mix, and 4% said they supported the current 30% contribution from nukes. A member of the government’s review panel commented, “Rather than interpreting the results numerically, we should focus more on qualitative analysis and the paths leading toward people’s views.” Another member said the poll was created in haste during a time when those opposed to nuclear energy were keen to submit an opinion, while those in favor may have opted to remain silent. Thus, the results are “insufficient for careful deliberation of the issue.” (Mainichi Shimbun) Today’s Yomiuri Shimbun posted a comparative chart showing that the above survey may well be misleading if taken in isolation from other polls. The chart my be found at http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120823003588.htm
- As previously reported, the antinuclear group headed by Japanese celebrities wants to abolish all nukes by 2025. Group leader, author Kenzaburo Oe, now says nuclear plants could end life as we know it in less than 100 years, “We must bring an end to nuclear power plants if humankind is to continue living in the next century.” The group labels nuclear power plants as “extremely fragile systems” with respect to security and devastating accident damage. They add that no safe method of nuclear waste disposal exists, so no nukes should exist. They also say that spent fuel recycling should be abolished. (Japan Times) comment – They fail to consider that recycling will reduce the volume of the total volume of waste by 95%. Regardless, by opposing the safest waste disposal method available, they make their no-safe-disposal-exists statement self-fulfilling. History reveals groups like this fight any waste disposal option tooth-and-nail, and then has the arrogant audacity to say that no-one knows what to do with the stuff.
- A survey indicates 50% of the evacuated population of Tomioka town plans on returning home, once the government allows it. 30% said they never want to return home under any condition. Questionnaires were mailed to all 7,150 households uprooted after 3/11/11. 3,150 (44% of the total) responded to the official query. The survey was run by the displaced town’s government. Tomioka lies due south of Fukushima Daiichi. The town border extends to, and includes, the undamaged F. Daini nuclear power station. Tomioka is currently a restricted area where repopulation is considered possible, but not in the near term. Government estimates of radiation exposure in the town are around 20 millisieverts per year, which is the upper limit for making immediate efforts to repopulate. (Kyodo News)
- Japan’s earthquake paranoia relative to nukes continues. Tepco is the latest utility to announce they will re-analyze the geological cracks long-known to exist beneath one of its nuclear power stations. Two geological anomalies, labeled “Alpha and Beta”, have been known to run under unit #1 of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear station for a number of decades. They were analyzed by Tepco and found to be not active, meaning they had not moved in the last 50,000 years, which was the design regulation at the time. Seismic design regulations for nuclear plants were changed in 2006 to extend the non-movement criteria to as far back as 130,000 years. Tepco re-analyzed and found there has been no movement in either anomaly for as far back as 240,000 years. However, because of the earthquake paranoia following Fukushima’s accident, the government has ordered re-analysis of all known anomalies below or near all nukes using state-of-the-art methods not existent six years ago. This order was laid down because “…the age estimation did not have a clear foundation.” The new analyses will seek fossilized pollen which will be dated to establish if and/or when the cracks moved in the past. (Mainichi Shimbun)
- Chubu Electric Company says rust has been found in the system of Hamaoka unit #1, which was ordered shut down by former PM Naoto Kan in May, 2011. During the shutdown, some five tons of seawater entered the plant’s power system through pipe breaks in the condenser which cools the turbine’s exhausted steam. Because Hamaoka unit #1 is a boiling water reactor system, the seawater mixed with the thousands of tons of pure water already in the system and was pumped through the reactor vessel (RPV). As part of the current shutdown, some fuel bundles were removed from the core and inspected. A few were found to have rust on them. Chubu Electric says the rust probably came from someplace in the system other than the fuel core. This is likely because the fuel itself is encased in Zirconium, which doesn’t rust. The company also suggests the rust could have entered the system along with the intrusion of the seawater more than a year ago. Regardless, all fuel bundles will be removed to allow a full inspection of the RPV’s interior. (Mainichi Shimbun)
- Traces of one Plutonium isotope have been found at 10 locations around F. Daiichi. 62 locations were sampled and tested. The highest reading was 11 Becquerels per square meter in Namie town, which lies ~20km northwest of the damaged power complex. That is about 1.4 times greater than the level that resulted from nuclear weapon’s tests around the world. The Pu-238 traces were also detected in Okuma, Iitate, and Minamisoma. The furthest distance from F. Daiichi of a detectable Pu-238 level was 32 kilometers. (Iitate) No other municipalities within 100 kilometers of F. Daiichi have detectable levels of the isotope. It should be noted that a Becquerel is one radioactive decay emission per second. The 11 Becquerel level in Namie is so trivial that that the Science Ministry says there is no health hazard whatsoever. (Japan Times)
- The Science Council of Japan will propose a relatively radical reconsideration of the nation’s nuclear waste disposal plans. The proposal will be specific to spent (used) nuclear fuel bundles. The current official plan is for burial of the bundles at least 300 meters underground in suitable geological formations for more than 10,000 years. The Council says that idea has fundamental problems because the country as a whole is prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity such that there are no geological locations which meet such a long-term criterion. The council says the government should first find temporary storage sites to hold the used fuel bundles for between “decades to hundreds of years”. During that time frame, a more suitable disposal plan should be developed and a national consensus on the issue ought to exist. Sources say the proposal could start yet another nuclear debate due to a national distrust of nuclear policy-makers, which itself could further-prolong the process. The proposal is planned for public release next week. (NHK World)
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