August 31, 2012

Aug 31, 2012 | Fukushima Accident Updates

  • After three days of close inspection, the two fuel bundles from #4 Spent Fuel Pool at F. Daiichi have shown no visible damage. The removal and inspection were done to prepare for the full removal of all 1533 fuel bundles from the pool. Small pieces of concrete debris were found between the fuel rods in the bundles, which are clearly fragments from the outer wall and roof of the building which was destroyed by the hydrogen explosion of March 15, 2011. Similar fragments are expected to be found in many, if not all other fuel bundles. Whether or not it will complicate removal and transfer of the remaining rods in the pool is speculative. When one of the bundles was wiped with a white cloth, a green coating was discovered. It is believed to be “rust” caused by using seawater as a coolant during the first week of the accident. Whether or not the “rust” came in with the seawater or was produced by system components when they came in contact with the saline liquid is unknown. (NHK World)
  • Nuclear energy cutbacks in Japan present a harsh economic reality. The cost of immediately abandoning its nuclear reactors may be too much for Japan’s economy to bear, and possibly render nearly half of the electric power companies insolvent. “People talk easily about shutting down Japan’s nuclear power plants, but the economic and financial consequences are severe,” said Reiji Takeishi, professor of environmental economics at Tokyo International University. Japan’s most influential business lobby, the Keidanren, warns of disaster. Hundreds of thousands of jobs would be lost, the group says, and energy alternatives would be hampered by their own problems. Fuel imports are already surging during the nuclear moratorium, driving the country’s trade deficit to record highs. Power cutbacks are weighing heavily on Japanese businesses. Also, replacement of nukes with renewables is questionable due to their inherent intermittency of operation, and their cost will be extreme. “If we do not have a stable supply of energy at economically viable prices, Japan’s economy cannot grow,” the group said earlier this month. On the other hand, antinuclear voices say the nation’s economy is not important enough to continue nuclear energy operations. “How can you put the economy above safety, above human life?” said Masanori Oda, a contemporary artist and a representative of the movement. Nuclear critics argue that the potential costs of another nuclear accident outweigh all other considerations. “The assumptions underlying the economics of nuclear power no longer hold up,” said Terumitsu Honma, a professor in economics and insurance at Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo. (New York Times)
  • Fukushima Prefecture attacked an environmentalist for an unrealistic threat to young adults. Hobun Ikeya, director at Ecosystem Conservation Society-Japan, said young people in radiation-affected areas should never marry to prevent the birth of deformed babies. “If they give birth to their children after getting married, the incidence of deformities will become way higher. People in areas over which the radioactive plumes passed should not marry,” he said. Four Fukushima assembly members told reporters that the remarks were “inappropriate and discriminatory” and should not be tolerated. They demanded Ikeya retract his comments. Ikeya countered that his words had been twisted in an act of defamation, “I offered my view in general terms. Discrimination was never my intention.” The Fukushima prefectural government is struggling to stamp out what it calls “harmful rumors” concerning the nuclear accident while trying to prevent a population decline. (Asahi Shimbun)
  • Tepco reports that the decay heat from F. Daiichi’s damaged fuel cells caused them to reduce cooling water flows. The heat generated by the fuel comes from the radioactive decay of its fission products. As time passes, fission product decay drops and some of the contained elements radiologically burn themselves out. After nearly 18 months of decay drop-off, the amount of heat produced by each core is very, very low. The cooling flow for unit #1 was reduced from 4.9 tons/hour down to 4 tons/hr. In units #2 and #3, the flows for each were reduced from 7 tons/hr down to 6.1 tons/hr. The temperatures of the reactor vessels have not changed as a result. (Tepco Press Release)
  • The recent results of a nation-wide voluntary survey on nuclear opinion continue to draw criticism. The panel analyzing the survey based their report on 90,000 public comments and opinions gathered at hearings in 11 locations and a deliberative opinion poll.The panel also says the survey may not reflect Japan’s public opinion on the whole. Instead, it reflects the judgment only of those with the strongest personal beliefs relative to nuclear power plants. The survey showed that 87% of the respondents want nuclear energy abolished. Meanwhile, surveys taken by Japan’s news media of persons selected at random show that less than half of the public favors the zero option. One other survey run by an internet company covering 1.3 million people showed a significant disparity in opinion due to age. 30% of those below the age of thirty say it is unnecessary to reduce nuclear power dependency if safety is improved, while only 20% of those over 50 agreed. (Yomiuri Shimbun)
  • Finally, the Japanese Press has gone public with the financial and material drawbacks of replacing nukes with renewables. The government is pushing “green energy”, but now admits there will be drawbacks. For instance, offshore wind power generation is heavily affected by weather. Coordination with local fisheries cooperatives concerning fishing rights also poses a challenge. Geothermal power generation will take time to obtain construction approval of geothermal power plants as most of them would be built in national parks. The increased cost of power generation, which would be reflected in electricity bills, is thus also a concern. It is too early to say whether it is possible to generate enough electricity to meet the nation’s needs without relying on nuclear power, if the plan is realized. (Yomiuri Shimbun)