January 30, 2013

Jan 30, 2013 | Fukushima Accident Updates

  • Namie Town, which stretches between 5 and 30 kilometers from Fukushima Daiichi, will do its own child radiation exposure study. Although new Fukushima exposure reports show no thyroid gland overexposure to children, residents of Namie want their own children’s exposure history analyzed. Those under 18 can be examined at a temporary housing complex in Nihonmatsu City. 30 children were brought in to begin the survey on Tuesday. A research team from Hirosaki University is collecting blood samples to search for chromosomal changes in lymphocytes (white blood cells). Any changes from what is considered normal will be compared to those found in records of the same unirradiated age group. About 850 children, roughly 23% of the Town’s under-18 population, are scheduled to be examined. The research team says the study will probably take months to complete, but any abnormalities that might be outside the natural occurrence level will be immediately notified to the parents. (NHK World)
  • Japan’s scientific community is skeptical of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority’s proposed 400,000 year seismic criterion. At a seismic symposium in Tokyo, physicist Akito Arima said that determining whether or not a seam has moved in the past 130,000 years is hard to determine and inherently uncertain, given the current state of scientific investigation. 400,000 year determinations will be even more erratic. Arima added it is difficult to conclude that the existence of a geologic seam is actually a threat to a nuclear power plant. He pointed out that the Onagawa and Fukushima Daiini stations, respectively north and south of F. Daiichi, experienced no damage to the reactors or their safety systems on 3/11/11. Both were obviously built to survive earthquakes far beyond the ones predicted for their location. He says he cannot criticize existing safety precautions given the evidence at Onagawa and F. Daiini. Arima feels that structures should be judged on how they “coexist” with earthquakes, not merely on whether or not a fault exists under or near a structure. He added that the standards being considered for nukes should also apply to train lines and highways, many of which were severely damaged by the 3/11/11 quake. Haruo Yamazaki of Tokyo Metropolitan University said the discovery of a geologic seam immediately sparks rumors that nukes are not safe. Since no structures at Onagawa and F. Daiini collapsed on 3/11/11, we should not assume that others will fail if another severe earthquake might strike. However, the symposium’s main concern was the NRA proposal of the 400,000 year criterion itself. Yasuhiru Suzuki of Nagoya University said the expanded criterion goes far beyond that recommended by the International Atomic Energy Agency. While definition of seismic movement is important, Suzuki cautions that making Japan’s criteria even more limiting makes no sense since it is based speculation that does not consider the uncertainties involved. The degree of ambiguity over 400 thousand year time frame is many times greater than with 100,000 years. Senshu University professor Y. Kumaki said that 130,000 year old geology occurred in a relatively warm climate, but further back in time the world was colder and there’s no way to determine whether or not a geologic seam is seismic or was caused by thermal cracking when it was formed. Kumaki added, “To tell the truth, I don’t know.” Hidekazu Takuyama of Kochi University made a crucial point when he said, “I don’t know what 400,000 years means.” (Sankei Shimbun)
  • The Tokyo government has earmarked another $1.75 billion for the Industry Ministry to speed up F. Daiichi decommissioning. This will increase the decommissioning budget by 12.4%. Prime Minister Abe says the scrapping of the destroyed units at F. Daiichi cannot be left up to Tepco alone and the state should be “at the forefront” of the effort. (Kyodo News Service)
  • Fukushima prefecture is having difficulty filling available decontamination jobs because of (here we go again) radiation fears. There are about 1,800 jobs available, but less than 200 have been taken. One contractor says if this continues, his company cannot remain doing the job. The problem could seriously hamper the timetable for repopulation of evacuated communities. The basic labor cost for decontamination work is the same as that for general civil engineering work, said Shinji Kato, president of Fukushima construction company Sato Kogyo Ltd. Shunichi Hirotani, a job placement official, says, “Many people expect high wages for work because of radiation fears. In reality, the wages are about the same as those for regular construction work.” (Yomiuri Shimbun)
  • Assumptions that Switzerland has closed the door on nuclear power may be wrong. In July 2011, four months after Fukushima, the Swiss government announced they would abolish nuclear energy by 2034 when the country’s newest nuke would be 50 years old. Now, they are not so sure. It seems that building wind and solar farms to replace nukes will be difficult, expensive, and provide only about 25% of the power needed to keep the nation’s grid running around the clock. Solar plants only work during the day and at 100% power with clear skies. The wind must be blowing at more than 8 mile per hour before windmills can make electricity, plus the output fluctuates as wind speed typically changes. Nuclear plants currently make about 40% of Switzerland’s electricity, so replacing the nukes would require an enormous construction cost. Another reason to possibly keep the nukes is global warming, because the intermittent nature of renewable electric generators requires large “base load” units to keep the lights on. If it won’t be nukes, it will be have to be new gas-powered plants that exhaust greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. Thirdly, there is no scientific evidence to show that a 50 year old nuke must be scrapped due to aging. Unlike fossil fuel plants, there is very little corrosion inside nukes and no erosion to speak of. Many 40-year-old nukes look brand new. Lastly, polls show the Swiss public’s initial aversion immediately following Fukushima is lessening. Many people deeply concerned about the accident soon after 3/11/11 have reconsidered in light of reports showing no human casualties in Japan from radiation exposure. (Swiss Broadcasting Corporation)