May 31, 2013

May 31, 2013 | Fukushima Accident Updates

  • A Ministry of Industry panel has told Tepco to freeze the earth surrounding the leaking building basements at F. Daiichi and stanch the inflow of groundwater. METI says circulating systems for the flow of a refrigerant should be buried around the basement walls. Coolant at minus 40oC would be sent through the pipes freezing the ground solid. The government panel admits that there is no record of this type of technology ever being used before anywhere in the world, terming it “an unprecedented challenge”. They also admit that the system would probably have to operate for several years before it would no longer be needed. The idea was submitted to METI by the Kajima Corporation. Kajima says the system would be relatively easy to build and would reduce the inflow of groundwater by at least 300 tons per day. Currently, 400 tons per day seep into the basements. It is felt the greatly reduced in-seepage would allow the basements to be drained sufficiently to enhance the decommissioning effort. Kajima adds that power to the cooling system could be cut for many months before the soil would completely thaw and allow the groundwater inflow to return to its current level. METI told Tepco to take measures to implement the suggested fix. METI says Tepco could have the system up and running by 2015. (Kyodo News; Japan Today; Japan Times)
  • One of the two operators at J-PARC estimates that particulate from last week’s incident may have reached as far as one kilometer west of the facility. There is a housing district within 700 meters of the site so some radioactive material may have landed on it. However, officials say that even if the estimates are correct, the radiation exposures would be too low to produce health effects. JAEA also says that one of the radiation monitors at the site’s boundary briefly showed an increase of about 10X natural background for the region. Although the estimates are exceedingly low, heavy criticism from politicians and the Press has deteriorated trust in the local public, so J-PARC director Yujiro Ikeda said, “We will do everything in our power to rebuild trust (in our facility).” He added that J-PARC will hold local briefing sessions with local residents. In addition, the Nuclear Regulatory Authority says they will review all procedures for radiological controlled areas for the dozens of particle accelerators in Japan. The NRA adds that they will develop guidelines for establishing the safety of accelerator controlled areas and require all facilities to meet them. They will also require that all ventilation ducts that exhaust to the outside environment be filtered. While many facilities filter their ventilation exhausts, some do not…including J-PARC. Currently, guidelines for setting controlled areas and emergency procedures are left to the discretion of facility administrators. (Mainichi Shimbun)
  • The NRA has launched a formal probe intended to establish whether or not the earthquake of March 11, 2011, began the nuclear accident at F. Daiichi. Of the five investigations into the accident, one held by Japan’s congress (Diet) suggested the quake damaged a key emergency system for F. Daiichi unit #1 before the tsunami hit. The debate as to the efficacy of the Diet panel’s assumption has continued for nearly a year. The NRA wants to provide a definitive answer to end the dispute. NRA officials will check the 4th floor of the building, where utility workers witnessed water leaking immediately after the earthquake. Tepco maintains the water leaked from the building’s air conditioning system, and was not from an emergency system. Because of the high radiation levels in unit #1, the investigation will be limited to 10 minutes. (NHK World)
  • The NRA has opened a new spent fuel pool issue, this time for Tsuruga station’s unit #2. Last Wednesday, the NRA has judged a fault running under the unit to be seismic. As a result, they now want Japan Atomic Power, the station’s owner, to investigate the safety of the SFP in light of their seismic determination. The pool contains 1,700 fuel bundles, the majority of which are used. The NRA wants Japco to determine what would happen to the pool if an earthquake caused it to lose water and the worst case impact on the local environment. The watchdog has given Japco until July to submit their findings. (NHK World)
  • An American author advises the people of Japan to see the new feature-length documentary, Pandora’s Promise. He believes it would ease the national anxieties about nuclear energy and reduce fear of radiation. Colleague Paul Blustein has lived in Japan with his family for several years. He and his family have supported Fukushima recovery by consuming as much food from the prefecture as they can. Blustein says the rumors that have hurt the market for foods from Fukushima have gone on for too long and need to be stopped. Here’s the link to his article “Everything you thought you knew about the risks of nuclear energy is wrong”… http://qz.com/89336/everything-you-thought-you-knew-about-the-risks-of-nuclear-energy-is-wrong/
  • The steel frame for the enclosure around F. Daiichi unit #4 has been completed. Here’s the link for the handout given to the Press which includes pictures and graphics. http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushima-np/handouts/2013/images/handouts_130529_08-e.pdf In addition, Tepco has posted pictures of the most recent inspection of unit #4’s structural integrity. http://photo.tepco.co.jp/en/date/2013/201305-e/130529-02e.html
  • The Upper House of Japan’s congress has passed a bill extending the statute on Fukushima damages suits. The Upper House has mediated claims for more than two years and the statute on mediation ends after three years. The 3-year limit ends next March.The House’s nuclear disaster damage dispute settlement support center mediates between claimants and Tepco. The new law stipulates that once the 3-year period passes while in the mediation process, claimants are allowed to file damages suits against Tepco for up to one month after the center declares failure of mediation. (NHK World; Kyodo News; Jiji Press)
  • A report in The International Journal of Low Radiation says that the health effects of the Chernobyl accident have been overestimated. Sergei Jargin of Russia’s People’s Friendship University in Moscow, says unfounded statements presented as facts have been used to strangle nuclear energy. He also finds that the effects of food contamination, in particular, have been greatly distorted for propaganda purposes. Jargin’s team has analyzed the more than 25 years of information on Chernobyl and found  “numerous references to mass media, websites of unclear affiliation and commercial editions, used to corroborate scientific views,” as opposed to properly referenced, peer-reviewed scientific publications. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130528122339.htm?utm_source=feedly&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29 (comment – The flawed literature on Chernobyl that Jargin identifies is regularly used by the Japanese Press as factual evidence relative to Fukushima.)