August 15, 2013

Aug 15, 2013 | Fukushima Accident Updates

  • Tepco is accelerating “pumping up” groundwater inside the soil-solidified walls at F. Daiichi. One pumping operation was started last Friday at less than 20 tons per day. After the complete installation of about thirty pipes driven 5 meters into the ground later this weekend, Tepco says the total removal will be 60 tons per day. Jiji Press says the total pumping flow will be 70 tons per day. Regardless, the operating pump has lowered groundwater level about 5 centimeters (2 inches) since Friday. Considering that the groundwater level has been 60 centimeters above to top of the fully-solidified soil wall, some groundwater might yet be seeping over the barrier. Tepco also said that after the entire quay shoreline is solidified, up to 35 tons per day might continue to creep over the wall. At first, the water pumped out of the earth is being sent to an empty underground cabling tunnel coming out of unit #2. From there, it will be run through the Cesium-stripping system and eventually be stored in above-ground tanks. http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20130815_28.html — http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2013081500595
  • Japan’s nuke watchdog ordered Tepco to check another underground trench for leaks at F. Daiichi. This time, it is an equipment tunnel running between unit #1 and its seawater intake structure. The NRA feels it is possible that highly contaminated water from a contaminated tunnel at unit #2 has migrated into the unit #1 trench. The NRA order was spurred by Monday’s announcement of a new groundwater observation well east of unit #1 showing 34,000 Becquerels per liter of Tritium, which is higher than the 1,500 Bq/liter reading from wells east of units #3&4. NRA Commissioner Toyoshi Fuketa said, “We have to take seriously the fact that highly radioactive substances were detected in front of the No. 1 reactor as well.” Tepco tested the unit #1 tunnel last December and found Cesium-137 at 89 Bq/liter. They have not checked the trench since. http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20130813p2a00m0na017000c.html
  • The NRA’s desire to build an underground ice wall at F. Daiichi continues to be criticized. Kajima Corporation, the main contractor in building the Fukushima Daiichi nuke units, has until next March to submit a feasibility study to the NRA. The wall of frozen earth will run about 1.4 kilometers in length, surrounding the basements of units #1 through 4. However, international experts doubt the efficacy of the proposed project, even going so far as to call it a “cash cow” for Kajima. American Richard McPherson feels it will be a waste of time and money because of the huge amount of energy needed to keep the wall frozen. Bernd Braun of Texas, an expert in freezing projects, estimates the system would draw nearly 10 megawatts of electricity, which could supply about 3,300 Japanese homes. McPherson feels the electricity would be better used to address Japan’s current power shortage. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga admitted the project is unprecedented and will require the government to “step forward and support its realization”. http://japandailypress.com/japan-looking-at-ice-wall-to-stem-leak-of-contaminated-water-from-fukushima-1533909/
  • Fukushima’s fishermen are upset with Tepco. Their complaints can be summed up in two phrases; “Harmful rumors will be reinforced” and “All our efforts have been for nothing”. The fisheries near F. Daiichi have been running test catches off-shore to see if the fish are contaminated. The Iwaki City Fishery Cooperative Association has decided to postpone its first test-fishing which was originally scheduled to begin in September. They hoped to resume their business without rumors harmful to business. Recent announcements by Tepco concerning contaminated groundwater and the possibility of elevated contamination of the station’s quay make fishermen feel defeated. Another concern is that Tokyo will eventually allow Tepco to discharge uncontaminated water to the sea, which will also spawn rumors. One Association member, Yasuo Yoshida, said, “Our efforts will be wasted. If the government releases the water into the ocean under its own responsibility, the government should also be responsible enough to take measures against harmful rumors.” An Ibaraki fishing boat captain lamented, “The trading price is one-tenth of what it was before the (nuclear) accident” and will probably get worse due to rumors. http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20130814p2a00m0na016000c.html
  • The Environment Ministry announced that a radioactive sludge incinerator has been completed. It is located in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture. It will be put into full operation next month. The sludge will be burned at 850oC. The resulting ash will reduce the volume by 95%. The plant will incinerate 11,000 tons of existing contaminated sludge and the 4,000 tons of earth now covering the material at a temporary storage site. All sludge burning is expected to be finished by March, 2014. It is estimated that the resulting ash will be in the 20,000-30,000 Becquerels per kilogram range, much lower than the national limit of 100,000 Bq/kg for burial. Four external radiation monitors at the incinerator site will be used to post constant data on-line for interested members of the public. The ash will be loaded into container vessels and sent to an existing disposal site in Tomioka Town. The Ministry and Tomioka officials are hammering out the issues with this plan. http://www.fukushimaminponews.com/news.html?id=228
  • Naoto Kan says he did nothing criminal during the first chaotic days of the nuclear accident. He submitted a legal brief to the public prosecutors in Tokyo on Wednesday, detailing his side of the story. In it he says “there was no problem” with his actions. Last week, the prosecutors said there was no legal grounds for indictment of about 40 Tokyo and Tepco officials, including Kan, who were being sued by a consortium of Japanese claiming injuries due to F. Daiichi’s radiation. However, the prosecutors asked Kan to submit evidence of his innocence with respect to the claim that his actions were negligent, causing injuries to Tepco workers and needless radiation exposure to the public. Further, they claim Kan’s visit to the plant the morning of April 12, hindered plant workers’ efforts to contain the crisis, causing a delay with venting of the reactor containment vessel which might have averted the unit #1 explosion. Kan says the staff at F. Daiichi could have vented pressure early in the morning, but chose otherwise. Kan denies being the cause of the decision to not depressurize earlier than when it actually happened later in the morning. He also says his visit to the plant was to spur a speedier response. Regardless, the prosecutors say they will decide on whether or not to file criminal charges as early as the end of the month. http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20130814_27.html — http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2013/08/240926.html  [Kan conveniently fails to mention that the staff at F. Daiichi wanted to depressurize at 1:30am on the 12th, but the PM ordered them to hold off until (1) a 3am press conference was held to announce the venting, and (2) the entire 3km radius around the plant was evacuated. The full evacuation was confirmed ~9:00am, and the venting started at 10:17am. Clearly, the plant staff was following his orders.]
  • Decontamination of schools and kindergartens in and around Fukushima Prefecture is 98% complete. As a result, de-con teams are now shifting focus to private dwellings. Decontamination orders have been issued for over 90,000 homes out of the more than 140,000 designated as needing the cleansing, most of which are outside the mandated evacuation zone boundaries. The government-sponsored work includes homes in 58 municipalities covering seven Prefectures. Work has been completed on about 43,000 dwellings, which is about 30% of the planned total. The Environment Ministry hopes the home decontamination effort will soon be in full operation. http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20130814_14.html