October 17, 2013

Oct 17, 2013 | Fukushima Accident Updates

  • PM Shinzo Abe has reiterated that the wastewater situation at F. Daiichi is “under control”. Called before the Diet’s extraordinary session, Abe was grilled by ex-Cabinet Minister Banri Kaieda, head of the deposed Democratic Party of Japan. When asked about his statement to the International Olympic Committee last month, Abe responded, “The situation has been under control, on the whole. The effects of radioactive substances in the sea are contained within 0.3 square kilometer of the plant’s port.”He added that the government will “continue efforts to address the problem with multiple preventive measures that will put together wisdom in the world.” Kaieda was angered by Abe’s response, calling it “extremely flippant”. Abe’s remarks have been given widespread Press coverage in Japan.  http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20131016p2g00m0dm077000c.html — http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco
  • Tepco has released about 2,400 tons of accumulated F. Daiichi rainwater to the sea. (revised figures…10/19/13) The waters are the result of deadly Typhoon Wipha, which passed off-shore of the nuke station. The radioactive content of the water was 21 Becquerels per liter of Cesium-137, a bit less than Tepco’s self-imposed limit for release of 25 Bq/liter. The liquids came from buildup inside the numerous coffer dam containments around the groups of wastewater storage tanks at F. Daiichi. The massed rainwater was moved to 25 ton temporary storage tanks and tested for radioactivity before release. Some of the waters did not meet the limit for release and were transferred to an underground storage cistern. The cistern is not one of those that leaked several months ago. The release to the sea was approved by the Nuclear Regulation Authority before it happened.  http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2013101600178 — http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20131016_31.html
  • Tepco has issued a Press release on the effects of Typhoon Wipha. Pre-impact measures included protection of machinery, cables, and hoses, lowering of crane booms, suspension of off-shore work (including seawater sampling) and on-shore work that might have been impacted. Due to these precautions, there was no damage to machinery or operating systems, and no change in monitoring data. http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/2013/1231475_5130.html  The company has also posted the results of recent sampling inside the barricaded F. Daiichi water channel –http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushima-np/f1/smp/2013/images/2tb-east_map-e.pdf  In addition, results of recent groundwater sampling was also posted –http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushima-np/f1/smp/2013/images/tb-east_map-e.pdf
  • Heavy rainwater run-off has caused drainage ditch radioactivity to increase. In all likelihood, the reason is contaminated soil carried into the ditch by the run-off. The location of the highest reading of all-beta activity (1,400 Becquerels per liter) is more than 150 meters from the ditch’s outlet to the sea. This is the highest reading with ditch-water since monitoring began in August. Tepco said some of the contamination may have reached the sea, but the seawater monitoring point at the ditch outlet showed no increase in activity. The Mainichi Shimbun says a sandbag barrier was placed in the ditch to prevent subsequent release to the sea. http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20131017_11.html —  http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2013101700514
  • Some within the NRA call Tepco’s wastewater efforts at F. Daiichi “pitiful”. Commissioner Toyoshi Fuketa said that relative to Tepco’s mitigation measures “Our conclusion is that little effect has been seen,” and radioactive water “may be leaking directly into the sea instead of mixing with groundwater before making its way into the sea.” Emergency response secretary Masaya Yasui added, “It is reasonable to assume that the total amount of radioactive materials flowing into the sea has risen.” Yhe NRA bases their judgment on increases in Cesium-137 levels with waters between the water intakes of units #1 and #2. http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/10/16/national/tepcos-toxic-water-failures-pitiful-nra/#.Ul6ae4HD8dU
  • Tokyo Electric Co. is adding staff to the F. Daiichi wastewater effort. On Tuesday, Tepco informed the NRA that as many as 200 people are being added to F. Daiichi’s workforce. It appears that 80 will be re-assigned from Tepco’s other nukes in Japan, including 20 from the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa station. The personnel moves are the result of the NRA’s October 4 request for Tepco to boost its measures to deal with leak and spill mitigation at F. Daiichi. A Tepco statement says, “We will increase the workforce at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant … and make sure we have an accurate grasp of the situation, follow procedures, introduce proper communications and instructions needed to carry out competent management of the site.” http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2013/10/251419.html — http://news.yahoo.com/operator-wrecked-japan-nuclear-plant-pledges-improvements-112727624–sector.html
  • Senior Japanese officials remain firm in getting nukes restarted. “The government has rethought the idea of abandoning nuclear energy. The Japanese government still considers nuclear as an option for the energy mix. It must not be excluded from the overall energy mix,” said Zengo Aizawa, vice president of Tepco. Aizawa was addressing the World Energy Congress being held in South Korea. Makoto Yagi, Chairman of the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan, added, “It is important to resume nuclear power plants as soon as their safety can be guaranteed.It is a Japanese responsibility to help improve nuclear safety standards worldwide.”http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/10/15/national/nuclear-power-still-vital-part-of-japan-energy-mix-officials/#.Ul03rIHD8dU
  • On September 26, Tepco posted a request for international assistance with F. Daiichi. The request says, “International Research Institute for Nuclear Decommissioning (IRID) is going to transmit information about technical needs and requirements, to give initial review on information submitted, and thereafter report them to the Japanese government’s Committee on Countermeasures for Contaminated Water Treatment.” The announcement page includes six PDF attachments covering the current status of the effort to control leaks and spills at F. Daiichi, including a detailed explanation of groundwater testing procedures. (“Understanding the groundwater flow”). http://irid.or.jp/cw/?lang=en
  • Senior Advisor Lady Barbara Judge says Japan needs foreign assistance with F. Daiichi cleanup. In a Tokyo interview, Lady Judge said, “They need to have a number of foreign firms to come in and assist them with the cleanup. For TEPCO right now, it’s a question of learning as you go.” She added that the recent spate of contaminated water leaks and spills at Fukushima pose no health threat to the public, and Tepco should be allowed to restart nukes at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa station to improve the company’s finances.  http://japandailypress.com/senior-adviser-for-fukushima-cleanup-says-foreign-assistance-needed-1738025/
  • Some Fukushima residents persist in the effort to bring criminal indictments over the Fukushima accident. They are the same ones who had their criminal complaint legally quashed by Tokyo’s District court last month. The new filing focusses on six of the original Tepco and government officials named in the original. All six are former Tepco officials allegedly responsible for not providing F. Daiichi with adequate tsunami protection. The new complaint has been filed with the prosecutor’s office in Fukushima City. If the Fukushima committee finds grounds for indictment in two successive reviews, criminal charges may be issued. http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20131016p2a00m0na020000c.html