January 30, 2014

Jan 30, 2014 | Fukushima Accident Updates

  • Woods Hole Institute says there is no detectable Fukushima Cesium in the Pacific Ocean along the American west coast. They are testing the waters at 8 locations from northern Washington to southern California. So far, the only detectable isotope of the element is Cs-137, which means it did not come from Fukushima. Why? Because Fukushima’s release included Cs-137 and Cs-134 isotopes. If the activity was from Fukushima it would include both. Woods Hole found the coastal Cs-137 activity is 1.5 Becquerels per ton of water, which is the Pacific Ocean’s concentration due to residuals from nuclear weapon’s testing more than 5 decades ago. Because of Cs-134’s 2 year half-life, it has been gone for thirty years. Woods Hole says this means two things. First, there should be no health concerns about Pacific recreational activities, including swimming, due to Fukushima. Second, testing results will provide a good baseline when any Fukushima-based Cesium begins to show up. Woods Hole also points out that bomb-based Cesium levels are hundreds of times less than naturally-occurring Potassium-40 already in the Pacific. Further, the Institute feels it will be several months before any Fukushima activity might be detected. http://ourradioactiveocean.org/results.html
  • Tepco has begun work to form frozen earthen walls around the tunnels leading from turbine basements #1 through #4. Vertical holes will be drilled around the tunnels and pipes installed in them. A refrigerant will eventually flow through the pipes and freeze the ground solid. Subsequently, the tunnels will be drained and the contaminated waters stored on site. The first tunnels to be addressed will be the ones from units #1 and #2 known to have high concentrations of radioactive isotopes. Tepco wants the piping installed by late March, then freeze the soil so that the first water removal can begin in May. http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20140129_01.html
  • Tokyo Electric Company (Tepco) says they will move their reconstruction headquarters from the “J-Village” to Tomioka town. Both locations are within the government’s mandated 20 evacuation zone, but the J-Village location near Fukushima Daiini will be returned to being an athletic facility after 2015. Tepco says the move to Tomioka will happen in 2015. Town officials believe the town will be opened to repopulation by 2017. Tepco’s corporate move to the town will insure restoration of the town’s infrastructure and make repopulation more desirable to the citizenry. http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2014/01/268379.html
  • Forested Hirono Town will try a new idea to reduce radiation levels. Much of the town has been opened to repopulation, but only a disappointing 20% have returned. Most who are reluctant to repopulate are afraid of radiation from contamination in the forests. So, the town will cover the forest floors with 4-inch-thick bags of uncontaminated topsoil to shield the activity, which is mostly Beta eradiation that will be completely stopped by the coverage. The planned test site has an area of 200 m2. If successful, the town will consider complete coverage of the forests and see if it increases the number of people willing to return. http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20140128_36.html  (comment – considering the huge amounts of money Tokyo is forcing Tepco to pay evacuees in compensation, and the ~$900,000 the average landowner will also get if they decide they do not want to go home…why would those who are already reluctant ever want go back? Returning would end their monthly $7,500 per-person compensation checks and disqualify homeowners from the property windfall. I hope I’m wrong on this one.)
  • Much of Japan’s Press continues to try making nuclear energy the nation’s top issue. The present political blitz centers on the upcoming Tokyo gubernatorial election where the anti-nuke candidates lag behind the early poll-leader Yoichi Masuzoe. The most recent focus is on the governors of prefectures hosting nuke stations. Two, Yuhei Sato of Fukushima and Heita Kawakatsu of Shizuoka, feel the nuclear issue should be #1 with the Tokyo electorate, and they are getting the lead news media coverage. Sato said, “It is very meaningful that the issue (of the future of nuclear power in Japan) is debated in Tokyo, a huge energy-consuming place.” Kawakatsu, whose prefecture has Hamaoka station which was shuttered by then-PM Naoto Kan due to its relative proximity to Tokyo, said, “It is natural that candidates in Tokyo propose ending nuclear power generation to avoid a dangerous accident.” On the other hand, most nuke-hosting governors receive second-billing because they feel Tokyo has bigger political fish to fry. For example, Saga Gov. Yasushi Furukawa said nuclear energy “can be discussed as long as people in Tokyo have interest in it. But if I were a Tokyo resident, I would be seeking a clear answer about how to address the issues of an aging society.” Saga Prefecture is home to the Genkai station. Miyagi Gov. Yoshihiro Murai believes the Tokyo election will have little impact on nuclear energy’s future, saying, “Nuclear power generation won’t be stopped immediately, as it is a national policy.” Miyagi is home to Onagawa station. Ishikawa governor Masanori Tanimoto made a call to reason, “I want candidates to come up with prescriptions (for other sources of electricity) if nuclear reactors are scrapped.” Ishikawa hosts the Shika nuke station.  http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/01/28/national/governors-address-tokyo-nuke-debate/#.Uue3Asso4dU
  • A nuclear emergency drill was held for Onagawa station and vicinity. In addition to the nuke station’s staff, 800 people from the prefectural government, 7 municipalities, hospitals, police and fire stations took part. The scenario assumed a massive earthquake reminiscent of 3/11/11. Miyagi prefectural officials received notices of plant conditions and relayed relevant information to local municipalities. Video conferencing with the Nuclear Regulation Authority also took place. The town of Misato, 30 kilometers from Onagawa, asked residents to practice sheltering, including having sufficient fresh water and sealing around doors and windows with tape to prevent airborne contamination from getting in. Critics said the drill meant little because most local communities within 30 kilometers of Onagawa have not yet created evacuation plans. http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20140129_22.html
  • Two lawsuits make headlines; one old and one new. The old has to do with the US Navy sailor suit against Tepco and Tokyo which was thrown out of court on November 26th by an American federal judge. Now, the American government wants an investigation. A formal request to the Defense Department was made in the explanatory statement from the House that accompanied the fiscal 2014 budget bill which passed Congress this month. Although the request is non-binding, it is being taken seriously. Defense Department spokesman Army Lt. Col. Catherine Wilkinson said, “The Department treats reporting requirements included in committee reports seriously and tries to respond to all of them.” Since the suit was dismissed in November, the number of plaintiffs has increased, now including sailors and marines from the USS Essex and USS Germantown, in addition to the original plaintiffs from the USS Ronald Reagan. The House statement directs Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus to use already allocated funds – for example, $200 million for its peer-reviewed medical research program, $100 million for its joint warfighter medical research program or $25 million for its peer-reviewed cancer research program – to research the health effects of radiation exposure and to ensure any health issues from the mission are fully addressed. Plaintiff lawyer Paul Garner is pulling out all the stops to get as much publicity as possible before re-filing, “It feels like maybe there’s light at the end of the tunnel, but we shall see. Their [the plaintiff’s] future is a dire one. We’re pushing TEPCO to start a fund to help these people right now.” The plaintiffs are now seeking at least $40 million each in compensatory and punitive damages and more than $1 billion for a fund to cover future health monitoring and medical expenses. http://www.stripes.com/congress-wants-answers-on-health-impacts-of-japan-disaster-relief-1.263843   The other suit is largely symbolic and directed at the companies involved with building F. Daiichi. Some 1,400 people want $1 each as compensation for undisclosed damages due to the accident. Plaintiffs include Japanese as well as people from foreign countries. The suit names Toshiba, Hitachi and General Electric as responsible parties. Japan’s Act on Compensation for Nuclear Damages holds only plant operators liable, but the suit says this violates the nation’s constitution. Lawyers for the plaintiffs say the current Act protects the entire nuclear industry, all of which should be held responsible for the accident. The three firms declined comment. http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/nuclear.html