March 3, 2014

Mar 3, 2014 | Fukushima Accident Updates

  • This morning, Tepco reports that 418 fuel bundles have been removed from unit #4 pool. All have been transferred to the “common pool” in the nearby storage facility. 22 of the relocated bundles have never been used. 396 of the transferred bundles are used nuclear fuel containing ~5% fission products and ~95% reusable Uranium/Plutonium. http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/decommision/index-e.html
  • Fukushima Daiichi’s Advanced Liquid Processing System has hit another snag. Two of ALPS’s three flow streams have been operating continuously as a final test for continuous operation. One of the running systems suddenly stopped operating on Friday when an absorber supply pump shut off. The reason for the shutdown is under investigation. The other line has remained in operation stripping 250 tons per day of all isotopes except Tritium. A third stream is currently off-line because it has passed its continuous operation test. Tepco plans on beginning full 3-stream operation in April in the hope of decontaminating all 340,000 tons of wastewater now in storage tanks and reservoirs by early 2015. http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0001069900
  • Tritium gets another gloomy Press report. The Mainichi Shimbun says removing Tritium from F. Daiichi’s wastewaters has become a “serious obstacle” to full station decommissioning. Professor Masao Matsuyama at Toyama University’s Hydrogen Isotope Research Center, says, “Tritium is like the ‘brother’ of hydrogen. It is extremely difficult to separate from water, and if we used existing technology at the Fukushima nuclear plant, the cost would be enormous.” The Mainichi stresses special gear worn by workers at the Center and the negative pressure kept inside the building to prevent the release of Tritium. Did the Mainichi ask why the Center takes these precautions? If they did, it’s not in the article. At least the IAEA’s position on Tritium was in the report, “Tritium is practically not accumulated by marine biota and shows a very limited dose factor” and therefore “has a very limited contribution to radiation exposure to individuals.” IAEA suggested release of Tritium to the ocean, but radiophobia in Japan and a fear-mongering Press make this a difficult option, even though there is literally no risk involved. However, the release of Tritiated waters is inevitable because the build-up of stored water at F. Daiichi must eventually end. An NRA official says wastewater at the plant site is “a substance that affects the fate” of the entire [decommissioning] project. http://mainichi.jp/english/english/features/news/20140303p2a00m0na002000c.html
  • Depression has become a serious problem for 3/11/11 refugees. A Tohoku University survey has found that about a quarter of the refugees in Miyagi Prefecture show depression symptoms. The team examined 3,744 residents of six Miyagi municipalities since last May. 27% showed symptoms of depression including “bleak moods” and 5% reported on-going painful memories that affected their daily lives. Experts speculate these people may be experiencing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Project leader Hiroaki Tomita pointed out that the survey was run during regular checkups by “health conscious people”. This indicates that if more people had come in for the free evaluation, the percentage of affected individuals would be greater. http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20140228_11.html
  • Fukushima Prefecture will spend nearly $17 million this year to quell unfounded rumors. It is four times more than the money spent on rumor control last year. Speculative fear of Fukushima radiation has damaged the fishing and agricultural businesses. The prefecture wants to try as many different methods of rumor control as possible with a program called “Fukushima after the calamity” in the Japanese media. They used commercials with the popular group Tokio In 2012. It had some positive impact. 27% of Tokyo’s consumers were avoiding Fukushima products because of radiation fears, but there was a “10 point” shift with those who had seen the commercials. In 2013, the percentage of Fukushima-averse consumers dropped to 20%.  “Our measures have yielded a certain amount of results,” a prefectural government official said.  http://fukushimaontheglobe.com/the_earthquake_and_the_nuclear_accident/3433.html
  • Fukushima compensation is becoming a fairness issue. There is a gap between the “haves” and “have-nots” in many communities. In some cases it is due to only part of towns or cities falling within the Tokyo-mandated evacuation zone. Those who evacuated from inside the zone receive generous on-going pay-outs mandated by the government, but those who fled voluntarily either get very little compensation or nothing at all. In Tomioka, one of the “divided” communities, residents have complained that the whole process is unfair and gaps of redress between citizens should have a legal limit. In other words, those getting little or no compensation either want to be included in the pay-outs or have the amount going to mandated evacuees reduced. Resident Choichi Watanabe says, ”Most town residents are giving up on returning home. I cannot understand why there are different amounts of compensation.” Judicial scrivener Kazunori Watanabe said, ”All town residents evacuated together and have been through a lot. Their pain arising from losing their hometown is the same and compensation should be across the board.” On a related issue, those areas opened to unrestricted repopulation have had compensation cut off one year after restrictions were lifted. In Hirono, 5,200 people evacuated. In September, 2011, the living restrictions were lifted and the $1,000 per month/per person compensation ended after August 2012. However, only 1,300 have actually gone home and the other 3,900 want their compensation restored. Similar issues exist with re-opened districts of Kawauchi and Tomioka. http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20140303p2a00m0na013000c.html
  • Traces of Fukushima Cesium have been detected off-shore from Vancouver. However, as yet nothing has actually reached the coastline. John Smith of Canada’s Bedford Institute knows the detected Cesium is from Fukushima because it contains a specific isotope, “The only cesium-134 in the North Pacific is there from Fukushima.” The off-shore concentration of Fukushima Cesium is about 0.9 Becquerels per ton of water. The American limit for drinking water is 28 Bq/liter, but no-one drinks seawater, thus the detected Cesium is not going to harm anyone. “These levels are clearly not a human or biological threat in Canada,” Smith said. As it turns out, the inadvertent releases from Fukushima Daiichi have given Pacific Ocean researchers the opportunity to study North Pacific Ocean currents to a degree never before possible. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/radioactive-isotopes-from-fukushima-meltdown-detected-near-vancouver/
  • The dismissal of criminal charges against former PM Naoto Kan caused a protest. Hundreds of angry Japanese rallied Saturday to show their displeasure. The original filing was in Fukushima City, where it was dismissed last year. But, an appeal filed in Tokyo was dismissed last week and spawned the protest. Hiroyuki Kawai, a lawyer representing the campaigners, said “there were lots of measures that officials could have taken to prevent the disaster. We won’t give up [pushing for] indictment of the officials.”  Chief rally organizer Ruiko Muto told the rally that “There are many victims of the accident, but no one [has been charged].  We are determined to keep telling our experiences as victims to pursue the truth of the disaster, and we want to avoid a repeat in the future.” Another of the organizers, Miwa Chiwaki, 43, said. “We want to share with many people in Tokyo our anger and sadness over the fact that no one has taken responsibility three years after the accident.” Kazuo Nakamura, 45, a farmer from the city of Koriyama in Fukushima, also spoke and said, “I used to grow organic rice…but I can’t do so anymore because of consumers’ worries over radioactive contamination. I want officials of Tokyo Electric Power Co. and officials and bureaucrats of the central government to eat Fukushima-grown rice.” (comment – I guess he doesn’t know that PM Shinzo Abe regularly eats Fukushima rice.) http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/03/02/national/hundreds-rally-in-tokyo-against-dropped-fukushima-crisis-charges/#.UxIJD6OYYdU