August 21, 2014

Aug 21, 2014 | Fukushima Accident Updates

  • Tepco has begun testing their new groundwater plan. On Wednesday, about 500 tons of groundwater was pumped out of sub-drains near the basement walls of units #1 through #4. 290 tons were run through the isotopic removal system (ALPS). The results of effluent analysis have not been completed, as yet. Tepco says ALPS should reduce any groundwater contamination by at least a factor of ten thousand. The purified water is being stored awaiting test results. Once the treated water meets Tepco’s self-imposed limits for discharge, local governments and fisheries must agree to the release before it can happen. NHK World; TEPCO starts test-treating groundwater; 8/20/2014
  • Overseas rice exports from Fukushima will begin. National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations (Zen-Noh) said it will send 300 kilograms of the grain to Singapore. A Zen-Noh official said, “Despite our efforts at explaining the safety of Fukushima-made farm products, up until now we have not been able to find retailers who wished to trade rice grown in Fukushima. From now on, we aim to export more Fukushima rice, including to Singapore.” Foreign sales of Fukushima rice were stopped in 2012 due to fears of contamination. The rice to be shipped was grown 60-80 kilometers from F. Daiichi and has passed all radiation monitoring. Local officials say rigorous testing proves there is no risk from consuming rice grown in Fukushima prefecture. One Fukushima official said, “Our rice is proved to have passed the government safety standard of 100 Becquerels per kilogram (a measure of radioactive contamination), and is mostly below detection levels.” In 2012, export of peaches and apples resumed to Thailand and last year exports of the fruit to Malaysia restarted. http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/japan-to-resume-fukushima-rice-exports?utm_campaign=jt_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_source=jt_newsletter_2014-08-20_AM
  • Public housing projects for evacuees are behind schedule. About 40% of the 3,700 planned units intended for those who do not wish to go home are experiencing up to 9 months of delays. The project’s costs are coming from Reconstruction Agency subsidies. The Prefecture says the delays are due to several reasons, including inability to satisfy landowners, forested area that has yet to be cleared, and transformation of rice paddies being behind schedule. The 3,700 units were supposed to be finished by March, 2016. Another 1,200 units were planned for the following year, but that deadline can no longer be met. The 4,900 public housing units are to be built in 15 municipalities across the prefecture. A lottery was held in July to select the residents of the 528 units to be ready by March, 2015. http://www.fukushimaminponews.com/news.html?id=389
  • Japan’s Nuclear Damage Compensation and Decommissioning Facilitation Corp. has begun operation. In order to upgrade the work at F. Daiichi, Tokyo will provide about 50 decommissioning experts to Tepco and develop needed technologies through the corporation. Shunsuke Kondo, former chairman of the Japan Atomic Energy Commission, was chosen as chair of the committee to study decommissioning-related technologies. http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2014082100415
  • Most local leaders from around F. Daiichi want all of former plant manager Yoshida’s testimony released. Yoshida gave many hours of testimony to the Diet’s investigative committee (NAIIC) in 2012. He formally asked that his testimony not be disclosed. Yoshida died of esophageal cancer in July of 2013. The government has previously released a small part of the testimony, and plans to make a bit more available to the public. However, the heads of eight of the 13 communities either inside or overlapping the mandated evacuation zone want full disclosure. Five of them said they have no problem if all of their own NAIIC testimonies were released, so there should be no issue with a full release of Yoshida’s. The mayors of Futaba and Okuma, which host the Fukushima No. 1 plant, as well as leaders in Namie, Minami-Soma, Naraha, Kawauchi, Katsurao and Iwaki, said Yoshida’s testimony should be made public. Governor Sato says he is undecided. http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201408210044
  • A town near Tokyo says they will not support storage of locally-produced rural radioactive wastes. The mayor of Shioya, in Tochigi Prefecture north of Tokyo, has demanded that the government drop the plans to build a permanent storage site in his town. The site was planned for sewage sludge, incinerated ash, and other debris with more than 8,000 Becquerels per kilogram of activity. Last month, the ministry decided to use state-owned land in Shioya, but Mayor Kazuhisa Mikata says he and the town assembly want no part of it because it could have a negative impact on the town’s natural resources and local produce would be subject to damaging rumors. Environment Minister Shinji Inoue says the site is desperately needed and hopes to convince the officials to relent. A panel set up by Tochigi Prefecture will meet to examine the process used by the government to select the location. NHK World; Town rejects plans to build radioactive waste site; 8/18/14