July 30, 2015

Jul 30, 2015 | Fukushima Accident Updates

  • (In the “it’s about time” category…) Fukushima’s fishermen OK releasing some of the F. Daiichi waste water. Water “pumped up” from wells upstream (per groundwater flow) from the damaged buildings of units #1 through #4, will be sent directly to the sea because it has not-yet been contaminated. Sub-drain water from near the buildings will be released after passing through the multi-stage radio-isotopic removal system. Called the “subdrain plan” by the local fishing cooperatives, the proposal was first approved by the Soma-Futaba Fisheries and Iwaki Fisheries Union. The Fukushima Prefectural Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations is expected to endorse it in August. Tepco will pump 500 tons of water from 41 wells around the plant’s four damaged units each day. It expects that groundwater flowing into the building’s basements will be halved from the current levels. All flows will be closely monitored so that none will be released if Cesium activity exceeds 1 Becquerel per liter, an all-Beta activity of 3 Bq/l, and/or a biologically-harmless Tritium level of 1,500 Bq/l. Hiroyuki Sato, head of the Soma-Futaba Fisheries Assn., said, “We are compelled to agree [with TEPCO’s plan] for the recovery of the fishing business in Fukushima Prefecture.” Iwaki Cooperative chief Masakazu Yabuki says the move is crucial to keep the fishing industry alive. He added, “We just have to trust the government and TEPCO.” Some fishermen don’t like it. Trawler fisherman Takehiko Niizuma said, “The plan could give the government and TEPCO excuses that even highly contaminated water (stored in tanks) can be released into the sea if it’s processed or treated through the subdrain system.” (Aside – If it’s fully processed, what’s the problem? – end aside) The fisheries request that a third-party watchdog monitor the process to prevent contaminated water from flowing into the ocean, that all releases are closely monitored, and the government continue compensation to the fishermen for damages caused by harmful rumors in the marketplace. http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201507280063 — http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20150728p2a00m0na016000c.html
  • No contaminated water remains in the Fukushima Daiichi equipment trenches. Tepco announced the milestone this morning. Their Press release says, “After overcoming numerous technical challenges, TEPCO has removed the last of the retained water from the trenches [underground tunnels housing pipes and cables] on the seaside of Units 2 and 3 of the stricken Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.” The removal for unit #2 was finished on June 30, and today for unit #3.  Naohiro Masuda, TEPCO D&D Engineering Company head, said “One of our most important goals this year is to reduce any risk of water leakage and to prevent the possibility of environment or ocean contamination. Completion of the water removal from the trenches is an important milestone towards achieving that goal. It has been a challenging task and I congratulate our workers on their persistence and their success.” http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/2015/1256382_6844.html  Tepco’s graphic Press handout can be viewed here… http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushima-np/handouts/2015/images/handouts_150730_01-e.pdf
  • The start of removing the damaged fuel handling crane from unit #3 fuel pool will begin on Sunday. The 20 ton device toppled into the pool due to the hydrogen explosion of March 14, 2011. To prevent damage to any of the 566 fuel bundles in the pool, two remote-control cranes with special gripping devices will be used. In the unlikely event that the damaged crane will slip and fall back on top of the fuel bundles, “cushions” will be placed over them. http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/nuclear.html
  • A Canadian oceanographic expert explains natural background radiation. Dr. Jay Cullen of Fukushima InForm shows how the background levels of natural radiation have changed over geologic time; i.e. since the Earth was formed 4.5 billion years ago. He uses this to explain why we should not be concerned about the trivial levels of Fukushima radioactive isotopes in the Pacific Ocean. He points out that microbes found in the ocean are far more radio-resistant than humans, thus Fukushima cannot raise their exposures enough to harm them. He refers to papers by other experts showing how primordial radiation levels have dropped over the lifetime of our planet, and that natural radioactive exposures due to seawater were 95% higher than the peak bomb-test levels in 1963. The barely-detectible levels of Fukushima activity in the Pacific is essentially harmless. Perhaps the most stunning part of Cullen’s report refers to a Health Canada posting, which states, “We can be confident in concluding that the levels of artificial radionuclides present in our marine environment from Fukushima are very unlikely to have any negative impacts on marine microbes and the base of the food chain.” http://fukushimainform.ca/2015/07/28/background-ionizing-radiation-dose-through-geologic-time/#more-1299
  • The first roof panel is removed from the unit #1 enclosure. A remote-control crane was used to do the job. This is the first of six roofing panels to be removed. Tepco says it will be a few months before all roof units are taken off, and the process of removing the sides of the enclosure can begin. The enclosure must be fully dismantled to allow removal of radioactive debris caused by the hydrogen explosion of March 12, 2011. Then they can begin preparations to transfer the used fuel bundles out of the upper floor storage pool and into a ground-level facility on-site. The cover could have been removed a year ago, but politically-active radiophobic locals, widely-supported by Japan’s antinuclear Press, feared that radioactive dust could possibly be released into the atmosphere. Tepco and Tokyo yielded to these over-reactions and delayed enclosure removal to avoid continued negative Press coverage. NHK World has posted what is perhaps the most objective report here… http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20150728_13.html  Mainichi Shimbun has an article that focuses on concern for the “safety” of the local public… http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20150728p2g00m0dm069000c.html  Here’s some pictures of the panel removal posted by Tepco… http://photo.tepco.co.jp/en/date/2015/201507-e/150728-01e.html
  • The power supply to the “ice wall” system was temporarily lost. On Tuesday morning, smoke was seen emanating from a power supply cable. Power to the refrigeration system used to freeze the ground around the four damaged units had stopped. An alternate power supply was connected to the system, and re-started in the afternoon. Tepco says that the smoking cable suffered a short circuit. http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/nuclear.html  (Comment – Most of Japan’s decidedly antinuclear Press reported that the power interruption “disabled” the ice wall, which is misleading. The power supply was disabled, but not the ice wall. The completed portions of the ice wall remained frozen the entire time. Loss of power would have to be much, much longer for the ice wall to thaw…be “disabled”. This is yet another example of Japan’s Press making a mountain out of a nuclear mole-hill. Here’s a Jiji Press link as an example… http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2015072800999)
  • Another suicide-related lawsuit against Tepco is planned. Relatives of 102 year-old Fumio Okubo want nearly $500,000 in damages, claiming that the man killed himself because he was asked to evacuate his Iitate home due to the nuke accident. Iitate had been his home for his entire life. He was ordered by Tokyo to evacuate, with the rest of Iitate’s population, in April of 2011. The man hanged himself the day after the evacuation was announced by Tokyo. The plaintiffs say the suicide was because “He thought that if he was going to live away from his hometown while causing trouble for his family, it would be better to kill himself, so he took his own life. There is no other plausible reason for his suicide than being forced to evacuate as a result of the nuclear disaster.”  http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/nuclear.html — http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2015/07/365878.html — http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20150729p2a00m0na012000c.html