- Oi unit #4 is now producing electricity at full capacity – 1127 MWe. The anticipated milestone was reached at 1am today. Oi’s unit #3 resumed operation earlier this month and is running at full capacity. Now that both units are at full power, the government plans to lift the power-saving targets imposed on the service areas of 3 other utilities in central and western Japan. Coincidently, the governor of Fukui Prefecture has praised added monitoring with the units which has given everyone full, transparent information about the restarts. Governor Issei Nishikawa says the upgraded monitoring provided effective disclosure of information, improved understanding of the need for the restarts, and developed awareness of the relation between power generation and the economy. (NHK World)
- Former F. Daiichi plant manager Masao Yoshida has praised the staff at the power complex during the height of the crisis. In a soon-to-be-released video, Yoshida described his staff as “Buddhist saints in Hell”. He added that the “workers cooling the reactors at the plant could not leave the site”. The video, scheduled for release August 11 at a Fukushima City symposium, will be the first public airing of Yoshida’s personal feelings during the crucial period following the start of the accident. (Kyodo News)
- Japan’s academic community is now supporting the belief that most of the radiological releases from F. Daiichi were due to unit #2. Researchers from the University of Tokyo, the Japan Atomic Energy Agency and “other experts” have examined the crisis response log at the reactor facility. They also checked radiation levels in surrounding areas. (NHK World) comment – This report isn’t worth the fonts it was printed with. They base their finding on data taken from radiation monitors spread around the perimeter of the power complex, which showed that airborne levels increased every time the unit #2 staff vented pressure to the atmosphere. There is no doubt the recorded data is correct, however these experts fail to recognize that the necessarily enormous releases due to the hydrogen explosions with units #1&3 which occurred when the winds were blowing out to sea. There are no radiation monitors on the sea-ward side of the power complex, thus the unquestionably greater releases on March 12 and 13 were unrecorded. This does not mean they didn’t happen…they absolutely did happen. The experts also fail to consider that the unit #4 hydrogen explosion of March 15 perfectly coincided with the first release recorded on that day…and not from unit #2. The longer official sources in Japan continue to promulgate the notion that the main releases came from unit #2, the worse it will be when the truth is eventually known…and it will be!
- Information contained in this week’s release of the government’s Fukushima investigation continues to make headlines. Some new insights occur on a daily basis. Japan Times reports The Prime Minister’s emergency staff “failed to handle the disaster professionally”. The report adds “The prime minister’s office had to make important decisions without having any contact with the off-site center that was supposed to collect crucial information.” This lack of information may have led then-PM Naoto Kan and his subordinates to panic and act on rumor. As a result, Kan added to the chaos by confusing the plant officials and workers with his attempt to stop seawater cooling and his belief that Tepco was going to abandon the F. Daiichi power station. The report says they find no supportive evidence to say Tepco considered abandonment. Mainichi Shimbun reports “the lack of communication between authorities led to an “inappropriate” handling of patient evacuation from hospitals.” Nearly 600 people died as a result of evacuation problems and general panic caused by the mandated de-population of the 20km radius. In response to the report, Takao Suganuma of the Fukushima prefectural health and welfare group called the government’s criticism “extremely harsh,” but added that “it is being taken seriously.” Suganuma added, “We learned that it is not enough to only evacuate people, but that it is also very important to be aware of each person’s condition.”
- Another successful nuclear accident drill was held, this time at Tohoku Electric Company’s Onagawa facility. Onagawa station is located in Miyagi Prefecture, whose coastline bore the brunt of the 3/11/11 tsunami and suffered considerable loss of life from the giant wave. The drill simulated a comparable massive quake and tsunami. About 150 on-site staff participated, bringing in 4 power trucks to practice restoring electrical sources in case installed emergency generators break down. The power trucks are garaged on high ground to protect them from tsunami. The new mobile generators were purchased and housed at Onagawa station in March. Onagawa workers also practiced using mobile units to inject emergency cooling water into reactors. (NHK World)
- The town of Futaba, immediately adjacent to F. Daiichi, has decided to run their own investigation into the accident. Mayor Katsutaka Idogawa denounced the government’s final report on the accident saying, “Why is it a ‘final’ report when tens of thousands of people are still evacuated and the disaster is ongoing? Why can they say that for sure when they cannot do a sufficient study of the inside (of the reactor buildings)? I cannot trust the report and don’t feel like reading it.” He then turned his attack on Tepco, saying that their in-house accident report is faulty because “They don’t have any awareness that they caused the disaster.” (Mainichi Shimbun)
- Barely detectable levels of Strontium-90 have been monitored in the soils of ten Prefectures other than Fukushima and Miyagi. (NHK World; Mainichi Shimbun; Japan Today) The highest level reported is 6 Becquerels per meter in Ibaraki Prefecture. This is less than half the naturally-occurring Potassium-40 level in a banana. Both K-40 and Sr-90 are considered “bone seekers”. The science ministry has emphasized that the amounts detected are extremely small and present no risk to human health. Regardless, the Japanese news media’s coverage only adds to the radiophobic belief that detectable radiation is necessarily dangerous.
- A number of Japanese prosecutors have announced they are willing to litigate lawsuits against Tepco and the government. The decision is alleged to be the result of the government’s NAIIC report on the F. Daiichi accident. The prosecutors say they cannot ignore the people’s fears of radiation exposure since it is difficult to identify the level of harm. They also focus on the NAIIC-based assumption that the true cause of the accident has yet to be disclosed. (NHK World) comment – Enough of this “not knowing the cause of the accident”, already. Any rational person would say the answer is obvious. The earthquake triggered automatic shutdowns of the three operating units at F. Daiichi and all emergency cooling systems were working precisely as they were designed to operate. Then the massive tsunami hit, and all hell broke loose. The cause of the accident was the tsunami…pure and simple…period! No tsunami = no nuclear accident. Denial of this no more than an exercise in self-deception.
This site requires a lot of work. We hope you find our efforts valuable and rewarding. Please consider offering your support. There is no minimum amount. Feel free to donate as you see fit, without restriction. Thank you...
