October 1, 2012

Oct 1, 2012 | Fukushima Accident Updates

  • This week’s Carnival of Nuclear Energy Bloggers (#124) is being hosted by Atomic Power Review. Topics include comparing nuclear energy costs to other energy sources, advice for pro-nuclear activists, the benefits of nuclear power expansion world-wide, the new American NRC chairman’s meeting with antinuclear leaders, and a new nuclear plant that was built under-budget in Russia. http://atomicpowerreview.blogspot.com/2012/09/carnival-of-nuclear-bloggers-no-124.html
  • On Saturday, Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) released the first footage from inside the Drywell at Fukushima Daiichi unit #1. The reactor vessel (RPV) itself cannot be seen, but the space between the thick concrete drywell wall and the inner pedestal that supports the RPV is visible. The video is cloudy and about half of the 40 minutes of footage shows only the inside of the piping penetration used to insert the remote camera. The interior of the Drywell shows considerable debris, probably from the shock of the severe pressure transients experienced the first two days of the accident and the outer building’s explosion on March 12, 2011. A thick metal plate that was expected to be visible near the opening is nowhere to be seen. The melting point of the plate is about 327oC, and the region inside the drywell was estimated to have risen as high as 700oC during the accident, so the plate may have melted away. The debris which has piled up on the inner catwalk (a thick metal grating) seems to be a combination of concrete and metal pieces. This first look inside the drywell was not expected until Tuesday, but the punching of a hole took much less time than had been estimated. The first look was not enough to establish a water level inside the structure. (Tepco Video Library; Yomiuri Shimbun)
  • Radiation levels near F. Daiichi have dropped more than had been previously anticipated. When the survey began, experts estimated there should be a 14% decrease by this past June, but they actually dropped by 23% between November, 2011, and June, 2012. Radiation levels were measured at 140,000 locations within 80 kilometers of F. Daiichi. Most of the measurements were taken on the ground at one meter above the earth. Others were taken by helicopter. Japan’s Science and Technology Ministry, which supervised the survey, believes the amount of contamination washed away by rainfall has been greater than had been expected. The Ministry will continue to carry out the study to see if the locations selected are representative of the entire region. NHK World)
  • “The spread of (radioactive) contamination (in food) is receding,” a health ministry official concluded. Even with Japan’s overly-restrictive standards for radioactive material in food, only about 1% has been found to exceed permissible limits. The current limits are 100 Becquerels per kilogram (100 radioactive disintegrations per second) for food and 10 Bq/liter for water. Since these new standards were invoked in April, 114,000 samples have been tested and 1,394 failed to pass the test. All baby food and milk samples have passed. If the new standards had been in place only a month earlier (March, 2012), more than 2% would have failed by now. The initial foods tested after the Fukushima accident, such as bottom-feeding fish and mushrooms, were selected because they were already known to retain and concentrate radioactive Cesium. But, this year the tests were extended to all foods. It should be noted that if only one sample of each food or fish is found to exceed the limits, the entire stock of the item is banned from distribution. Food inspections are run on food stocks before they are shipped. After shipment, the government randomly selects samples for study to see if anything has slipped through. Of the roughly 100 post-shipment samples tested per month since April, none have been above the limits. Public anxieties that spread after 3/11/11 have begun to subside, as well. Kiyokazu Ujiie, professor of food consumption at the University of Tsukuba’s, said, “Thanks to the introduction of the stricter standards, consumers’ evaluations of agricultural products produced in Fukushima Prefecture have apparently improved.” (Mainichi Shimbun)
  • Construction has restarted at the 40% complete Ohma nuclear plant in Aomori Prefecture. President Masayoshi Kitamura of plant owner J-Power announced the resumption at a special session for the Ohma town assembly. Kitamura said the government’s new energy policy allows already-started nuke construction to be completed. “Government policy has provided clear stipulations on power plants under construction,” he said. The town assembly welcomed the J-Power decision and Ohma mayor Kanazawa said he was “very relieved”. The company also sent officials to dissenting Hakodate City to explain the resumption of work at Ohma. The city is more than 20 kilometers from Ohma and has opposed the restart. Hakodate Mayor Toshiki Kudo says they will never agree to the J-Power decision because the plans for the nuke were made before the Fukushima accident, thus it cannot be considered safe. The city plans on taking legal action to indefinitely stop work at Ohma. (NHK World; Mainichi Shimbun)
  • More on Industry Minister Edano’s new antinuclear book. In it, he says, “Now I want to eliminate nuclear power plants as soon as possible,” because he feels yet another nuclear accident will happen somewhere in Japan. He said that Japan can no longer “risk nuclear power plants”. He admits a nuclear-free country will not happen overnight because of business community “counteraction” and existing “debts”. He feels the most compelling reason for a non-nuclear Japan is the disposal of used nuclear fuel. He acknowledges that closing the Rokkasho fuel recycling facility would be a problem because the operating company would send all of its spent fuel bundles back to where they came from, immediately filling all of the spent fuel pools at the 17 nuclear power stations in the island nation. Finally, he argues that the electric power industry has a monopoly on energy production, with the exception of renewables. He feels that promotion of renewables can break their stranglehold on electricity. (Japan Today)
  • Several criminal probes have been planned concerning the Fukushima accident. Prosecutors from several district offices will meet this month to begin a coordinated full-scale investigation. This will be in addition to criminal complaints that have already been submitted voluntarily by. Complaints from Kanazawa and Nagota districts will be referred to the Tokyo prosecutors, and those from the Fukushima area will be handled by its prefectural prosecutors. The group will interview Tepco and government officials accused of professional negligence. The complaints say that Tepco and Tokyo failed to take needed precautionary steps against earthquakes and tsunamis, and failed to make adequate public protection responses once the accident began. (Japan Times)
  • Less than 10% of the evacuees of Hirono town have returned home. Most of the town’s basic infrastructure has been resumed and 80% of the homes and buildings have been decontaminated. The reason why they are staying away is fear. The town has become a “home base” for about 5,000 workers at F. Daiichi. This sends a message that the accident is still occurring. “Many residents feel uneasy and think the crisis hasn’t been resolved yet, as many workers from the nuclear plant come and go from the town,” Deputy Mayor Koki Kuroda said. In addition, there’s the continuing fear of low level radiation exposure. On a positive note, the town seems to be experiencing considerable business. Of the ~150 local businesses operating before 3/11/11, more than 100 have reopened their doors – mainly construction-related companies, accommodation facilities for F. Daiichi workers and restaurants. Regardless of the former resident’s reluctance, the town hopes to bring everyone home by the end of the year through holding regular briefings on the status of the community. (Yomiuri Shimbun)