July 8, 2013

Jul 8, 2013 | Fukushima Accident Updates

  • Japan’s new nuclear regulations have gone into effect. The Nuclear Regulatory Authority says they are assigning 80 people in three teams to screen applications for restarts under the new rules. The agency says each application will take about six months to process before reaching a decision. Tokyo has said they will approve restarts of reactors the NRA deems to have met the new standards. Four companies who own ten nukes between them have applied for restarts. One company, Shikoku Electric, says, “We believe the [Ikata] reactor satisfies the state’s standards,” and the company hopes the NRA will conduct a “scientific, rational and efficient” safety assessment. The NRA says the new rules call for the world’s toughest level of nuclear safety, but critics say the agency has rushed the process because of pressure from the utilities with nukes. http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20130708_13.html — http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/07/08/national/japan-reopens-application-procedures-for-rebooting-idled-nuclear-reactors/#.UdqtD-vD8dU
  • Minor protests and public criticisms have produced many more articles than the new safety rules have. A group of about 80 people demonstrated in front of the NRA’s offices calling for the restart applications to be rescinded by the power companies. They chanted, “No to restarts…stop Oi [nuclear plants].” Their main complaint is that the new rules were rushed into effect to justify restarts, but do not guarantee there will be no future Fukushimas. They also claim that the cause of the nuclear accident is still unknown. At the Prime Minister’s office, hundreds of outraged mothers protested the new rules and the possibility of restarts. One woman said she doesn’t understand why the government wants to restart nukes when she must raise children under the fear of radiation. Also, some of the Fukushima evacuees used the occasion to make their anger known. One of them, Naomi Namekata who fled from Fukushima and now lives in Sapporo, said, “The nuclear disaster has not been taken care of yet, nor is the damage from it under control. And yet, they are acting as if the disaster never happened at all.” She adds that all she wants is to buy food without worrying about radiation, and radiation is the greatest fear she has for her son. Another evacuee, Hideko Hayashi, said, “No matter how strict the standards may be, an accident could occur. Having standards for restarting reactors is outrageous.” On the other hand, people living nearest the plants of possible restarts are generally supportive of their nukes. Also, some local officials welcome the impending nuclear operations. Fukui Gov. Kazumi Nishikawa said the new standards contain what his prefecture had demanded and urged the NRA process restart applications quickly. http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20130708p2a00m0na011000c.html — http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20130707_29.html — http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20130708p2a00m0na013000c.html
  • A Yomiuri Shimbun poll finds most local officials near nukes are in favor of restarts. 72 local and prefectural officials within 30 kilometers of nuke stations, including 11 governors and 61 mayors, were asked to participate. 41 agreed to the Yomiuri’s request. Four said they fully support reactivation, 30 said they would approve restarts if the plants meet the new safety regulations, and seven said they will not agree. The four giving unconditional support are the mayors of Kariwa, Izumozaki, Genkai, and Nagashima towns. 31 officials declined to participate because they felt a yes-or-no decision makes no sense, at this point and have taken a wait-and-see stance. The Yomiuri survey was given in late June using a multiple-choice format. http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0000363952
  • Another new sampling well at F. Daiichi shows elevated water-borne contamination. The new well is near the cable trench that had a serious leak in April of 2011. Tepco says the detected beta-emitting isotopes may have come from the past leak and were retained in the soil. The isotopes in the water, including strontium-90, may have leached from the contaminated soil. The presence of Strontium in the water is not well understood because it is not supposed to be leachable. The new well, 25 meters from the sea, tested at 900,000 Becquerels per liter and Tritium activity is about 380,000 Bq/liter. While Tritium levels in the station’s port have increased, no corresponding increase in other isotopes has been detected there. Tepco says  they cannot be absolutely sure the new contamination discoveries are not from new leaks out of the plant, but the source is most likely residual from the April 2011 leak. Tepco says they will dig more sampling wells because the new ones have found groundwater contamination not previously detected. http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20130706p2g00m0dm004000c.html — http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2013070600218 — http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20130706_22.html
  • Tsunami debris has been removed from the Nahara town shoreline. The removal process began in March, many months after the government restriction was lifted last August. The delay was largely due to fears of radiation in the debris. The Environment Ministry, which had the work done, says that the contamination levels in the debris are much lower than anticipated and none was found to be in excess of the 100,000 Becquerel per kilogram limit. The debris is primarily wood and foundation materials from demolished houses, and has been moved from the shoreline to two temporary sites within the town borders. The ministry says the decontamination of the coastal area can now begin. http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20130707_03.html
  • None of Japan’s currently-idled nukes are being planned for decommissioning. The news media has assumed that the costs of meeting new safety standards would force some utilities to scrap older plants approaching the 40-year licensing limit. However, a poll was run by Jiji Press of all 10 companies with nukes, and found they plan to continue running reactors beyond the 40-year period. Jiji says the anticipated cost of decommissioning is much more than the cost of upgrading safety to meet the new regulations. Apparently surprised at the poll results, Jiji posted an antinuclear activist’s statement. Hideyuki Ban, co-director of the Citizens’ Nuclear Information Center, says, “Generally, older reactors have higher risks. If power firms put off decommissioning reactors to secure short-term profits and avoid [massive] losses, that could see the recurrence of a [major] nuclear accident.” http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/07/06/national/japanese-power-firms-have-no-plans-to-scrap-more-nuclear-reactors-poll/#.UdlzWevD8dU