- On Friday, Masao Yoshida, former Fukushima station manager, was laid to rest. He died on July 9 of esophageal cancer. Yoshida was the person in charge of the plant staff fighting the accident, beginning on March 11, 2013. He has been praised by all officials in Japan for the commendable leadership he demonstrated during the crisis, including defying naïve orders from the Prime Minister which could have made the accident much worse. Yoshida’s funeral was attended by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, many government officials, and a host of Tepco officials. More than 1,000 people attended the services. Former Prime Minister Naoto Kan, in office at the time of the accident, did not attend but told reporters Yoshida played a critical role in keeping the crisis from expanding. http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20130823_29.html
- Tepco says some recent contamination leaks may have reached the sea. A drainage ditch running near the tank found to have leaked has low levels of contamination in it. The ditch runs north and south some distance east of the tank and empties into the sea. Samples from the ditch have 200-580 Becquerels of beta-emitting isotopes in them. There is no detectible activity in the ditch upstream of the tank that leaked. Two hot spots have been found between the tank’s coffer dam and the ditch. This all points to some contamination having come from the tank leak and found its way into the ditch. Small levels of contamination have been found near the ditch’s outlet to the sea totaling 6.1 Becquerels per milliliter. A Nuclear Regulatory Authority inspection team recently sent to the site is assisting in the investigation. http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0000490823
- Tepco has posted a handout concerning the water that escaped the coffer dam around the tank that leaked. It can be accessed here… http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushima-np/handouts/2013/images/handouts_130823_05-e.pdf Tepco also posted a detailed handout concerning the leaky tank at F. Daiichi. The handout contains the company’s measures to contain the leak, clean-up activities, along with pictures and graphics. It can be accessed here… http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/betu13_e/images/130826e0201.pdf
- Japan’s Atomic Energy Agency says contamination may be moving sea-ward at 4 meters per month. According to a public JAEA document, contaminated leakage from the reactor and turbine building basements, roughly 150 meters from the station’s inner quay, may have been entering the groundwater since the accident. Consultant Atsunao Matui of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology says “the water from that area is just about to reach the coast,” if it hasn’t already. He added, “We must contain the problem as quickly as possible.” Efforts to stop the flow of groundwater are “a race against the clock”, said NRA commissioner Toyoshi Fuketa. Some Press reports copy the following from an AP posting which focuses on uncertainty and doubt, “The underground seepage from the reactor and turbine building area is much bigger and possibly more radioactive, confronting the plant’s operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co, with an invisible, chronic problem and few viable solutions…It remains unclear what the impact of the contamination on the environment will be because the radioactivity will be diluted as it spreads further into the sea.” International “spin-doctoring” has become widespread. http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/08/23/national/tepco-hit-for-failing-to-foresee-menace-of-radioactive-groundwater-tank-leaks/#.Uhims-vD8dU — http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/radioactive-groundwater-under-fukushima-plant-nears-sea?utm_campaign=jt_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_source=jt_newsletter_2013-08-24_PM
- The system to “pump up” groundwater between the unit #2 and #3 seawater intake structures is completed. The water is being lifted from the ground before it reaches the underground soil-solidified barrier to keep groundwater from flowing over the top of the wall. The positive-displacement pumping system has 28 intake points 5 meters deep in the earth. The “pumped up” water is being discharged to an empty “vertical shaft” next to unit #2 until it can be transferred elsewhere for storage. Two possibilities are to send the water into the turbine building basements or transfer it into the above-ground storage tanks. http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/2013/1229966_5130.html
- A Tepco investigation of a seaside trench between units #3&4 shows it is empty. The power cable trench leading to the unit #4 seawater intake structure is dry and there is no evidence that it has ever held contaminated water. Tepco posted this information on August 13, but there has been nothing about it in the Press. http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushima-np/handouts/2013/images/handouts_130813_03-e.pdf
- Tepco is being chastised for the tank leaks at F. Daiichi. Harsh criticisms are coming from the Nuclear Regulatory Authority, the Japanese press, and numerous voices from around the world. NRA commissioner Toyoshi Fuketa said, “Fundamentally, for a facility holding that kind of radioactive water, they did not take action that foresaw the risks of possible leaks. On top of that, and this is an impression I had before my visit, I can’t help but say that the inspections were careless.” http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/nuclear-watchdog-team-inspects-fukushima-water-leak In another article, Fuketa says, “The company has not left any record of inspections (of the tanks). I have to call this sloppy.” http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2013/08/242456.html A local fisherman adds, “We’ve suspected (leaks into the ocean) from the beginning. . . . Tepco is making it very difficult for us to trust them.” Atsunao Marui of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology believes the contaminated groundwater is moving toward the shoreline and will soon enter the yet-to-be-contaminated quay (barricaded inner harbor). He said “The water from that area is just about to reach the coast. We must contain the problem as quickly as possible.” NRA Chair Shunichi Tanaka made this chilling statement, “It’s like a haunted house, one thing happening after another. But we must take any steps that would reduce risks to avoid a fatal accident.” Ken Buessler from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts says, “Any contamination in the groundwater would eventually flow into the ocean. That is very difficult to stop even with barriers.” http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/08/23/national/tepco-hit-for-failing-to-foresee-menace-of-radioactive-groundwater-tank-leaks/#.Uhd1gevD8dU
- NRA commissioner Fuketa says Tepco needs government help to deal with the current situation. After inspecting the tank that recently leaked on Monday, he said the company had not considered the possibility of leakage and was ill-prepared. He also criticized Tepco for not keeping detailed records of tank water levels. Tepco says they would have to increase the number of workers checking tank levels by a factor of four. Fuketa answered the company should ask the government to help them do it. The commissioner feels that if Tepco would admit their limitations and ask Tokyo for help, they could improve their current lack of public trust. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga says the government will do all it can to assist Tepco contain contamination and prevent future leaks. Suga also dismissed the rumor that the current problems at F. Daiichi will negatively impact Japan’s bid to host the 2020 Olympics. He added that the foreign ministry should be providing proper information to foreign contacts. http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20130826_24.html
- The Industry Ministry says they will help to prevent further contaminated leakage. On Sunday, the ministry announced they are considering what they can do to mitigate the situation. Any Ministry-based measures will be government-funded. The move has been spurred by the recent wastewater tank leak at F. Daiichi, some of which may have drained into the sea. One measure previously considered is freezing the earth around the four damaged units. The ministry wants to estimate the cost of such a project and include it in the 2014 budget. Minister Toshimitsu Motegi will inspect the situation at F. Daiichi on Monday. Tokyo added that decontamination efforts are behind schedule in seven municipalities inside the former “no-go” zone. The government says the reasons are two-fold – difficulty in getting approval of residents and a lack of storage space for contaminated soil. http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20130825_02.html — http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20130826_17.html
- Tepco has checked all other wastewater tanks for leaks and have found none. However, radiation surveys have indicated two “hot spots” of somewhat elevated levels near two non-leaking tanks. Tepco’s Press statement says, “We have confirmed two spots where radiation doses are high.” It also says water levels in the nearby tanks have not changed since their last measurements and the soil around the hot spots is dry. Regardless, some Japanese critics imply the worst is yet to come. Masashi Kusakabe, Marine Ecology Research Institute, said, “It is too early to estimate the impact of the latest leak. All we can do is to continue monitoring levels of marine radiation very carefully.” Jota Kanda of Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology said, “It is inevitable that some water has reached the sea. So far its impact on the marine environment is limited, but it will be a different story if more leaks happen.” http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/new-radiation-hotspots-found-at-fukushima-tanks?utm_campaign=jt_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_source=jt_newsletter_2013-08-23_AM
- Tepco is digging up the soil contaminated by the leaking wastewater storage tank. It is believed that as much as 12 liters has leaked outside the barrier surrounding the tank group which includes the failed tank. It soaked into the soil. Using mechanized equipment, staff is digging up all soil found to contain contamination and will store in a safe on-site location. Some spots that appear contaminated are above an underground network of cables, which might exacerbate the effort. http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20130823_04.html At this point, the company believes 12 square meters have been contaminated down to a depth of maybe 50 centimeters (20 inches). Once this volume has been removed, the ground will be surveyed to see if more material should be removed and stored. http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/08/23/national/tepco-testing-tainted-earth-at-no-1-plant/#.Uhd0xuvD8dU
- Tepco estimates that the ALPS system for waste water decontamination will not be ready until September. ALPS stands for Advanced Liquids Processing System. When in operation, ALPS will remove all but one of the radio-isotopes remaining after the water has been run through the cesium absorption system. In order to minimize the possibility of new storage tank leaks, Tepco has set up a special unit to accelerate inspections of tank integrity. Tepco spokeswoman Mayumi Yoshida said, “We are inspecting all the parts now” relative to storage tanks, and “We are aiming for September” regarding the ALPS restart. After ALPS purges the wastewaters of the 60 residual isotopes, only Tritium will remain. Tritium is an isotope of Hydrogen with the weakest radiation emissions that come from nuclear power plant isotopes. http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/08/26/national/alps-filter-off-till-at-least-september/#.UhtIJOvD8dU
- Tepco seeks international help in mitigating the current groundwater contamination issue. “Many other countries outside of Japan have experienced decommissioning reactors, so we hope we can consult them more and utilize their experience,” said Zengo Aizawa, TEPCO’s vice president. “In that sense, we need support, not only from the Japanese government but from the international community to do this job.” The International Atomic Energy Agency says it is “taking this matter seriously and remains ready to provide assistance on request.” Japan has historically been adverse to foreign assistance with internal problems. With Fukushima, outside experts and international organizations have been literally relegated to the sidelines. http://japandailypress.com/tepco-looks-for-international-help-in-cleaning-up-fukushima-mess-2334476/The national hoopla over F. Daiichi has once again raised fears about Fukushima food-fish being “tainted”. Although the intense testing of fish being sold makes it highly unlikely that any are unsafe to eat, fear of radiation (radiophobia) is once-again keeping many consumers away from Japanese-caught fish. The new phobia concerns one of the least-harmful radioactive substances known to man – Tritium. Because it is part of the water itself, Tritium passes through the marine life rapidly and leaves virtually nothing behind. The radiation it releases is so weak it cannot pass through generic cellophane. But, this hasn’t stopped the fear of eating Japanese-caught fish from amplifying. http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/08/23/national/tepco-radioactive-flow-raises-alarm-over-seafood-safety/#.UheCkuvD8dV
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