February 3, 2014

Feb 3, 2014 | Fukushima Accident Updates

  • Another 44 fuel bundles were safely transferred out of #4 spent fuel pool last week. The total moved to the ground-level common pool facility without incident now stands at 264. http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushima-np/removal4u/index-e.html
  • The Tokyo gubernatorial race is center stage in the Press. The election will take place next Sunday. While most news outlets are doing their best to make nuclear energy seem as the key issue, the Tokyo electorate sees it very differently. In a detailed opinion poll by the Japan’s leading newspaper, the Yomiuri Shimbun, nuclear energy placed fifth on the list of relative importance. Medical and welfare policies topped out with an 84% rating, followed by disaster preparedness at 81%, the economy and unemployment at 75%, and, anticrime and public safety at 68%. Nuclear energy was next with a 61% rating, followed by 2020 Olympics’ preparation at 52%. Leading candidate Yoichi Masuzoe garnered at least 60% of the party-affiliated respondents. He also got more than 30% of the non-affiliated “swing” voters, which was by far the most of the four major candidates. Ex-PM Morihiro Hosokawa has been getting the most Press because of his staunch opposition to restarting Japan’s nukes, but he is running second to Masuzoe with party-affiliated voters and third with the “swing” demographic behind former Bar Association President Kenji Utsunomiya. It should be noted that nearly 40% of swing voters have not decided as yet. The Morihiro Hosokawa campaign has received the most Press coverage because of his support from another former PM and recent antinuke, Junichiro Koizumi. However, the electorate seems unfazed by the affiliation. http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0000996164 — http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0000996255  On the other hand, the majority of Japan’s new media continues to try and convince the Tokyo public that nuclear energy is the number one issue, often neglecting to cover the size of nuclear-neutral Masuzoe’s lead. http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/02/02/national/tokyo-election-goes-nuclear/#.Uu5Mc8uYYdU
  • Tepco engineers are looking for more leaks out of units #1-#3 containments. In November, they found a leak of ~3.3 tons of water per hour from the lower part of Primary Containment #2. The plant staff is pumping 4.5 tons of water into the unit #2 RPV. Since RPV water levels seem to be remaining constant, there must be one or more other points of leakage totaling about 1.2 tons per hour. A debris-removal robot found the leaks in November, so Tepco plans on expanding their use of robots to scan the rest of the locations around the outer wall of the inner containment. Their next look will be around the large pipes that connect the containment to the 600,000 gallon, donut-shaped suppression chamber (torus). http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/nuclear.html
  • Tepco will test the use of a Strontium absorber in February. The material is apatite, which has similar chemistry to bone. Since Strontium is known as a “bone-seeker”, the apatite will capture most Strontium that comes in contact with it. The material has been used at Hanford, Washington, to block the Strontium in liquid wastes that have leaked into the soil. It has removed about 90% of the Strontium in the groundwater. Apatite has never been used on water as saline as that found in Fukushima Daiichi storage tanks, so testing is needed before making a decision on building an expensive sea-side barrier out of it. Tatsuya Shinkawa, director of the Nuclear Accident Response Office, said, “If it goes well, we will probably make an apatite wall between the tanks and the sea.” http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2014/01/31/fukushima-watch-new-technology-to-stop-deadly-strontium/
  • Tepco’s 4th quarter report has brought praise from two foreign consultants. American Dale Klein said the report shows “steady progress”, particularly with spent fuel removal from unit #4. He added that “this is a time for TEPCO to remain vigilant and not allow these successes to lull it into complacency. A long-term water solution remains to be agreed upon, and that will require some difficult decisions. And continuing efforts need to be made to inculcate a true safety culture.” Britain’s Lady Barbara Judge contrasted this quarter’s report with its predecessor. She stressed that the Nuclear Safety Oversight Office is now fully engaged, monitoring the line organization, making suggestions which are being listened to and implemented”, and also praised TEPCO for “real change” in communications, including improvements in press communications and the hiring of a new leader of the Social Communication office. http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/2014/1234017_5892.html
  • Incoming Business Federation Chair Sadayuki Sakakibara says Japan’s nukes need to be restarted as soon as possible. He specified the sixteen nuclear units that have applied for restart with the Nuclear Regulation Authority. Sakakibara said, “It is in Japan’s national interest to restart the 16 nuclear reactors as soon as possible after carrying out thorough safety inspections.” He also addressed the risks of reliance on old fossil-fueled plants and their costs, “In light of stable power supply and cost reductions, it is crucial for the country to maintain nuclear plants.” Sakakibara will take office in June. http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2014013000929
  • Japan’s nuclear watchdog told Tepco to lower F. Daiichi radiation levels. Specifically, the elevated radiation levels at the station’s property line near recently-filled waste water tanks. Our update of January 13 reported that locations at the boundary read as high as 8 millisieverts per year, which is 8 times higher than Japan’s restrictive goal of 1 mSv/yr. On Friday, the Nuclear Regulation Authority demanded that Tepco be below the 1 mSv/yr level at the property boundary by 2016. The NRA said this will diminish possible effects beyond the property line and reduce exposure to plant staff that must work near the tanks. Tepco responded they already intended to decontaminate the water in the tanks as soon as their hi-tech ALPS isotopic removal system has been fully tested. However, some alleged “experts” doubt whether or not Tepco can actually do it because the ALPS system test has experienced some problems. The critics also say faster removal of contaminated debris would expedite resolution of the problem. http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20140201_01.html
  • The NRA has modified nuclear evacuation rules. In the future, all residents within 5km of a nuke emergency will be evacuated unconditionally. Those living between 5 and 30 kilometers away would be given guidelines based on local radiation readings. These rules are to be enforced by local authorities. One location in each community is to be designated for monitoring of radiation and airborne contamination. Reliable back-up power is to be supplied for each monitor. Many rural monitors around F. Daiichi did not work during the regional blackout because of insufficient back-up power supplies. In addition, local authorizes are to designate a monitoring center to compile the data and make informed public protection decisions. Of course, critics say the new rules are insufficient and only one designated monitor per community is not nearly enough. http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/nuclear.html
  • Tokyo wants to get local fisheries to approve releasing uncontaminated groundwater to the sea. During talks with the National Federation of Fisheries Co-operative Associations, the Industry Ministry said they will set strict procedures for the release which should allay any public concerns that could hurt the fishing business. http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2014/02/269390.html