June 9, 2014

Jun 9, 2014 | Fukushima Accident Updates

  • 1034 fuel bundles have been removed from unit #4 storage pool (SFP). There have been a total of 47 transfer cask operations. This is more than 67% of the 1533 bundles that were in the SFP when the process began in November. 1012 of the transferred bundles were used (spent…irradiated) and 22 were fresh (unused…unirradiated). The percentage of irradiated bundles that have been transferred is more than 76%. http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/decommision/index-e.html   A Tepco posting for June 6 shows that $39.3 billion has now been distributed to Fukushima evacuees. http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/comp/images/jisseki-e.pdf
  • 3.4 tons of mildly contaminated rainwater may have leaked from a storage tank barrier. Tepco reported it on Friday. The leaks were from two tanks that hold rainwater with radioactivity above national limits for open release. The leakage was into a coffer dam surrounding the tank group, and a drain valve on the dam was found to be cracked open. The valve was immediately torqued shut. Radiation levels in the vicinity of the valve were somewhat higher than other locations. The last time the tank group was inspected was in March. Tepco says it was not checked more often because the tanks were smaller than those holding Cesium-stripped waters and the radioactive contents much lower. The company is collecting soil samples and will report the analytical results when the data is available. http://fukushimaupdate.com/tepco-contaminated-water-may-have-leaked-from-storage-tanks/
  • Radiation expert Dr. Jerry Cuttler says the remedy for radiophobia is to discard “politicized science”. His provocative paper is published in the Dose-Response journal. Cuttler says that the first UNSCEAR report on the impact of low dose exposures from Hiroshima/Nagasaki bombings in 1945 drew a conclusion not supported by the data. UNSCEAR said that excess leukemia incidence is proportional to dose, but the data itself clearly shows a threshold exposure level below which the effects appear to be beneficial. Cuttler says the conclusions were based on politics rather than science. Cuttler goes on to examine the threshold for harmful effects and the biological mechanism for beneficial effects of low exposures. Low level exposure “up-regulates” our natural cellular and DNA repair mechanisms, while high exposure impairs these processes. Cuttler argues the threshold for biological harm is 2,000 millisieverts per year, which is more than a thousand times greater than Japan’s widely-publicized limit of 1 mSv/yr. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4036393/
  • PM Abe’s Cabinet says Fukushima remains Japan’s biggest environmental challenge. This judgment is contained in a “white paper” approved June 6th. Specific challenges mentioned included the future construction of storage facilities for rural contaminated wastes and constant monitoring of the health of residents. The paper also says there is a need to do a better job of alleviating unfounded public concerns. In addition, solar power programs in Fukushima Prefecture are cited as a model for moving ahead with “environmentally-friendly” projects. http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20140606_18.html
  • More information on the new F. Daiichi Strontium removal technology. The system created by Kurion Inc. is designed to strip radioactive Strontium from the wastewaters now stored at the station. The stored water has been stripped of radioactive Cesium, but the Strontium remains. The first shipment of equipment has been delivered and is being inspected. The balance of the system should arrive in the upcoming weeks. Nuclear Regulation Authority Chair Shunichi Tanaka has told Tepco to prioritize Strontium removal in order to lower radiation levels around the storage tanks. A Kurion Press statement says, “The larger and more complex ALPS processing facilities are designed to decontaminate 62 of the 63 radioisotopes present in tank water to prepare it for release in to the environment. This is different than the purpose of Kurion system, which is a mobile system to accelerate improvement of safety at the site by focusing on strontium reduction.” http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2014/06/09/fukushima-watch-tepco-eyes-radioactive-strontium-removal-system/
  • Tohoku Electric Company has received local permission to ask the NRA to make safety checks for unit #1 at Higashidori, Aomori Prefecture. Permission has been given by the Aomori prefectural and Higashidori municipal governments. Tohoku Electric hopes to restart the unit in March of 2016. The company has upgraded the site’s ground acceleration criteria for the unit by 33% and the maximum tsunami height from 10 meters to 11.7 meters. Currently, the NRA is examining geologic anomalies under the premises to decide whether or not one or more might be active earthquake faults. http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco
  • Former PM Naoto Kan is using the decision to release all 2012 accident testimony to attack the current government. Kan says he fully supports making all testimonies given to the NAIIC investigative committee. He included a verbal jab at PM Shinzo Abe, “They [transcripts] should be released to the greatest extent possible unless the current administration decides to handle disclosure in an arbitrary manner.” Former Cabinet member and Kan crony Yukio Edano echoed his prior boss’ words, “I will not oppose it as long as the records are not made available arbitrarily as a result of political intervention with regard to whose testimonies are subject to disclosure and which portions will be released.” There are 772 testimonies on file, but the ones where the interviewees do not give their permission will not be made public. http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201406060042
  • (late entry) Tokyo proposes a new town for 5,000 F. Daiichi decommissioning employees. The Cabinet Office and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry say the new town will help create jobs and prompt evacuees to return to their homes. The town will be in Okuma Town, Onagawa District, which is adjacent to the F. Daiichi station. Vice Minister Kazuyoshi Akaba said the community will also be home to international research staff. Currently, most workers live outside the 20 kilometer radius often called the “no-go” zone. The new community will be inside the zone. Housing for 3,000 is expected to be ready in 2018, including hospital and restaurants. Akaba said, “We can create a unique base that would attract global attention by taking advantage of technological developments for decommissioning purposes.” Some local officials are not so optimistic. One said, “While the plan sounds like something like a dream, will evacuees want to return to a community where only workers (involved in decommissioning) are living? There is the possibility that the return of residents will only be pushed further into the future.” http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201406090045