August 4, 2014

Aug 4, 2014 | Fukushima Accident Updates

  • Four people have been arrested on suspicion of defrauding Tepco for compensation funds. The total amount is about $120,000 USD. All four are suspected of filing false claims on behalf of their clients through an “event company” in Koriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture. The investigation began when the company was faced with a raft of client cancellations. According to police, the event company did not actually operate. One suspect is the former official for a Tokyo nonprofit group that handles paperwork for evacuees making damages claims over harmful rumors. The NPO official denied the allegations, but the other three suspects admitted culpability. http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2014080200250
  • The shroud covering unit #1 will be removed for debris removal and fuel transfer preparations. Unit #1’s massive plastic and steel cover was completed in October, 2011, which significantly reduced atmospheric releases from the site. The debris inside has been stabilized and airborne levels are 1/100th of the levels when the cover was finished. To further minimize releases when the cover is removed, small debris and dust will be vacuumed, an anti-scattering agent will be sprayed over the exposed area, and large rubble will be sprinkled with water to minimize releases during its removal. The rubble will be stored onsite. Since the interior of the damaged building will be exposed to the weather, all rainwater will be collected inside the lower part of the structure which is still intact. The rainwater will be treated and stored onsite.  It is estimated that radiation exposure level at the site boundary will vary between 0.002 and 0.004 millisieverts per year due to the operation. http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/2014/1239910_5892.html
  • Tepco has posted its latest quarterly report on F. Daiichi. Significant improvement in water management has been cited by American Dr. Dale Klein, chairman of Tepco’s Nuclear Reform Monitoring Committee. Klein says, “I am pleased and to see continued progress in a variety of areas at the Fukushima Daiichi site, at the company’s other nuclear installations, and in the management of its nuclear program. At the same time, it is clear that many challenges remain. While I am encouraged that the ALPS system is back online and that the number of incidents involving leaks of contaminated water have declined, the adoption and execution of a comprehensive water management plan should remain a top priority.” Britain’s Lady Barbara Judge, deputy Chair of the Committee, expressed pleasure with Tepco’s Nuclear Safety Oversight Office for its efforts to instill a company-wide safety culture. http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/2014/1239909_5892.html The executive summary of the report can be found here… http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/betu14_e/images/140801e0101.pdf
  • The first evacuation-zone produce has been shipped to market. Forty kilograms of strawberries grown in an Iitate greenhouse is expected to be distributed by a Nagoya wholesaler. Tests run by Fukushima Prefecture have not detected any radioactive contamination. Farmer Hiroshi Sato, who runs Iitate Ichigo Land farm, says, “The fruit has a nice, sweet aroma. We can ship the produce with confidence.” Sato has been traveling from his apartment in Fukushima City to tend to the berries. “I was unsure if I should resume farming while all the residents are still evacuated,” Sato said, “But in the end, I thought that something had to be started. Although I do have concerns about negative publicity, I want to proceed with a positive attitude.” http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/life_and_death/AJ201408010041
  • Japan’s ruling political parties call for increased decontamination efforts. They want the government to do more to get people from no-entry zones back to their homes within 5 years. They demand speedy decontamination of areas around the plant and swift establishment of intermediate facilities to store radioactive soil and other contaminated material. The legislators also urge the government to quickly decommission reactors at the F. Daiichi and dispose of radioactive water at the site. In addition, to cope with possible future nuke accidents, they want joint rescue and recovery drills by personnel from the Self-Defense Forces, coast guard, police, and firefighters, by creating a new emergency situations agency. NHK World; Coalition parties form recovery proposals; 8/1/14
  • Tsunami projections for the Takahama nuke station must be upgraded. The NRA had approved the former calculations for a worst-case tsunami, but a recent screening found incorrect data in the Kansai Electric Company submittal concerning the impact of an undersea landslide. The company must now use the corrected data and recalculate.  Kansai Electric is erecting a 6.5 meter-high anti-tsunami wall to protect against the previously projected 5.7 meter tsunami. The recalculation could force Kansai Electric to increase the wall height and might cause upgrades to other countermeasures. NHK World; Tsunami projections for nuclear plant to be redone; 7/31/14