January 26, 2015

Jan 26, 2015 | Fukushima Accident Updates

  • Tepco has moved the target date for full wastewater decontamination to May. Company President Naomi Hirose apologized for not being able to keep the promise made to PM Shinzo Abe that the job would be done by the end of March. Takayuki Ueda of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy said not meeting the original target “deplorable”. Hirose responded, “We took the promise with the prime minister very seriously but we cannot fulfill our commitment. The problem of toxic water is the biggest source of concern for the local residents and we are extremely sorry to be unable to keep our word.” Two reasons for the delay given by Tepco are frequently having to clean filters and more system adjustments than anticipated during the test runs. Some Press outlets have taken a “we told you so” angle concerning the delayed timetable. Jiji Press says some observers report that the original target date looked too ambitious from the very start. Jiji goes on to make an implied allegation that Tepco caved to PM Abe’s pressure to speed up water decontamination to mitigate radiation fears during negotiations for having the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.   http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20150123_29.html — http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20150123p2g00m0dm078000c.html — http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2015012300999
  • In parallel, the Press has posted articles about wastewater cleanup going slowly. Even the usually-objective NHK World has joined into the chorus. NHK points out that 280,000 tons remain to be processed with a 350 ton per day rate of buildup. In order to meet the end-of-March deadline, Tepco would have to fully decontaminate about 4,000 tons per day, but the multi-layered decontamination system does not have sufficient capacity. Meanwhile, Tepco has posted a comprehensive handout on the status of the water treatment system. In January, the full treatment process decontaminated more than 1,250 tons per day. Now that all stages of the system are out of testing mode and fully operational, it is projected that nearly 2,000 tons will be stripped of all but biologically-innocuous Tritium each day. What the Press fails to mention is that nearly 200,000 tons have been fully processed and are needlessly languishing in large storage tanks. In addition, the Press neglects to report that area radiation exposures in the storage tank area are significantly mitigated due to decontamination. If all waters were untreated, it is estimated that the annual exposure rate would be 9 millisieverts per year, but the current level is less than 3.5 mSv/yr. http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/nuclear.html — http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushima-np/handouts/2015/images/handouts_150123_02-e.pdf  (Comment -Many Japanese Press outlets say that Tepco considers the liquids fully processed after Strontium removal. NHK world calls this a “less ambitious goal”. However, it seems the Press doesn’t understand that the Strontium removal system is the last step in full processing. It is at the end of the full process, after Cesium absorption and purification by the Advanced Liquid Processing System. The Press seems to believe Strontium removal alone constitutes “processed”. This is a gross error and demands retractions across the board.)
  • Another large sum of money is sent to Tepco for evacuee compensation. Tokyo’s Nuclear Damage Compensation and Decommissioning Facilitation Corporation has sent about $750 million to Tepco to cover evacuee pay-outs for February. This brings the total sent to Tepco to more than $45 billion. http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/2015/1247726_6844.html
  • The labor ministry told Tepco to upgrade safety measures to prevent any future fatalities. State Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Kanae Yamamoto transmitted a written demand to Tepco President Hirose on Friday. The ministry calls for Tepco to acquire self-awareness in contractor work at their two Fukushima nuke stations and properly train them in safety precautions. Yamamoto wants a progress report by February 16. The ministry plans to inspect F. Daiichi soon after to insure the upgrades have been made.  http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2015012300894  As a result of last week’s two subcontractor fatalities, Tepco temporarily suspended decommissioning labor activities at F. Daiichi in order to review what happened. On Friday, Tepco spokesman Shinichi Kawamura said, “The most important thing is to thoroughly conduct safety checks. We can’t tell when we will finish the checks for all work at this point.” Kawamura added that the review will pinpoint potentially unsafe work areas, improve safety habits, and ensure procedures are being followed properly. The review will not stop the operation of emergency cooling systems or the processing of wastewaters. http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/01/23/national/tepco-suspends-fukushima-no-1-cleanup-to-probe-fatal-accidents/#.VMJ6paMcQdU
  • Muon tomography equipment is being installed for Unit #1. The cutting-edge technology will produces images of high density substances. Melted (corium) and un-melted Uranium fuel is the densest material inside nuclear plants. The muons will pass through concrete, iron and other construction materials, but be deflected and/or absorbed in the uranium, creating a “shadow” image. Images generated by Muon tomography should show whether or not there is any fuel inside the Unit #1 reactor pressure vessel. Many experts believe most of the fuel has melted through the thick bottom head of the RPV, while others believe half remains inside. Muon tomography should resolve the issue. The one drawback is that any corium that has melted through and accumulated on the floor of the base mat cannot be imaged. (see the diagram in the below-listed link) Another limitation is that small accumulations of fuel measuring less than about a foot wide will not be detected with any degree of confidence. It is expected that results should be available by the end of March. http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201501240039  (Comment – Those who follow my Commentary blog know that I argue most, if not all of the corium remains inside the RPV.)
  • The restart of Sendai station’s nukes is further delayed. Plant owner Kyushu Electric says it is due to revision of a design submittal to the Nuclear Regulation Authority. In addition, another submittal for rules of operation and emergency responses must be approved before restart can occur. Kyushu says the documentation should be submitted by mid-February, but it pushes back the anticipated restarts to April. http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20150123_27.html
  • Chubu Electric Co. has applied to the NRA for permission to use dry cask storage for used nuclear fuel at Hamaoka nuke station. The bundles to be placed in the casks will have been in spent fuel pools for at least ten years. Dry cask storage is believed to be about 20% less costly than leaving the bundles in pools. Chubu Electric wants to build a dedicated storage facility to hold enough casks for 2,200 fuel bundles. If approved, the company will start building the facility immediately so it can begin to receive full casks in 2018. http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2015012600505
  • Japan’s 2014 trade deficit hit an all-time high. Largely due to importing liquid natural gas to offset the prolonged nuclear moratorium, the deficit was ~ $125 billion. This is the fourth consecutive shortfall, which began in 2011 following the quake/tsunami catastrophe. LNG imports rose for the third year in a row, increasing by 11.2% over 2013. Part of the deficit was due to a 17.4% increase in semiconductors for solar panels, and also because an 8.7% dip in the value of the yen. Japan’s export of commodities such as automobiles and scientific instruments grew for the second consecutive year, raising hopes that the deficit will rapidly diminish as nukes come on line and LNG imports drop.  http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0001884007