November 30, 2015

Nov 30, 2015 | Fukushima Accident Updates

  • Radioactive Cesium in fish near F. Daiichi dropped rapidly after the nuke accident. Jay Cullen of the research group Fukushima InFORM, summarized a detailed report co-authored by Japanese experts. The report examined the radiological content of numerous sea-species, as well as the benthic (ocean bottom) environment. Cullen lists five major points from the report: (1) the highest species’ contamination was found nearest F. Daiichi, (2) most species quickly dropped below the 100 Becquerels per kilogram (Bq/kg) standard, (3) fish contamination decreased in parallel with the radiological releases, (4) bottom-feeding species’ contamination dropped at a slower rate, indicating that contamination in benthic sediments remained constant, and (5) the benthic community populations are essentially unchanged relative to pre-accident levels. http://fukushimainform.ca/2015/11/26/impact-of-the-fukushima-nuclear-disaster-on-marine-animals-along-the-coast-of-japan/ — http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0265931X14002410 (Japanese report)
  • Tepco to remove the top of the unit #2 reactor building in 2018. The company had originally planned to remove only part of the top story’s roof and walls, but has instead decided to disassemble everything above the fuel handling deck. This will best simplify transfer of the 615 fuel bundles stored in the spent fuel pool (SFP). It will also ease removal of any debris they encounter. The current plan is to begin emptying the SFP of fuel in 2020. The plan for the dismantling of the upper story should be ready in 2017. As with unit #1 enclosure removal, synthetic resins will be sprayed throughout the upper floor to prevent any releases of radioactive dust into the surrounding environment. http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201511270048
  • 60% of evacuation zone medical facilities plan to reopen. Fukushima Prefecture asked 70 exclusion zone facilities if they plan to reopen in the next five years, and 35 responded: four (80%) hospitals, 19 medical clinics (47.5%) and 12 dental clinics (48%). Twenty of them replied in the affirmative; six saying they “will reopen” and 14 said they “hope to reopen in their local town or village if conditions are right”. The “will reopen” breakdown is one hospital, four medical clinics, and one dental clinic. Three hospitals, five medical clinics, and six dental clinics “hope to reopen”. http://www.fukushimaminponews.com/news.html?id=597
  • 45% of Fukushima exclusion zone businesses hope to reopen. 1,388 business facilities evacuated in 2011 were asked their plans by Fukushima Soso Reconstruction Corp.  627 responded in the affirmative. Though seldom mentioned by Japan’s popular Press, 270 establishments (19%) have already reopened! 161 (12%) have reopened in other locations, and 196 (14%) have suspended business but plan to resume when their communities have evacuation orders lifted. The survey covers less than 18% of the roughly 8,000 businesses forced to shut down by the Tokyo-mandated evacuation, but the prefecture is trying to survey all of them. http://www.fukushimaminponews.com/news.html?id=596
  • Iitate village is testing the first Fukushima rural radioactive waste incinerator. They hope to start full operation in mid-December. The plant will not only burn decontamination and dismantled house materials from Iitate, but also rice straw and pasture grass from five other communities, plus sewage sludge from Fukushima City, Minamisoma, and Kunimi. The Environment Ministry will operate the 240-tons-per-day facility for up to five years. The resulting ash below the 100,000 Bq/kg will be shipped to a landfill in Tomioka Town equipped with a seepage control system. Ash above the limit will be moved to a radioactive waste storage facility, yet to be determined. http://www.fukushimaminponews.com/news.html?id=598
  • NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) continues to threaten radioactive waste disposal options. A recent poll of Honshu Island Prefectures revealed that thirteen unconditionally refuse to be the site of a deep geological repository, eight responded “negatively”, 24 said they were not sure, and two said they will “carefully consider the possibility. Four of the prefectures that said they will never accept a repository host nuclear power stations. One is Fukui Prefecture, home to the most nuke units in Japan, which said, “We have accepted (nuclear) power generation, but do not have a duty to take nuclear waste.” Another making a flat refusal is Kochi Prefecture, which had applied for siting studies in 2007, but rescinded it due to strong local resident opposition. Included in the prefectures expressing negativity was Aomori; home to the used fuel reprocessing facility at Rokkasho and Higashidori nuclear station. The most-often stated reason for the strongly negative responses was concern about safety and reputational damage if the repository was sited in their prefecture. Next came the risk of earthquake and volcanic eruptions, followed by fears that siting studies could allow Tokyo to “force municipalities into accepting”. http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20151129p2g00m0dm002000c.html — http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2015/11/386372.html
  • Kansai Electric Co. wants to extend the operating license for Mihama unit #3. The much smaller units 1&2 at Mihama station will be decommissioned. Kepco president Makoto Yagi said, “We decided there was economic merit to extending the reactor’s operations after taking into account its output and expected revenue.” Cost estimates run in excess of $1 billion. The company submitted an application to the Nuclear Regulation Authority on Thursday. The NRA’s in-principle (legally enforceable, but only partly quantified) 40 year licensure limit can be extended for 20 years if the unit meets all regulatory requirements. Unit #3’s current 40-year license will expire one year from now, on November 30, 2016. Kepco says they found nothing to prohibit the licensing extension after completing the required the required inspections that began in May. The NRA doubts they will be able to complete their review of the submittal by their self-imposed deadline of next November unless earthquake resistance data is also submitted. Kepco says they will have it all in the NRA’s hands before the deadline. Kepco has previously submitted licensure extension applications for Takahama units 1&2. http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20151126_30.html — http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/11/27/national/kepco-files-bid-extend-life-aging-mihama-reactor/#.VlhdL5DosdX — http://www.jaif.or.jp/en/kansai-ep-applies-to-extend-mihama-3-operation-by-20-years/
  • The NRA concludes that faults running near Higashidori station might move in the future. The station is in Aomori Prefecture, at the northern tip of Honshu Island. None of these faults actually run under any of the buildings housing safety or safety-related emergency systems, thus restart of unit #1 will not be forbidden. A small crack in the geology under the cooling water intake channel is still being studied for possible future movement. It is believed that the NRA will ask station owner, Tohoku Electric Company, to re-assess the earthquake resistance of the buildings and systems for unit #1 before resuming operation. NRA pre-operational inspections are scheduled for early in 2017. http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/11/28/national/science-health/agency-confirms-active-faults-running-near-higashidori-nuclear-plant-aomori/#.VlmZCpDosdU
  • For those wishing to keep up with the latest, official findings concerning Fukushima’s child thyroid situation, here are the links for the Fukushima Medical University site – http://fmu-global.jp/ – and their often-updated slide show for public presentations – http://fmu-global.jp/?wpdmdl=710