http://www.simplyinfo.org/?p=9818
Fukushima Year 2; Part 1
Our review of the second year’s events surrounding the 3-11 disaster is broken into three parts. The first part covers the specific technical issues at the plant. The subsequent parts will cover the political and social changes in the last year and the third part will look at humanitarian and health issues.
The second year at Fukushima Daiichi has been a year of investigations. The first year of trying to bring some control to the disaster has enabled limited inspection into the reactors with scopes and robots in the second year. Radiation levels remain high in many areas of the plant and parts of the reactor buildings are still too dangerous for human entry.
This has also been a year of exponential growth for storage at the plant. The location luckily includes a wide area of flat land that has been used to install huge fields of water holding tanks, radioactive debris storage lots and a new water treatment system.
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http://www.simplyinfo.org/?p=9877
Fukushima Year 2; Part 2 Politics & Protest
This is part two of our three part series on the second year of the 3-11 disaster. In part two we look at the political, regulatory and social changes the disaster has caused in Japan.
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http://fukushima-diary.com/2013/03/tepco-tepco-cant-maintain-the-stable-supply-of-fukushima-workers-needs-help-of-the-gov-and-industry/
Tepco “Tepco can’t maintain the stable supply of Fukushima workers, needs help of the gov and industry”
Posted by Mochizuki on March 9th, 2013 · No Comments
The shortage of Fukushima worker is one of the most important concerns for decommissioning the plant.
In the press conference of 3/8/2013, Tepco commented they cannot maintain the stable supply of Fukushima workers by themselves.
For the question of TV Asahi about how Tepco is going to obtain the stable supply of Fukushima workers and experts in the long term,
Tepco answered probably this is beyond the control of Tepco. They are going to have to ask the government and educational institution for growing decommissioning experts, and also the entire industry for further supply of nuclear workers.
Since Tepco had a decommissioning management meeting with METI (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) on 3/7/2013, Tepco has been changing their tone to emphasize decommissioning Fukushima plant is not solely the matter of Tepco, it’s the national matter.
http://fukushima-diary.com/2013/03/concealment-fukushima-prefecture-deleted-the-emergency-radiation-monitoring-data-of-when-reactor1-exploded/
[Concealment ?] Fukushima prefecture deleted the emergency radiation monitoring data of when reactor1 exploded
Posted by Mochizuki on March 9th, 2013 · 1 Comment
Fukushima prefecture deleted the emergency monitoring data at 5km from Fukushima plant.
The portable monitor recorded the radiation level from 5AM to afternoon of 3/12/2011, when reactor1 exploded.
Fukushima prefectural government comments because they couldn’t output the recorded data, they deleted it when they used the monitor in the different location in 9. 2011.
However, the maker states they can output the data by connecting to PC.
The portable monitor recorded the radiation level from 5AM to afternoon of 3/12/2011, when reactor1 exploded.
Fukushima prefectural government comments because they couldn’t output the recorded data, they deleted it when they used the monitor in the different location in 9. 2011.
However, the maker states they can output the data by connecting to PC.
It was installed in the shelter of Ohkuma junior high school, where 100 people evacuated, but because they deleted the data, it can’t be evaluated how much those people were exposed.
The disaster headquarters of Fukushima prefectural government comments the recorded and deleted radiation data didn’t show any difference from ordinary levels, and they were busy.
On the other hand, they monitored the increase of radiation level at 10km area from 5AM 3/12/2011.
and.....
http://rt.com/news/fukushima-nuclear-plant-disaster-013/
Fukushima nuclear plant flooded daily by 400 tons of groundwater
Published time: March 08, 2013 19:44
This photo taken on March 6, 2013 shows members of the media wearing protective suits and masks being escorted by Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) employees as they visit near the No.4 reactor (C) and the construction of a foundation (R) for storage of melted fuel rods at TEPCO's tsunami-crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in the town of Okuma, Fukushima prefecture, ahead of the second anniversary of the March 11, 2011 tsunami and earthquake. (AFP Photo/Issei Kato)
Groundwater flooding has become a major problem for Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco), with hundreds of tons of water seeping daily into the damaged reactor buildings. Experts predict overall clean-up works at the site could take up to 40 years.
Stopping the groundwater is crucial, says Tepco's general manager for research and development of Fukushima Daiichi decommissioning, Shunichi Suzuki, adding that "Every day we have approximately 400 metric tons of groundwater."
Tepco is now building a bypass system to try to stop the water, flowing from high ground into the buildings, mixing with the water already being poured onto the leaking reactors through a jerry-rigged cooling system.
"One approach we are considering is putting grout like cement. In other words, filling it in. That would block all the holes," Suzuki said as cited by Reuters, adding that removing the groundwater may take from two to four more years.
One of the most challenging tasks for the operator remains the disposal of water contaminated after it is poured onto the reactors. Radioactive material must be filtered out and stored.
Work to treat and store the contaminated water is behind schedule, partly because of the groundwater flooding in. On Thursday, the company announced another delay in an operation to remove radioactive material from the water.
The Japanese government has told the facility to revise by June its roadmap for cleaning up the site, which is expected to take well over a quarter of a century.
"What we need to do is isolate, remove and store the damaged and broken nuclear fuel safely. This work will take 30 to 40 years to complete," plant manager Takeshi Takahashi told the media.
Experts say it could cost at least $12 billion to close the reactors down.
Monday it will be two years since the worst atomic disaster since Chernobyl in 1986. On March 11, 2011, an earthquake and a subsequent tsunami knocked out cooling equipment at the company's Fukushima Daiichi plant north of Tokyo, leading to the meltdown of three reactor cores. More than 160,000 people were forced from their homes.
Another earthquake or tsunami could be fatal for the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, according to a nuclear engineer, as two years after the disaster it’s still vulnerable to natural disasters.
"What remained intact after the disaster is completely fragile and when the next one comes it's going to collapse," he told The Weekend Australian newspaper.
Local residents are still unaware if it’s safe to return to their homes in the disaster area of Fukushima prefecture. The displacement caused huge psychological distress, becoming one of the biggest health issues which emerged from the disaster, according to experts, while attention is also focused on the potential cancer risks years after the tragedy.
A health questionnaire sent to Fukushima residents by the Fukushima Medical University found that around 15 percent of the 67,500 respondents indicated high levels of stress - much higher than the 3 percent among the general population of the country.
Latest Headlines:
and......
http://fukushima-diary.com/2013/03/tepco-failed-in-installing-thermometers-into-reactor2-4-fiberscopes-all-stuck-in-the-pipe/
Tepco failed in installing thermometers into reactor2, “4 fiberscopes all stuck in the pipe”
Posted by Mochizuki on March 5th, 2013 · 1 Comment
In order to evaluate the feasibility of investigating inside of reactor2 and also to install new thermometer, Tepco attempted inserting fiberscopes to inspect the soundness of TIP guide pipe but they were all stuck in the pipes and failed.
Related article..Reactor2 temperature jumped up by 120℃ within 12 hours [URL]
and......
http://fukushima-diary.com/2013/03/is-it-already-discharged-tritium-and-sr-90-density-in-sea-water-doubled-in-the-latest-data/
[Is it already discharged ?] Tritium and Sr-90 density in sea water doubled in the latest data
Posted by Mochizuki on March 5th, 2013 · No Comments
According to Tepco, tritium and Sr-90 density in sea water picked up last December. The sampling location is about 30m point in north of reactor5 and 6 discharge channel.
Officially they haven’t discharged the retained contaminated water to the sea.
Tepco releases the report about tritium and Sr-90 density irregularly, and they don’t release the graph of historical readings.
The graph below is made by Fukushima Diary based on Tepco’s reports.
It shows the tritium and Sr-90 readings increased to be as double as the highest readings before.
Additionally, the sampling date was 12/10/2012. There is no explanation about why they took 3 months to release the data.
![[Is it already discharged ?] Tritium and Sr-90 density doubled in December 2012](http://fukushima-diary.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/%E3%82%B9%E3%82%AF%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B7%E3%83%A7%E3%83%83%E3%83%88%EF%BC%882013-03-05-12.53.44%EF%BC%89-450x125.png "[Is it already discharged ?] Tritium and Sr-90 density doubled in December 2012")
and......
http://fukushima-diary.com/2013/03/poor-attention-of-foreign-media-only-one-media-reuters-attended-the-first-press-conference-of-fukushima-plant-chief/
[Poor attention of foreign media] Only one media-Reuters-attended the first press conference of Fukushima plant chief
Posted by Mochizuki on March 4th, 2013 · 2 Comments
On 2/28/2013, the Fukushima plant chief Takahashi held a press conference in their Fukushima headquarters.
It was the first press conference of the chief since his inauguration.
Fukushima Diary published this post from this conference.
Tepco to discharge underground water via bypass to the sea this April [URL 1]
However, it was only one foreign media (Reuters) to have attended this conference, which shows the poor attention of international media to Fukushima accident.
56 people from 32 companies planned to attend it in total.
↓ 0:47:30~
[Column] Nothing in reality
Posted by Mochizuki on March 4th, 2013 · 4 Comments
I asked him why he doesn’t analyze food for tritium along with cesium-134/137.
Tritium is radioactive water. It’s really hard to remove and causes lymph related cancers etc..
Tritium is radioactive water. It’s really hard to remove and causes lymph related cancers etc..
He said he won’t do it because even if he measures tritium from food or tap water, he can’t do anything.
He measured a lot of food buying from supermarket, or collecting from school lunch and had influence over people. He was one of the amateur physicists whom you saw often from 2011 to mid 2012.
At that moment, I noticed he sounded scientific but he actually started from the really primitive emotion, -want to be reassured whatever the truth is.
Now Tepco is planning to discharge the retained water to the sea.
They state they will discharge only if they obtain the understanding of the local fishers but because the fishers are not always fully updated about the situation, they can be easily deceived.
The biggest lie is about this tritium.
Tepco tries to justify themselves to operate ALPS (Advanced Liquid Processing System), which is to remove 62 sorts of radioactive nuclides from the retained water. However, it can’t remove tritium.
They state they will discharge only if they obtain the understanding of the local fishers but because the fishers are not always fully updated about the situation, they can be easily deceived.
The biggest lie is about this tritium.
Tepco tries to justify themselves to operate ALPS (Advanced Liquid Processing System), which is to remove 62 sorts of radioactive nuclides from the retained water. However, it can’t remove tritium.
Even on the assumption that the retained water does never increase for the rest of time, and they can discharge it at the highest level every single day, it would take 56 years to discharge all tritium. Actually 400 tones of underground water flows into the plant, so even this estimate is extremely unrealistic in the bad way. [URL 1]
Tepco submit the propaganda material to fishery’s association, which is to downplay the risk of tritium before publishing the material to public. Probably they will manage to get the “understanding” of the fishery association. [URL 2]
Though it’s pretty likely a significant amount of tritium is being released to the environment, even more volume of tritium will be discharged to the sea. It will evaporate into the atmosphere and come back to the land as rain. This will be the cycle to repeat for over 100 years.
2 years have passed. If you have been reading Fukushima Diary since 2011, you may know I have been persistently reporting about tritium contamination. From its difficulty to remove, it was obvious that tritium was going be the most important source of contamination.
but again, my squeaky voice was overwhelmed by the primitive emotion -not even intuition- and couldn’t change anything in reality.
I don’t feel embarrassed even if everyone thinks I’m a little “ridiculous”. I only say what logically makes sense in me. However, it tortures me to see the evil have everything on its way.
Fukushima worker “Most of the workers know it takes over 40 years to decommission Fukushima plant”
Posted by Mochizuki on March 4th, 2013 · No Comments
Actual Fukushima worker Happy11311 tweeted most of the Fukushima workers are aware that it takes over 40 years to decommission the plant. Also, he warned in case of another earthquake that may affect reactor4, it would collapse reactor1 and 3, and the tide embankment would be completely powerless.
Some people point out the possibility this Happy11311 may be a spy, but if he was a spy, the actual situation would be even worse than what he tweets. It doesn’t decrease the importance of his comments.
<Translate>
・・・
According to the initial plan, we are supposed to start removing the molten fuel from the reactors in 10 years from now but in the current situation, I think it’s totally impossible. Most of the workers must be feeling like we can not finish decommissioning in 40 years. Why won’t they renew the plan ?
<End>
・・・
According to the initial plan, we are supposed to start removing the molten fuel from the reactors in 10 years from now but in the current situation, I think it’s totally impossible. Most of the workers must be feeling like we can not finish decommissioning in 40 years. Why won’t they renew the plan ?
<End>
Tepco takes over 56 years to discharge all tritium to the sea on the most optimistic assumption
Posted by Mochizuki on March 4th, 2013 · 3 Comments
Tepco is going to discharge contaminated water to the sea, however, they would takeover 56 years to discharge all tritium to the sea according to Tepco.
The tritium is contained in the contaminated water.
This is on the assumption that the retained water does never increase even by 1cc for the rest of time, and that they discharge tritium to the sea at the highest level everyday under the safety regulation.
The retained water contains 1 ~ 5 million Bq/L of tritium. (Tepco commented it is actually 5 million Bq/L.)
The volume of the whole retained water is 245,000,000 L.
The safety limit of tritium to discharge is 22,000,000,000,000 Bq/y.
Related article..Tepco started propaganda to downplay the risk of Tritium for discharging contaminated water to the sea [URL]
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