http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapc...lear.spraying/
According to the above link, a compound called Kuricoat C-720G will be sprayed on and around the buildings at the Fukushima site. From what I'm able to gather nobody really knows if this will be the answer to reducing some of the radiation nor is there any answer to what they do with it whether it does or doesn't do the intended job.
And it hasn't been verified they will actually do it, although they may. People have been kicking around a number of ideas, including bringing in an oil tanker to pump water into (that was mentioned this morning). However, they do not appear to be doing that.
There are other people talking about building a Sarcophagus, like the one over Chernobyl, which has not been an outstanding success, because the concrete is filled with cracks and so forth.
Again, that doesn't mean they will do it.
The interesting thing is that they have decided Areva will know best how to help them with contamination, rather than, say, either the people who worked on Chernobyl, or the people who cleaned up Three Mile Island, or some other people whose expertise in cleaning up a site suggests themselves as good people to consult.
TEPCO Status for all plants, 10:00 PM March 30th
Some news from Daina-We forget sometimes that there were 4 reactors that were in trouble there a week ago.Unit 1
- At approximately 5:00 pm, March 24th, draining water from underground floor of turbine buildings into a condenser was started and it was paused at approximately 7:30 am, March 29th because we confirmed that the water level reached almost full capacity of a condenser. Water transfer from condensate reservoirs to suppression pool ater surge-tanks is under review to enable water transfer from a condenser to condensate reservoirs.
Unit 2
At 9:25 am, March 30th, transfer from a temporary motor driven pump to the fire fighting pump was made due to pump trouble. At 1:10 pm, March 30th, freshwater injection was paused due to hose trouble. At 7:05 pm, March 30th, freshwater injection was resumed. - At approximately 4:46 pm, March 26th, lights in the main control room were restored.
- At approximately 4:45 pm, March 29th, water transfer from condensate reservoirs to suppression pool water surge-tanks was initiated to enable water transfer from a condenser to condensate reservoirs in order to drain water from underground floor of turbine buildings into a condenser.
Unit 3
At approximately 5:40 pm, March 28th, water transfer from condensate reservoirs to suppression pool water surge-tanks was initiated to enable water transfer from a condenser to condensate reservoirs in order to drain water from underground floor of turbine buildings into a condenser.
Unit 4 Spent Fuel Pool
- From 2:04 pm on March 30th, water spray by the concrete pumping vehicle was started and finished at 6:33 pm on March 30th.
Radioactive Contamination in Water in Various places
On March 21st, 23rd to 29th, we detected technetium, cobalt, iodine, cesium, tellurium, barium, lanthanum and molybdenum from the seawater around discharge canal of Unit 1, 2, 3 and 4.
* On March 20th, 21st, 23rd to 29th, we detected iodine, cesium, tellurium and ruthenium in the air collected at the site of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.
On March 29th, we detected niobium, tellurium, ruthenium, silver,
tellurium, iodine, cesium, and ruthenium in the water collected at the
trench of unit 1.
* On March 28th, a puddle of water was found at a centralized environmental facility process main building. As a result of a radioactivity analysis, on March 29th, we detected approximately 1.2 x 10 Bq/cm3 in a full dose at a radiation controlled area and 2.2 x 10 Bq/cm3 in a full dose at a non-controlled area.
At 2:30 pm on March 30th, the residual heat removal system(B) that is cooling the reactor of Unit 1 was also enabled to be energized by an emergency power source in addition to an offsite power. This means that all the units secure backup power sources (emergency power sources) for the residual heat removal systems(B).
Interesting London Daily mail article from Mar 16th with maps.......
http://tinyurl.com/6lfv9m4
Dutch Harbor/Unalaska, AK is finally reporting that we have Japanese Radiation on our shores... if and when I start glowing green I will post pictures
Hi guys:
Here's the very interesting cite, where designers of actual reactor pressure vessel explains what is really happening at Fukushima Daiichi.
I posted the old one, lecture on 26th, because it has English translation.
But it is very useful to learn about nuclear power plant.
For example, Japanese gov said something like," There maybe a breach on containment vessel." But never explains the significance of it or how dangerous it is.
If you have patience to watch this video, you will know exactly what is happening and how precarious it is.
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/13572861
Let me know what you think.
genki, The link is in Japanese. I wish I understood it.
There's no question that a hole of any size in a containment vessel is a very bad situation. The good thing is that the reactor(s) suspected of having such a hole (biggest suspicions are of Unit 2's containment, because it looks like it had a hydrogen explosion inside the reactor, and my guess is in the suppression pool) Unit 2 is currently at a relatively low temperature and pressure, so you don't have as huge a differential pushing contaminants into the atmosphere, nor are you in a condition that would lead to more hydrogen explosions, again because the temperature is down.
The air monitoring data, at Daini, Daiichi & around the country by the IAEA and the NISA/Japanese government seem to confirm that.
However, they are in a catch 22 with having to continue to pump water into the reactor to keep it cool, and having it leak out as highly contaminated water. However, this situation does not last forever. How long will depend on a lot of variables.
Fortunately, the Pacific is a big ocean.
Toni, As you can see, what is being seen at Dutch Harbor is Iodine 131, Cesium 137, and an infinitesimal amount of Tellurium 129, so it's definitely from Fukushima (its the right mix of isotopes, and matches what found in Daiichi). And it's right where you would predict it to be found-directly downwind from Japan.
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/0...registers.html
And in a strange twist, this story. Local Japanese are using the TEPCO plant at Onagawa, as a shelter.
http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world...se-890741.html
ONAGAWA, Japan — As a massive tsunami ravaged this Japanese fishing town, hundreds of residents fled for the safest place they knew: the local nuclear power plant.
In this photo taken Friday, March 25, 2011, survivors walk outside the Onagawa Nuclear Power Station in Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture, northeastern Japan. As March 11 massive tsunami ravaged this Japanese fishing town, hundreds of residents fled for the safest place they knew: the local nuclear power plant. More than two weeks later, 240 remain, watching TV or playing ball games with their children next to three atomic reactors. It's a startling contrast to the troubled nuclear plant 75 miles (120 kilometers) southeast, where radiation leaks have forced an evacuation of nearby towns, terrifying the nation. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)
...
"I'm very happy here, everyone is grateful to the power company," said Mitsuko Saito, 63, whose house was leveled in the tsunami. "It's very clean inside. We have electricity and nice toilets."
Those sheltering at the plant live in relative luxury compared to many other survivors. Most of Onagawa is still covered in a thick layer of dust. There is no running water or cellphone service, and only a few neighborhoods have electricity. Nearly 1,100 of the 10,000 residents are dead or missing, and 5,500 more have moved into schools and civic centers.
Within the nuclear plant, facilities are pristine, electricity flows directly from Japan's national grid, and evacuees can use its dedicated phone network to make calls.
Last edited by dorispulaski; 03-31-2011 at 03:59 AM.
TEPCO reports March 31st 10 AM
Wind is in the north
Gamma Radiation
Daina Measuring Point 4 March 31st 9 AM - 5.4 microSieverts per hour (down)
Daiichi West Gate March 31st 9 AM - 98 microSieverts per hour (down)
Radiation Dose Rate
Daiichi Main Building March 31st 9AM - 0.97 milliSieverts per hour (down)
Daiichi West Gate March 31st 9 AM - 149 microSieverts per hour (down)
Daiichi Main Gate March 31st 9 AM- 149 microSieverts per hour (down)
Analysis of Radionuclides in the air
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp...s/110331e4.pdf
iodine 131,
cesium 134, 136, 137
tellurium 129, 129m, 132
technetium 99m
local spike yesterday, but overall the trend seems flat.
Daiichi
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp...s/110331e3.pdf
Daina
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp...s/110331e4.pdf
Unit 1
Unit 2Pumping Contaminated Water from the basement (no progress since March 29th; condenser is now full of contaminated water- At approximately 5:00 pm, March 24th, draining water from underground floor of turbine buildings into a condenser was started and it was paused at approximately 7:30 am, March 29th because we confirmed that the water level reached almost full capacity of a condenser. Water transfer from condensate reservoirs to suppression pool water surge-tanks is under review to enable water transfer from a condenser to condensate reservoirs.
Spent Fuel Pool
Pumping contaminated water from the basement (no progress reported)At 9:25 am, March 30th, we started fresh water injection by a temporary motor driven pump, but we switched the pump to the fire fighting pump due to the pump trouble. At 1:10 pm, March 30th, freshwater injection was suspended, because we found the crack on a part of the hose. At 7:05 pm, March 30th, freshwater injection was resumed and finished at 11:50 pm, March 31.
Unit 3- At approximately 4:45 pm, March 29th, the water in condensate reservoirs was being transferred to suppression pool water surge-tanks to prepare for water transfer from a condenser to condensate reservoirs in order to drain water on the underground floor of the turbine building into a condenser.
Pumping contaminated water from the basement (no progress reported)
Unit 4 Spent Fuel Pool- At approximately 5:40 pm, March 28th, the water in condensate reservoirs was being transferred to suppression pool water surge-tanks to prepare for water transfer from a condenser to condensate reservoirs in order to drain water on the underground floor of the turbine building into a condenser.
- From 2:04 pm on March 30th, water spray by the concrete pumping vehicle was started and finished at 6:33 pm on March 30th.
President Sarkozy of France and Premier Kan of Japan will have a joint news conference today to explain:
http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2...ogle_news_blog
I am very interested to hear reports of this.Offering support from France and as current chair of the G-8 and G-20 groups of nations, President Sarkozy and the Japanese Prime Minister will discuss exactly how French nuclear engineering company Areva can assist troubled utility Tepco in removing contaminated radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power facility, badly damaged in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami that robbed it of vital cooling facilities.
Also NISA reports
And a report I missed. These will be very helpful with the cleanup of the mess that will be the spent fuel pools:㋪In order to strengthen the system to assist the nuclear accident suffers, the "Team to Assist the Lives of the Nuclear Accident Sufferer" headed by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry was established
http://www.aolnews.com/2011/03/29/us...nuclear-plant/
A top Energy Department official told a Senate panel Tuesday that a shipment of "radiation hardened robotics" will be sent to Japan to assist in the crisis. A department spokeswoman said a robotic device from the Energy Department's Idaho National Laboratory is being shipped to Japan along with several radiation-hardened cameras.
Peter Lyons, an acting assistant energy secretary, said Japanese officials were "very, very interested" in learning more about the capabilities of U.S robots. The United States is also sending robot operators who would be used to train Japanese operators, Lyons said.
Last edited by dorispulaski; 03-31-2011 at 04:37 AM.
All air measurements in the area of Daiichi and Daini are significantly lower than yesterday.
Progress is being made slowly to drain the contaminated water out of the basements and pipe trenches of units 1, 2, and 3.
Wind is in the northwest
Gamma Rays
Daini
3:00 PM March 31st Measure point 4 5.0 microSieverts per hour
Daiichi
3:00 PM March 31st West Gate 96 microSieverts per hour
Radiation Dose
Daiichi
3:00 PM March 31st Main Building 0.93 milliSieverts per hour
3:00 PM March 31st Main Gate 150 microSieverts per hour
3:00 PM March 31st West Gate 70 microSieverts per hour
March 31st, 4PM
Unit 1
At approximately 5:00 pm, March 24th, draining water from underground floor of turbine buildings into a condenser was started and it was paused at approximately 7:30 am, March 29th because we confirmed that the water level reached almost full capacity of a condenser. In order to move the water in the condenser into condensate reservoirs, water transfer from the condensate reservoirs to suppression pool's water surge-tanks has been conducted since around 0:00 pm today, March 31st.-Since 1:03 pm today, March 31st, the injection of water by the concrete pumping vehicle has been conducted.
Since around 9:20 am today, March 31st, the water transfer from the vertical shaft of Unit 1 to the reservoir of the centralized environmental facility had been conducted. We finished the task around 11:25 am of the same day.
Unit 3
At approximately 5:40 pm, March 28th, the water in condensate reservoirs was being transferred to suppression pool water surge-tanks to prepare for water transfer from a condenser to condensate reservoirs in order to drain water on the underground floor of the turbine building into a condenser. We finished the transfer work at approximately 8:40 am today, March 31st.
Oh, brave new world...Japan, the country of robotics, expressing interest in American robots. Maybe Yankee ingenuity isn't on its last legs yet.
They are going to spray some chemical to keep the dust down, as Blue Bead suggested, and they are talking about putting a sarcophagus over the ruined reactors.
The evacuation zone is not being enlarged. This makes sense to me. The IAEA found higher radiation measurements in just one village, to the north of Daiichi outside the zone.
The rising contamination at the end of the discharge canal is concerning to everyone.
No. 38
Today’s NHK news regarding status of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station as of 21:00 on March 31
They are making slow progress on the water removal.
●Work continues to remove contaminated water Tokyo Electric Power Company is continuing its efforts to remove radioactive water pooled in the basement of the turbine buildings at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. The presence of water contaminated by high-level radiation at the Number 1 through Number 3 reactors is hampering work to restore the reactors' cooling systems. It is not easy trying to extract the water because some of the tanks into which it is to be fed are themselves full. By Thursday morning, work was over to empty a tank into which contaminated water from the turbine building of the No. 3 reactor will be stored temporarily. On the same day, a similar operation to empty a tank started at the No.1 reactor. Work is also continuing to remove contaminated water found in tunnels just outside the No. 1 reactor building. On Thursday, work began to transfer the water from the tunnel to a storage tank to prevent it from flowing out to sea. Tepco says that by the day's end, the water level in the tunnel has lowered by about one meter. Tepco will install monitoring cameras to keep track of the water levels in the tunnels to prevent any overflow. Also on Thursday, unfavorable weather conditions forced Tepco to postpone a plan to spray a synthetic chemical on the radioactive debris scattered on the grounds of the plant as a result of a series of explosions at the plant in mid-March. Tepco is hoping that the adhesive chemical will prevent the radioactive dust from being carried away by winds.
Thursday, March 31, 2011 19:43 +0900 (JST)
●Nuclear watchdog defends its decision
Japan's nuclear safety watchdog says it sees no reason to change the zone for which the government advised residents to stay indoors or evacuate voluntarily. The Nuclear Safety Commission made the remark to reporters on Thursday, following reports by the IAEA that radiation levels twice as high as its criterion for evacuation were detected in soil at a village outside the zone. Commission member Seiji Shiroya said evacuation criteria in Japan are decided according to how much radiation people would be exposed to, not radiation levels in the ground. He said the IAEA's findings should be used as references, but that the commission's decision on the zone is correct. Shiroya said the commission studies various factors, including radiation levels in the air and amounts of airborne radioactive substances taken into the body through breathing and eating. He said the IAEA probably measured radiation on a grass surface with available equipment, but that he believes the commission's figures are more accurate when considering the effect on the human body.
Thursday, March 31, 2011 19:37 +0900 (JST)
●IAEA reports high radiation outside exclusion zone
The International Atomic Energy Agency says radiation levels twice as high as its criterion for evacuation were detected in a village 40 kilometers from the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. This is outside the 20 kilometer exclusion zone and the 20-to-30 kilometer alert zone where the Japanese government advises voluntary evacuation. The nuclear watchdog reported the findings at a meeting of its members in Vienna on Wednesday. The IAEA said its experts measured levels of Iodine 131 and Cesium 137 in soil around the plant between March 18th and 26th. It said measurements in Iitate Village, 40 kilometers northwest of the Fukushima plant, was double the IAEA operational criteria for evacuation and that it has advised Japan to carefully assess the situation. In Tokyo on Thursday, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano told reporters that the government has been notified by the IAEA of its radiation findings. Edano said the reported radiation levels in Iitate will not have an immediate impact on human health but could be harmful if exposed over a long period of time. He said the government will closely assess the long-term impact and take appropriate action.
Thursday, March 31, 2011 13:29 +0900 (JST)
●Plant workers rushing to remove contaminated water
The Tokyo Electric Power Company, or Tepco, is stepping up efforts to remove radioactive water pooled around reactors at the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. The water has been hampering work to cool the reactors. Water contaminated by high-level radiation has been found inside turbine buildings at the No.1 through No.4 reactors, as well as in tunnels outside the buildings. On Thursday, workers began transferring about 150 tons of contaminated water from the No.1 reactor tunnel to a storage tank to prevent it from flowing out to sea. They have so far lowered the water level in the tunnel by about one meter. They're also expected to finish emptying tanks into which water from turbine condensers would be transferred, so the condensers could then take contaminated water from the turbine buildings at the No.1 through No.3 reactors. The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says work to remove contaminated water from the No.3 reactor turbine building basement finished on Thursday morning. Tepco continues to transfer radioactive water from the turbine building at the
No.2 reactor.
Thursday, March 31, 2011 12:57 +0900 (JST)
●Radiation in seawater at new high
Radiation 4,385 times higher than the legal standard has been detected in seawater at a location 330 meters south of the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Tokyo Electric Power Company says 180 becquerels per cubic centimeter of radioactive iodine-131 have been detected in seawater sampled on Wednesday afternoon. The figure is far above the 3,355-times level detected on Tuesday. Wednesday's sampling also revealed cesium-137, which has a half-life of 30 years, at a level 527 times higher than the legal standard. Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says no fishing is being carried out in waters within 20 kilometers of the plant, and the radiation is likely to be diluted significantly by the time humans take it in through seafood. The agency says it will monitor radiation levels in seawater at points 15 kilometers from the plant, in addition to surveys being carried out by the science ministry at 30-kilometer points.
Thursday, March 31, 2011 12:55 +0900 (JST)
●Areva to help TEPCO remove contaminated water
The head of the Japanese subsidiary of the world's largest nuclear energy firm says he is ready to help remove contaminated water from the crippled Fukushima plant. The news comes after radioactive iodine-131, about 3,355 times regulated standards, was found in the sea near the Daiichi power plant on Tuesday - the highest recorded level so far. The President of AREVA Japan, Remy Autebert said his firm is ready to provide Tokyo Electric Power Company with all the knowledge it has accumulated in dealing with contaminated water. At an NHK interview on Wednesday, Autebert said that 5 experts of the France-based firm had been sent to Japan and will provide technical assistance. AREVA says it has previously dealt with removing contaminated water from decommissioned power plants.
Thursday, March 31, 2011 08:01 +0900 (JST)
●Test to contain radioactive dust
Teams working on the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant are going to use a synthetic resin to try and prevent radioactive dust from becoming airborne or being washed into the sea. The hydrogen explosions earlier this month at the Number One and Three reactors spread contaminated dust and debris over a wide area. The Tokyo Electric Power Company will begin sprinkling synthetic resin in certain places from Thursday. The resin is water-soluble and it is hoped that it will contain the contaminated dust. TEPCO will use 9000 liters of synthetic resin to produce a 60000 liter solution. It will be sprinkled around the Number four and six reactors using water trucks. TEPCO will study whether the sprinkling prevents the dispersal of radioactive material. If successful, it will expand the scope of the sprinkling.
Thursday, March 31, 2011 07:57 +0900 (JST)
●Troubles at Fukushima plant persist
Workers are still struggling to resolve the problems at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant where the disposal of radioactive water is hindering cooling efforts. The chairman of Tokyo Electric Power Company, Tsunehisa Katsumata told reporters on Wednesday that it is uncertain when cooling functions can be restored to stabilize the situation at the plant. He also said he doesn't think residents who have had to evacuate their homes near the plant will be able to return for several weeks. Radioactive iodine and cesium have been found in water coming from a tunnel outside the turbine building of the No.1 reactor and in the basement of the turbine buildings of reactors No.1 to 4. Work to pump the contaminated water into the turbine condenser came to a halt at the No. 1 reactor after the condenser became full. Meanwhile, work to pump water out of the basements of the No. 2 and 3 reactors has yet to begin. Some 600 tons of water inside the tunnel at the No. 1 reactor is to be moved to a tank near the No. 4 reactor, but no plan has yet been made to pump the radioactive water from the basements of the No. 2 and 3 reactors. Radioactive iodine measuring 3,355 times above the safety standard was found in seawater near the power plant on Tuesday. The power company plans to monitor radiation levels in the ocean by collecting additional seawater samples 15 kilometers offshore. On Wednesday, it measured radiation levels in the air in 23 locations within a 20 kilometer radius of the plant. Though external power has been restored to the central control room of the No. 1 reactor, more checks must be made of key equipment and instruments before the electricity is turned on.
Thursday, March 31, 2011 07:56 +0900 (JST)
●Smoke from Fukushima Daini nuclear plant Tokyo Electric Power Company says smoke was seen coming out of electrical equipment in the turbine building at the No.1 reactor of the Fukushima Daini nuclear plant. The Daini plant is located about 10 kilometers south of the crippled Daiichi plant. The company says an alarm was activated at around 5:50 PM on Wednesday to show an abnormality in the electrical equipment on the 1st floor of the turbine building. Company workers confirmed smoke was being emitted from equipment which supplies power to a motor pump that collects outdoor water. The company says the workers turned off the motor and that the smoke stopped at around 6:13 PM. The company is investigating cause of the smoke, and suspects trouble with the electric equipment. It says all 4 reactors at the plant are safely shut down with their temperatures below 100 degrees Celsius.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011 21:02 +0900 (JST)
●TEPCO chief shows no road map to end nuclear accident
The chief of the Tokyo Electric Power Company says he cannot now present a road map for resolving the serious accident at the firm's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, as many factors remain unclear. TEPCO Chairman Tsunehisa Katsumata made the remark at a news conference on Wednesday. He said a large volume of underground water with a high concentration of radioactive substances beneath the facility is hampering his firm's all-out efforts to cool reactors of the plant. He stressed the need to quickly restore the plant's cooling system. Katsumata added that salt residue from seawater used to cool the reactors should be removed from the plant to prevent corrosion. He said TEPCO faces the challenge of preventing radioactive substances from leaking out of buildings and nuclear reactor vessels. He referred to containment of radiation by covering reactors with concrete walls that would serve as a shield, as was done for the Chernobyl power plant in Ukraine. Katsumata also said the firm is jointly examining all available technologies with officials and experts of the Japanese, US and French governments.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011 20:32 +0900 (JST)
IAEA Briefing on Fukushima Nuclear Accident (31 March 2011, 14:00 UTC)
Presentations:
→ Summary of Reactor Status, 31 March 2011, 14.00 UTC
The cleanup and remediation of the site is now the most pressing priority.
1.Current Situation
Overall at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, the situation remains very serious.
The Unit 1 condenser is full. Pumping water from the Unit-1 turbine building basement to the Unit-1 condenser has been stopped as of 22:30 UTC on 28 March. For Units 2 and 3, in order to prepare for removal of the water from the turbine building basement, pumping of water from the condenser to the suppression pool water surge tank started at 07:45 UTC 29 March and 08:40 UTC March 28 respectively.
For Unit 1 fresh water has been continuously injected into the Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) through the feed-water line at an indicated flow rate of 8 m3/h using a temporary electric pump with diesel backup. In Unit 2 fresh water is injected continuously through the fire extinguisher line at an indicated rate of 8 m3/h using a temporary electric pump with diesel backup. In Unit 3 fresh water is being injected continuously at about 7 m3/h into the reactor core through the fire extinguisher line using a temporary electric pump with diesel backup.
The indicated temperature at the feed water nozzle of the RPV on Unit 1 has decreased from 281 °C to 251 °C and at the bottom of RPV decreased from 134 °C to 128 °C. There appears to be a corresponding decrease in RPV pressure with a slight decrease in Drywell pressure. The indicated temperature at the feed water nozzle of the RPV of Unit 2 has increased from 177 °C to 181 °C. The temperature at the bottom of RPV was not reported. Indicated Drywell pressure remains at atmospheric pressure. The indicated temperature at the feed water nozzle of the RPV in Unit 3 is about 89 °C and at the bottom of RPV is about 114 °C. The validity of the RPV temperature measurement at the feed water nozzle is still under investigation.
No further information is available regarding the plan to commence the pumping of water into the Unit 1 Spent Fuel Pool by concrete pumping truck from 29 March. On Unit 2 the temporary electric pump supplying water to the spent fuel pool experienced a malfunction. Spent fuel pool water supply was changed to a fire truck pump but a crack was discovered in a hose on 30 March 04:10 UTC. Pumping water to the spent fuel pool was therefore stopped. Pumping was subsequently restored and water was fed into spent fuel pool in Unit 2 from 10:05 UTC on March 30. Water injection into the spent fuel pool in Unit 4 by concrete pump was completed at 09:33 UTC on March 30.
Units 5 and 6 remain in cold shutdown
2. Radiation Monitoring
On 30 March, deposition of iodine-131 was detected in 8 prefectures, and deposition of cesium-137 in 12 prefectures. On 30 March in the prefectures where deposition of iodine-131 was reported, the range was from 2.5 to 240 becquerel per square metre. For caesium-137, the range was from 3 to 57 becquerel per square metre. In the Shinjyuku district of Tokyo, the daily deposition of both iodine-131 and cesium-137 on 30 March was below 30 becquerel per square metre. No significant changes were reported in the 45 prefectures in gamma dose rates compared to yesterday.
Most of the previously imposed recommendations for restrictions on drinking have been lifted. As of 28 March, recommendations for restrictions based on I-131 concentration remain in place in four villages of in the Fukushima prefecture, in three of these villages, restrictions continue to apply for infants only.
Two IAEA teams are currently monitoring radiation levels and radioactivity in the environment in Japan. On 30 March, one team made gamma dose-rate measurements in the Tokyo region at 7 locations. Gamma-dose rates measured ranged from 0.03 to 0.28 microsievert per hour, which is within or slightly above the background. The second team made additional measurements at 7 locations in the Hirono area, South of Fukushima-Daiichi NPP. The measurement locations were at distances of 23 to 39 km from the Fukushima nuclear power plant. The dose rates ranged from 0.5 to 4.9 microsievert per hour. At the same locations, results of beta-gamma contamination measurements ranged from 0.04 to 0.34 Megabecquerel per square metre.
Since our briefing of yesterday, significant data related to food contamination has been submitted by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Seventy-six samples were taken from 28-30 March, and reported on 30 March. Analytical results for 51 of the 76 samples for various vegetables, fruit (strawberry), seafood (sardines), and unprocessed raw milk in eight prefectures (Chiba, Fukushima, Gunma, Ibaraki, Kanagawa, Niigata, Saitama, and Yamagata), indicated that iodine-131, caesium-134 and caesium-137 were either not detected or were below the regulation values set by the Japanese authorities. However, it was reported that analytical results in Fukushima prefecture for the remaining 25 of the 76 samples for broccoli, cabbage, rapeseed, spinach and other leafy vegetables, indicated that iodine-131 and/or caesium-134 and caesium-137 exceeded the regulation values set by the Japanese authorities.
The Joint FAO/IAEA Food Safety Assessment Team met with local government officials in Gunma prefecture on Wednesday. Farmers and producers were also represented and the meeting attracted media coverage. The questions to the IAEA/FAO team mainly focused on technical issues of remediation strategies, including the implications of long term releases if the NPP is not stabilized, the disposal of contaminated produce, mechanisms of 131I and 137Cs contamination, other possible radionuclides that may be produced/should be monitored, contamination of fruit and mushrooms, occupational exposure risks in the handling animals and agricultural products, feeding strategies for animals in affected areas, monitoring of soil and fallout and remediation strategies and methodologies. There were also discussions with producers and farmer organizations over the development of strategies for the next cropping season.
Local government officials briefed the FAO/IAEA Team on current knowledge of the extent of contamination in Gunma prefecture, including the principal agricultural products affected and levels of contamination found.
The Joint FAO/IAEA Team presented their report and responded to inquires at a follow-up inter-ministerial meeting in Tokyo. The meeting was attended by representatives of the Japanese Cabinet Office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and the Ministry of Agriculture. Strong interest was expressed as to the remediation of the agricultural land, continued possible contamination of agricultural products, and the need to maintain communication with relevant ministries in the future.
New results from the marine monitoring stations 30 km off-shore were reported for 28 March. These results indicate a decrease for the northernmost sampling station for I-131 and a slight increase for Cs-137 as compared to values measured on 27 March. For sampling points situated towards the south of the transect an increase has been recorded, both for I-131 and for Cs-137 as compared to the previous day, with maximum concentrations in water below 30 Bq/l and 20 Bq/l respectively, still considerably lower than the maxima recorded on 23 March. This increase can be correlated with trends in concentrations measured close to the discharge points.
The latest analyses in seawater 330 m south of the discharge point of NPP Units 1-4, and 30 m north of the discharge point of Units 5-6 were made available for 29 March. In particular readings of 130 000 Bq/l of I-131, 32 000 Bq/l of Cs-137 and 31 000 Bq/l of Cs-134 were reported near Units 1 - 4.
The Russian Federation, Singapore, Ireland and Switzerland reported the detection of very small amounts of iodine-131 and cesium-137 in air. Highest levels found are in the order of a few millibecquerel per cubic meter. The levels are not of any radiological concern.
NEI has their daily update.
They don't mention it, but I assume that Areva is going to remove the contaminated water from the storage tanks, after they become full. This article offers a clue as to why Areva was chosen.
http://www.areva.com/EN/news-7150/ar...g-project.html
Areva has the contract for decommissioning German nuclear plants.
:The choice of AREVA NP was based on its innovative solution that offers a much shorter overall project completion time. It is also further recognition of the company's highly specialized skills in all areas of nuclear reactor technology.
Based on the technical competencies it has proven in numerous projects, the method implemented by AREVA NP will reduce the volume of the secondary waste to a minimum, as well as optimize radiation protection for the workers in situ. The components to be size-reduced comprise around 55 tons of radioactive materials. The reactor vessel internals will be downsized to fit into 200-liter waste drums, then dried and packaged in the waste conditioning system at Würgassen.
The various activities - to be executed in two phases - will start soon and are scheduled for completion in October 2008. In the first phase, certain components will be removed from the reactor vessel and sectioned underwater in the flooded reactor cavity. In the second phase, the remaining internals will be sectioned while still inside the reactor vessel after the reactor cavity water level has been lowered to height of the vessel flange.
JAIF reportsUPDATE AS OF 11:30 A.M. EDT, THURSDAY, MARCH 31:
A minuscule amount of radioactive iodine was detected in milk in Spokane, Wash., the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported.
The agency said the level detected-0.8 picocuries per liter-is more than 5,000 times lower than the level that would prompt any action by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to pull milk from grocery stores. "These types of findings are to be expected in the coming days and are far below levels of public health concern, including for infants and children," the EPA said.
The EPA has increased its nationwide monitoring of milk, rain water and drinking water (see the agency's website for information on radiation air monitoring).
Fukushima Daiichi
Tokyo Electric Power Co. is increasing its efforts to remove radioactive water that has pooled inside concrete vaults that house pipes near the reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Maintaining cooling water flow to the reactors and used nuclear fuel storage pools and containing and removing the contaminated water continue to be priorities for workers at the site.
Contaminated water was found in the basements of the turbine buildings at reactors 1-4 and in the concrete vaults outside the buildings. Workers finished pumping water from the reactor 3 turbine building and are removing water from the reactor 1 tunnel into a storage tank. Today, TEPCO has been pumping contaminated water from the reactor 2 turbine building into a storage tank.
Freshwater injection continues to cool reactors 1, 2, and 3. The company also is spraying cooling water into the used nuclear fuel storage pools at reactors 1-4. (For information on how spent fuel pools work, see NEI's video.)
Fukushima Daini
All reactors at the Fukushima Daini site remain in safe condition. Smoke seen at reactor 1 at the Daini site on Wednesday resulted from a short circuit in a sump pump at the reactor. The smoke stopped after workers at the facility opened the power supply to the breaker for the pump. The cause of the short circuit is being investigated.
31st High level of radioactive Iodine, I-131, which is 4,385 times higher than criterion, was detected in the seawater sampled in the vicinity of the south discharge outlet of Fukushima Dai-ichi NPS at 13:55, Mar. 30th.
31st Water level in the trench, tunnel for laying piping, decreased by one meter at Unit 1 after transferring the water using a temporary pump.
Last edited by dorispulaski; 03-31-2011 at 12:26 PM.
meh I honestly am not paying attention to the whole thing. I only know about it because the Alaskan media is FREAKING OUT right now about it... mass hysteria, and I doubt anyone in AK even caresToni, As you can see, what is being seen at Dutch Harbor is Iodine 131, Cesium 137, and an infinitesimal amount of Tellurium 129, so it's definitely from Fukushima (its the right mix of isotopes, and matches what found in Daiichi). And it's right where you would predict it to be found-directly downwind from Japan
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