Japanese Earthquake, Tsunami, and Nuclear Reactors

[dorispulaski]

Olympia, I got the impression from the article that the incinerator was various municipal waste, but I could be wrong--it might be medical waste.

http://www.epa.gov/ne/eco/combustion/index.html

What escapes from the incinerator would depend first on what is being burned, and second what level of scrubbers and filters are installed on it. This can vary widely.

Here's what the EPA says can be emitted by such facilities:
http://www.epa.gov/ne/eco/combustion...tsemitted.html

EPA requires municipal waste combusters to control the following emissions:
http://www.epa.gov/ne/eco/combustion/regulations.html

In 1995 and 2000, respectively, EPA issued final guidelines and standards for large and small municipal waste combustors. The guidelines are to be used by states to develop State Plans to reduce air pollution from existing large Municipal Waste Combustors (MWCs) (built on or before December 19, 1995) and small MWCs (built on or before August 30, 1999). The standards create stringent air emissions limits that will be applied to new large MWCs (built after December 19, 1995), new small MWCs (built after August 30, 1999), and, most recently, new very small MWCs built after December 9, 2005. EPA issued a final Federal Plan for large MWCs on November 12, 1998. This plan will affect large existing MWCs in states that do not have an approved State Plan. The regulations require control of the following criteria and toxic air emissions: mercury; particulate matter; cadmium; lead; carbon monoxide; dioxins/furans; nitrogen oxides; sulfur dioxide; and hydrogen chloride. EPA issued a final Federal Plan for small MWCs on January 31, 2003. This plan will affect small existing MWCs in states that do not have an approved State Plan.

Cesium is not particularly filtered or scrubbed for, so I would assume that the trapped cesium in the filters was particulate cesium. Elemental cesium probably just escaped back into the air.

This by the way, is great news, from NHK:

Hosono wants to shrink evacuation zone in July

Japan's newly appointed minister in charge of the nuclear disaster says he hopes to shrink the evacuation zone around the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant by mid-July.

Goshi Hosono said in Tokyo on Tuesday that control over the facility has been improving little by little.

The plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company, has said it aims to complete by July 17th the first stage of its plan to put the facility under control.Hosono said that by then he hopes the reactor cooling system will have been stabilized and there will no longer be a risk of a hydrogen explosion. He said if that is confirmed, he wants to have some evacuees return home.Tuesday, June 28, 2011 16:13 +0900 (JST)

Part of this optimism is due to this report:

TEPCO injects nitrogen into No.2 reactor

The Tokyo Electric Power Company began injecting nitrogen into the containment vessel of the No.2 reactor at the Fukushima nuclear plant on Tuesday night to prevent hydrogen explosions.

Hydrogen is generated when water in the reactor comes in contact with radiation. It's believed that hydrogen is building up inside the containment vessel.

As the reactor continues to be cooled, reaction between hydrogen and oxygen can result in an explosion, in the worst case scenario.

The utility firm has been pumping nitrogen into the No.1 reactor. But there's no knowing yet when it can start doing so at the No.3 reactor, because the plumbing work for nitrogen injections cannot be undertaken due to high-level radiation inside the reactor.

According to a roadmap to contain the crisis at the plant, the work of injecting nitrogen into the 3 reactors is scheduled to be complete by July 17th.

The spokesman for the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, Hidehiko Nishiyama, says the current situation is severe but workers at the plant will do their best to achieve the target on the roadmap.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011 20:39 +0900 (JST)

and this good news:

TEPCO restarts water-circulation cooling

The operator of the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has restarted its new water-recycling cooling system after repairing leaky pipes.

The Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, activated a pump for the water injection system on Tuesday afternoon, after checking pipe connections and taking measures to prevent a sharp rise in water pressure.

The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says the system is working steadily.

TEPCO was forced to halt the system on Monday after only about 90 minutes of operation due to a water leak. The firm said the leak lasted for 2 minutes at most, and that about one ton of water seeped out. TEPCO said water burst from a weak connection, and that the firm had not taken originally planned measures to prevent a sharp rise in water pressure.

The system is designed to pump highly radioactive water out of reactor buildings, decontaminate it and circulate it back into the reactors as coolant.

TEPCO says the system is the key to cooling the reactors while decreasing the amount of contaminated water threatening to overflow.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011 19:15 +0900 (JST)

And work on erecting the cover for unit 1 has begun:

TEPCO starts covering No.1 reactor building

The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has begun building a giant polyester shield over the damaged Number 1 reactor building to contain the spread of radiation.

One of the largest cranes in Japan has been brought to the site for the construction. It has a 140 meter-long arm that can lift up to 750 tons.

The crane will be used to install a fabric cover around the reactor building. Before that, it will be used to remove debris from the top of the building, which was shattered by a hydrogen explosion one day after the earthquake and tsunami on March 11th.

Tokyo Electric Power Company says that when the shield is installed, the entire structure will be about 54 meters high.

Meanwhile, offsite at Onahama Port about 50 kilometers from the nuclear plant, the utility is preassembling 62 steel components that will be joined to create a rigid frame. The frame will support one millimeter-thick polyester fiber panels.

The components will start arriving at the plant in July. Work to assemble them will be done by the crane. The utility says the process will minimize the number of workers who must spend time at the site and lessen their radioactive exposure. TEPCO hopes to complete the cover by late September.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011 20:07 +0900 (JST)

A photo of the work:
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/.../28_27_v_s.jpg

And some strontium was found in the seabed

Radioactive strontium detected in seabed

Radioactive strontium has been detected for the first time on the seabed near the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Tokyo Electric Power Company says it found strontium-89 and -90 in the seabed soil. The company conducted a survey on June 2nd about 3 kilometers off the coast at 2 locations, some 20 kilometers north and south of the nuclear complex.

The substances pose a serious health risk because they can accumulate in the bones if inhaled, which could cause cancer.

Up to 44 becquerels per kilogram of strontium-90 were detected, which has a half-life of 29 years.

The substances had been detected before in soil on land and in seawater following the nuclear accident in March.

A member of the government's Nuclear Safety Commission, Shigeharu Kato, says more examination should be carried out to find out if or how the substances can accumulate in marine life.

The fishery ministry conducted separate surveys. It did not find radioactive strontium in fish and seafood samples taken off the coast of Ibaraki and Chiba prefectures. Both are located south of the Fukushima plant.Tuesday, June 28, 2011 08:54 +0900 (JST)

44 becquerels per kg is not a huge amount. And that was the most they found. But based on the land findings, I would not have expected a huge amount.

And TEPCO has a new president.

New TEPCO president interviewed

The new president of the Tokyo Electric Power Company has told NHK that he will do everything he can to control the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Toshio Nishizawa assumed the post of TEPCO president on Tuesday.

Nishizawa said the victims of the nuclear disaster will be appropriately compensated, but that to make this happen, government support will be indispensable.

Commenting on 6 other nuclear reactors in Fukushima Prefecture whose fate remains in limbo, Nishizawa said the reactors wouldn't exist without consent of the local people. The 4 crippled reactors at the plant are to be decommissioned.He also said cost-cutting, sales of the firm's assets and other drastic streamlining measures will proceed before utility charges are raised.

Nishizawa was apparently addressing concerns that fuel costs may rise as a result of increased thermal power generation and massive compensation payments.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011 21:09 +0900 (JST)

Apparently the fates of Unit 5 & Unit 6 and the four reactors at Daini are still not permanently decided.

Meanwhile, France is going to spend one billion euros to build a better reactor

France to invest in developing new reactor

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has pledged to invest 1 billion euros or 1.4 billion dollars to develop a next-generation nuclear reactor.

Sarkozy said at a news conference in Paris on Monday that France remains committed to nuclear power to ensure stable and competitive energy supplies.

France is currently constructing advanced European Pressurized Water Reactors, but is already looking to develop a 4th-generation reactor, which is expected to have enhanced energy efficiency and reduced nuclear waste.

Japan's research has been focused on an experimental fast-breeder reactor. But the prototype reactor has been plagued by glitches and there is no prospect of it being operational in the near future.

Sarkozy is bucking the trend away from nuclear energy since the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi plant.

Germany and Italy are shifting their energy policy from nuclear power to renewable sources.

Observers say France is hoping to take a global lead in nuclear energy and win contracts to build new power plants for other countries.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011 06:37 +0900 (JST)

It is not quite correct to characterize Germany's and Italy's energy policy as shifting from nuclear to renewable sources, as they will be burning more coal and gas, since renewables are not appropriate for baseload power, which is what nuclear provides. Also you can't say Italy is shifting, since, it has no nuclear reactors now. It does however, buy significant amounts of power from nuclear Fran ce.

And

Lady Gaga sued over charity wristband sales

Pop star Lady Gaga has been sued over sales of charity wristbands for relief efforts following the March 11th earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

A group of consumer advocacy lawyers in the US alleges that the singer took some proceeds from wristbands she sold on her website by inflating shipping costs, despite having promised to donate all sales to the disaster areas.

The class-action lawsuit was filed in the state of Michigan. The amount of damages claimed was not immediately disclosed.

The wristbands, inscribed with the message "Pray for Japan," were sold for 5 dollars each.

The lawyers said that while they commend Lady Gaga for her philanthropic efforts, they want to ensure that claims about donating all proceeds to Japan are true.

The singer has been in Japan since last week for a charity concert, and has not issued any comment on the suit to US media.

Lady Gaga's distributor in Japan, Universal Music, says it will issue a statement after confirming the facts.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011 20:07 +0900 (JST)

[dorispulaski]

TEPCO's reports

- At 10:06 am on June 28, we stopped operation of water treatment facilities and conducted flushing of systems etc. At 12:24 pm, we resumed the operation.

- At 11:47 am on June 28, we adjusted injection rate from feed water system piping arrangement to approximately 3.5m3 since decrease in amount of water injection at the reactor of Unit 1 was confirmed.

- At 9:58 am on June 28, we stopped transferring accumulated water in turbine building basement of Unit 3 to central waste treatment facility building.

- At 9:40 am on June 28, we started injecting fresh water to reactor dry well and dry separator pit.

- We started operations for emergency diesel generator (A) at 6:03 pm on June 28 and emergency diesel generator (B) at 12:32 pm on June 28 respectively in Unit 5.

- At 12:00 pm on June 28, TEPCO worker found the water level gauge (manometer) of temporary tank where accumulated water from turbine building in Unit 6 is being transferred lying on the floor. Since accumulated water in temporary tank that is from turbine building basement at Unit 6 was leaking from the gauge, we stopped it by closing main valve. The amount of water leaked was approximately 15m3. For safety, we measured surface dose rate around and confirmed the result to be equivalent to that of surrounding area (7μSv/h). Currently, we are investigating the details.

TEPCO's press release on Unit 2 nitrogen injection
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp...1062809-e.html

I found the strontium in seabed soil report. Two samples were taken. One had 44 becquerels per kg of strontium 90; the other had 10 becquerels per kg.

By the way, gamma radiation measured at the Main Office Building is now down to 334 microSieverts per hour.

And the latest site map shows that a lot of the highly radioactive rubble must have been removed.

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushi...20110627-e.pdf

[dorispulaski]

-I don't think the NHK article was clear, so I'd like to spell it out. Once the water decontamination system was fixed, TEPCO hooked the output of the decontamination system into the feed system for all three reactors. TEPCO has fixed leaks in the connections between its decontamination system and the feed systems of No. 1, 2 and 3 plants and is now operating reactor cooling injection in recirculating mode. This is a huge step.

The SPEEDI forecast looked very like the final radiation map, so this is a good idea.

from NHK:

Radiation forecast data for health research

The Japanese government plans to help Fukushima Prefecture conduct health research for all local residents with estimates on the spread of radioactive substances from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

The Fukushima Prefectural Government is scheduled to conduct the research for more than 2 million residents of the prefecture.

Some experts say the level of residents' radiation exposure cannot be estimated precisely as no radiation data immediately after the March 11th accident is available due to blackouts at the plant.

The government's nuclear disaster taskforce now says it will provide data from its computer forecasting system, called SPEEDI.

SPEEDI predicts the spread of radioactive substances based on the levels of radiation observed in each area and forecasts of wind and other weather conditions.

The system will be used to calculate radiation levels in areas within 20 kilometers of the plant between March 12th and 18th. The calculation will be based on the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency's analysis of data on the timing and volume of radioactive substances released.

Data on radiation levels are expected to be released to the public around mid-July. The data will also be given to the National Institute of Radiological Sciences which is compiling estimates of radiation exposure.

The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says the residents' exposure levels for the first week after the Fukushima accident will be clarified to a certain extent, by combining the presumed radiation levels and a survey of their activities.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011 08:36 +0900 (JST)

JAIF has been keeping tabs on what the prefectural governors are saying about restarting nuclear plants that are in their prefectures.

http://www.jaif.or.jp/english/news_i...309251042P.pdf



And a vermont update. Vermont is trying to get rid of its one reactor, Vermont Yankee, as I have reported before, this was going on long before Fukushima. Apparently the New England grid doesn't want Yankee to close. Margaret Angwin, the author of the Yes Vermont Yankee blog reports:

http://yesvy.blogspot.com/2011/06/gr...d-vermont.html

Yesterday, the 2014 Auction: Vermont Yankee is Needed
If Vermont didn't get the message: this is another year, another auction, and the same message again.

Yesterday ISO-NE announced the results of the 2014 forward auction. Once again, ISO refused to let Vermont Yankee drop out of the mix. This time, the story was even more dramatic, in my opinion. According to Reuters, ISO received 201 requests to de-list (withdraw) from the auction. ISO granted 200 of these requests, representing about 1170 MW of capacity. It found that these withdrawals would not affect grid stability.

However, it did not grant one request to withdraw: Vermont Yankee. ISO found that Vermont Yankee withdrawal would affect grid stability and Vermont Yankee had to stay in the auction. As the Reuter's article continues: To prepare the grid, the ISO said it was working with power transmission owners to develop short-term "special operating plans" and long-term transmission upgrades in case the reactor does not continue to operate.

Do you remember the short-term "special operating plans" ISO implemented in Connecticut? Lots of diesels. I hope we can avoid this in Vermont.

ISO-NE is Sending Vermont a Message
Vermont Yankee is a unique plant, with an important role in stabilizing the grid. Closing it down will lead to unpleasant consequences of grid instability such as voltage drop, unplanned outages, or rolling blackouts.

Referenced Nov 2010 article
The head of VELCO, a Vermont transmission utility, doesn't see Vermont as having a problem, but he does see New Hampshire as possibly affected:
Chris Dutton, CEO of Vermont Electric Power Company, Inc. (VELCO), said problems within the state would likely revolve around low voltage issues -- such problems are likely resolvable with minor equipment modifications in different substations.
"In New Hampshire, however, it appears the situation is more acute and that there will actually be lines that overload if Vermont Yankee is not relicensed," he said.

This of course makes it clear why a state cannot just arbitrarily close nuclear plants-it is indeed an interstate commerce situation, which is what Entergy is claiming in its suit against Vermont.

TEPCO finally has a June 29th status report (10 PM). There is a stockholder's meeting, and a new board of directors, and posts from the 29th have been missing up to now.

At 4:20 pm on June 27, the operation of circulation injection cooling was initiated by injecting water from the filter water tank as well as usage of the treated water regarding water injection to the reactor. At 5:55 pm, since we confirmed a leakage from the pipe which supplies water from treated water tank to injection pump of reactor, we stopped supplying treated water. Subsequently, we have implemented measures against the leakage at pipe joint. At 2:36 pm on June 28, we started operation of supply pump for treated water, and resumed the operation of circulation injection cooling at 3:55 pm.

- At around 3:00 pm on June 28, water blot was confirmed at the outlet flange of the processing transfer pump of the accumulated water treatment system, and a saucer was installed at 3:45 pm. After that, no increase of the blot has been confirmed. [ETA I have no idea what the translater means by water blot-perhaps a wet patch, sort of a subleak?]


- At 8:10 am on June 29, (two) minute holes were confirmed at the hose for the injection cooling system of the accumulated water treatment system, and we temporally repaired them. We will replace the hose as soon as the supply is ready.

- From 9:40 am to 3:29 pm on June 28, we injected fresh water to the reactor well (unit 4) and temporally dry separation pool for environment improvement (reduce radio active dose) on 5th floor reactor building of unit 4.

- At 12:00 pm on June 28, we found the water level gauge (manometer) of temporary tank where accumulated water from turbine building in Unit 6 will be transferred lying on the floor. Since accumulated water was leaking from the gauge, we stopped it by closing main valve. For safety, we measured surface dose rate around and confirmed the result to be equivalent to that of surrounding area.

[Olympia]

Thanks for the clarification of the repairs done to the water decontamination system. It does sound significant!

[let`s talk]

The new train schedules started from July 1st. More trains got back their spots during weekday afternoons. Others were back long time ago. Luckily trains are super cool now, everywhere. Holy bless, on these crazily hot days.
What are these French talking about? Sounds like each government reacts in its way. I heard British hire PR agencies to play it down to protect the nuclear industry. While French are probably still looking for the excuses of their escape right after the quake, and now they are trying to repair their damaged PR image in Japan. But the way how they do it is more than laughable:
http://ex-skf.blogspot.com/2011/06/f...itical-of.html

[dorispulaski]

let's talk, I'm glad to hear the trains are properly air conditioned everywhere!

It's a fact that each country reacts in its own way.

However, the CRIIRAD people are allies of the German and French Green Parties; they are no more independent & objective than the US Union of Concerned Scientists, or on the other side of things, Areva and the NEI. This does not mean that they are necessarily wrong in everything they say; only that one should know where they are coming from politically. The updated version of "Reddy Kilowatt" at the top of the page was quite special though.

Their trip to Japan at the same time as the IAEA's was meant specifically to attempt to discredit the IAEA.

France's electricty supply is over 78% nuclear. The nuclear business (Areva) is owned, at least in part, by the government. It is a profitable one, too. Electricity is France's fourth largest export , and the shuffle in nuclear usage in Switzerland and Germany is likely to aid France in continuing to make money supplying both baseload and peaking power to those countries. In fact, France is the largest exporter of electricity in the world.

http://www.indexmundi.com/g/g.aspx?c=fr&v=82
http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf40.html

Furthermore, AREVA cleans up (to "green field" status ) decommissioned nuclear plants in other countries, reprocesses other countries' nuclear waste, and installs and maintains reactors in other countries.

France is the smallest emitter of carbon dioxide among the seven most industrialized countries in the world, as a result of its large use of nuclear power.
http://unstats.un.org/unsd/environme..._emissions.htm

I am not sure why the French image is considered damaged in Japan? France did not supply the reactors at Fukushima Daiichi or Daini. They supplied a novel water decontamination & recirculation system, which appears to work although there are some understandable learning issues with it for TEPCO and its staff.

What do you feel is the French image problem in Japan?

I don't know whether the British government hired a PR firm. It's not an unreasonable thing to do though, considering the amount of misinformation flying around in the US & English print media.

NHK news for July 1st

It's unrealistic to expect a newly invented system to not have a number of startup and training glitches.

TEPCO to enhance manual on coolant system
The operator of the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant says it will improve the content of operation manuals for a newly introduced reactor coolant system. The move is intended to prevent human errors from causing suspension of the cooling operation.

On Monday, Tokyo Electric Power Company started using the system, which is designed to decontaminate and recycle highly radioactive water that is being used to cool all three troubled reactors. The work was suspended several times due to water leaks and other problems.

The company says human errors, including mistakes in handling valves, were largely responsible for the trouble.

It says that the new system was hastily built by piecing together various technologies from Japan and abroad. It added that workers have not been given enough time and training to get used to operating and maintaining the system.

The company says it will improve the content of the operation manuals with an eye toward eliminating human errors while it continues operations to cool the reactors.
Friday, July 01, 2011 11:43 +0900 (JST)

Human error blamed for cooling system halt
Tokyo Electric Power Company says human error was responsible for the latest problems with a water-decontamination device at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

The French-made device automatically stopped operating on Thursday afternoon after an alarm system was triggered. It resumed operation 5 hours later.

On Friday, TEPCO blamed the trouble on flawed programming of water levels in a tank that contains processed water. It says workers mistakenly set the water level at 3 percent of capacity, rather than 30 percent. As a result, water levels dropped rapidly and caused the device to stop operation.

TEPCO on Monday started the operation of a new cooling system that is expected to play a key role in stabilizing the crippled reactors.

But the system, which is designed to recycle cooling water after removing radiation from it, has been suspended several times.

Trouble has been occurring particularly frequently with the decontamination device, mainly because of human error.
TEPCO says the decontamination system had been operating just 55 percent of the time as of Tuesday.

The company said it will also take the step of improving operation manuals for the cooling system as a way of eliminating human errors.
Friday, July 01, 2011 13:33 +0900 (JST)

Circulation cooling system works again
The newly installed reactor cooling system at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has resumed working after a 5-hour suspension due to mechanical trouble.

The operator of the crippled plant, Tokyo Electric Power Company, TEPCO, says a French-made water-decontamination device, which is part of the cooling system, stopped automatically on Thursday afternoon. An alarm system was set off within 10 minutes.

TEPCO says after repairing the device and doing test runs, it resumed operating on Thursday evening.

The system that decontaminates and re-uses the plant's radioactive water is considered key to the stable cooling of the reactors.

Although the cooling system had stopped, the utility says the decontaminated water continued to pour into the reactors.

The company says the alarm device indicated the level of decontaminated water inside one tank was too low, and a gas exhaust had malfunctioned.

TEPCO is trying to find out why the alarm system was set off, and the cause of the other troubles.

Since its start on Monday, the cooling system has suffered a series of problems including leaky piping.
Friday, July 01, 2011 01:40 +0900 (JST)

And a new robot! This one does floors.
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/.../01_22_v_s.jpg

Robot deployed at Fukushima reactor for cleaning
Tokyo Electric Power Company has put a robot inside a highly radioactive facility at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant to decontaminate the site.

The No.3 reactor building has been filled with highly radioactive sand, dust and rubble since it was badly damaged in a hydrogen explosion in March.

The radiation level inside the facility is 170 millisieverts per hour at its peak. The high radiation is preventing workers from going inside and taking steps to prevent fresh explosions.

On Friday, TEPCO sent a US-made remote-controlled robot fitted with a vacuum cleaner inside the building.

An operator is manipulating the robot to make it clean the floor.
TEPCO plans to send a worker into the building as early as Saturday to check radiation levels. If they are sufficiently reduced, the utility hopes to prepare a nitrogen injection to prevent hydrogen explosions.
Friday, July 01, 2011 14:48 +0900 (JST)

When Unit 3 has nitrogen injection, the new Radiation Tsar (at least that's what we would call the position here in the states) has said that we might see the first shrinkage of the evacuation zone, with people sent home.
Meanwhile, there is the opportunity to manage those households found to be in localized "hot" spots, such as Date City. Unfortunately, it was raining in Date when one of the hydrogen explosions occurred, causing a disportionate deposition of radioactive material there.

113 households in Date City advised to evacuate
The city of Date in Fukushima Prefecture sent 113 households written notices on Friday to recommend that they evacuate.

On Thursday, the central government designated the 113 households as areas with radioactive hotspots despite being outside the government-designated evacuation zone around the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

The cumulative radiation is expected to reach the government standard of 20 millisieverts a year in areas that include the 113 households in 4 districts in the Ryozenmachi area. Date City is about 50 kilometers northwest of the plant.

The city is asking the 113 households if they plan to evacuate and to return their answers by July 8th.

The city says it will provide subsidies for rental accommodation, adding that about 40 municipal housing units are available.
Friday, July 01, 2011 15:19 +0900 (JST)

Note that this is a manageable evacuation plan. Households without children might choose to stay. Households with children might choose to go, but could stay in the general area, in the municipal housing units.
There are further indications that the Genkai plant may restart:

Saga governor to decide in weeks on plant restart
The governor of Saga Prefecture in southwestern Japan has indicated that he will decide within a few weeks whether to approve the restart of reactors at a local nuclear power plant.

At the prefectural assembly on Friday, Governor Yasushi Furukawa reiterated his view that the Genkai nuclear plant is safe to operate.

Two of the 4 reactors at Genkai remain halted since the nuclear disaster in Fukushima. They were offline for regular safety checks at the time. The governor indicated his belief in the plant's safety earlier in the week, after meeting economy minister Banri Kaieda on Wednesday. The minister assured him that the government will guarantee nuclear plant safety.

Furukawa said that mid-July may be an appropriate time for a final decision on the restart, because a briefing for residents and an assembly session are scheduled in early July. He added that he is asking Prime Minister Naoto Kan to visit Saga so that he can hear Kan's views directly before deciding.

The accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant forced the suspension of many nuclear reactors across Japan.

Genkai may become the first plant to resume full operations, although safety concerns continue to occupy local authorities and residents.
Friday, July 01, 2011 20:16 +0900 (JST)

Measurement is always good.
Marine survey ship leaves for Fukushima to measure radioactivity of bynthic life

A research ship has left Tokyo to survey the spread of radioactive substances into the ocean from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

The ship belonging to Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology left Toyoumi Wharf in Tokyo Bay on Friday morning. About 30 specialists in ocean observation and marine biology are onboard the Umitaka-maru.

In cooperation with a fisheries research organization and other groups, the ship will collect seafloor samples off Fukushima to study the impact of radioactive substances on fish and plankton.

The research will focus on shellfish and sandworms on the seabed that are believed to be susceptible to radioactive materials.

Professor Takashi Ishimaru, the team's leader, says it's important to provide accurate information because without data, people tend to become suspicious and they might create groundless rumors.

Ishimaru says he hopes the results of the survey will help scientists learn how fish and shellfish absorb radioactive substances.

The ship is to arrive off Fukushima on Saturday and will continue its activities until July 8th.
Friday, July 01, 2011 12:19 +0900 (JST)

and on the sublime to the ridiculous level, do you compensate people who have suffered no harm? There is no level mentioned here for the exposure.:

Panel mulls damages for internal exposure
A government panel is discussing whether to compensate people suffering internal exposure to radiation from the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

At a meeting on Friday, panel leader Yoshihisa Noumi said discussions should be made on whether to recognize such people or those exposed to radiation but yet to develop health problems as suffering mental distress.

Some panel members said people who have been exposed to radiation can be recognized as suffering mental distress.

Others said that in cases of no health damage, compensation should not be paid.

The panel decided to continue discussions, saying it is difficult to determine which radiation levels will be covered by compensation.

The members also discussed whether to compensate for damage caused by import bans on Japanese goods by foreign governments and a decrease in tourism to Japan. The panel is expected to continue discussions to wrap up its interim guidelines in late July.

The panel had already decided to compensate people who were forced to evacuate by government order after the nuclear plant accident for mental suffering.
Friday, July 01, 2011 20:02 +0900 (JST)

TEPCO has completed doing evaluations on the radiation dosage of people who were working at the plant in March, and has started filing reports on the people who were working there in May.

One worker so far was found exposed to radiation slightly over 100 milliSieverts, out of over 2,000 tested of the 4,300 who started work in May.

Tests have revealed that another worker at the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has been exposed to radiation doses exceeding 100 millisieverts. Before the accident in March, 100 millisieverts was the maximum radiation exposure permitted in an emergency situation.

Tokyo Electric Power Company, the operator of the plant, submitted a report to the heath ministry on Thursday. The utility checked the radiation exposure of about half of the 4,300 people who started working at the plant in April.

TEPCO says none of the workers has been exposed to doses exceeding the legal limit of 250 millisieverts set by the government for emergency situations.

But one worker was exposed to 111 millisieverts, while the readings for 9 other people were between 50 and 100 millisieverts.

The health ministry instructed the utility to promptly carry out tests on the remaining half of the workers and report back by July 13th.

TEPCO has nearly completed checking the people who were working at the plant in March. The checks found that 3 of them had been exposed to doses exceeding the 250-millisievert emergency limit, while 4 others were suspected to having surpassed that limit.

The limit radiation exposure was raised from 100 millisieverts to 250 millisieverts after the Fukushima accident to secure enough time for workers at the plant to bring the situation under control.
Friday, July 01, 2011 10:43 +0900 (JST)

[dorispulaski]

Radiation update:
Daini 9:00 PM JST July 1st
Six peripheral points ( 1.6, 1.3, 1.7, 1.5, 1.5, 1.4 ) microSieverts per hour
one manual point (9:00 AM July 1st 1.0 microSievert per hour
Daiichi 9:00 PM JST July 1st

Eight peripheral measurement points ( 5, 24, 15, 14, 17, 37, 115, 97) microSieverts per hour
Main Gate 35 microSieverts per hour
Main Office Building 336 microSieverts per hour
West Gate 13 microSieverts per hour

TEPCO reports, up to the 3 PM JST July 1st. There are several new things!

Also, this is the first that I have seen water going to the MegaFloat (barge)

The Unit 1 spent fuel pool is not yet being cooled by heat exchanger, and the piping for such an installation for Unit 4 was damaged by the explosion. Now Unit 2 & Unit 3 both have heat exchanger run spent fuel pools.

At 10:46 am on June 30, we stopped the Accumulated Water Treatment Facility, for flushing with exchanging the Cesium Adsorption Instruments. After exchanging its Instruments, although we restarted the Instruments, we re-stopped the Instruments due to the defect of Coagulation Setting Facility. After adjustment of water level set value of Coagulation Setting Facility treated water tank, at 6:50 pm on the same day, we resumed operation.

- At 7:47 pm on June 30, we started the Alternative Cooling System of spent fuel pool of Unit 3. It was under adjustment operation. After performance evaluation, we brought to a full operation at 11:00 am on July 1.

- At 11:43 am on July 1, we started cleaning up the first floor of reactor building of Unit 3 using a robot.

- At 10:00 am on July 1, we started transferring low radioactive
accumulated water, which had been removed from turbine building of Unit 6, from temporary tank to Mega Float.[/b]

- At 10:00 am on July 1, we started transferring of accumulated water from the underground floor of the turbine building of Unit 6 to temporary tank.
- At 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm on June 30, we transferred low radioactive stored
water from temporary tank to Mega Float.
- At 5:00 pm on June 30, the installation of temporary storm surge barrier
was completed.
- At 7:27 am on July 1, we stopped injecting treated water and started injecting only filtrate water, for the installation of the tank (buffer tank).for injection to the reactor

- At 10 am on July 1, we started transferring of low radioactive stored water from outdoor temporary tank to Mega Float.

It is a big deal that no new water was added to the reactors today. All the water was from the tank filled from the new water system, which recycles the contaminated water.

Today is the first day that no cesium or iodine was detected in the air at the West Gate or the Main Gate at Daiichi . Cesium was found at Daini in the air.

TEPCO has added measurement of cesium at the Main Building to continue to check air quality.

[dorispulaski]

NEI has a report up.

Friday, July 01, 2011




TEPCO Resumes Decontaminating Water to Cool Reactors

Plant Status

•Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) resumed decontaminating water at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant after fixing a software flaw that caused an automatic shutdown of the decontamination system. After a short investigation identified the flaw, the problem was corrected and decontamination resumed. The decontaminated water is being reused to cool reactors at the facility.

•TEPCO has begun transfer of water contaminated at lower radiation levels from tanks in the reactor 6 turbine building to a barge moored near the Fukushima Daiichi plant. The tanks hold about 12,000 tons of contaminated water, and workers will transfer about 8,000 tons to the barge.

•TEPCO is making progress on a new cooling water system for the used fuel storage pool at reactor 3. The company is testing the system and plans to have it operating next week. The reactor 2 fuel pool is at full cooling capability, but TEPCO is still considering options for cooling water for the reactor 4 storage pool, where piping and valves in the pool’s cooling water system were damaged in March by a hydrogen explosion in the upper portion of the containment building. TEPCO said it intends to have the cooling systems in all fuel storage pools operating by mid-July, but that issues with the damaged reactor 4 system may delay progress.

•TEPCO sent an American-supplied robot into the reactor 3 building to remove highly radioactive sand, dust and rubble. The robot is manually operated from outside the building. If the effort is successful, TEPCO will begin preparations to inject nitrogen to prevent hydrogen explosions. The company is already injecting nitrogen into reactors 1 and 2.

•Contrary to earlier reports, TEPCO said that three workers at the Fukushima site have been exposed to more than 25 rem of radiation—the legal limit for plant workers in an emergency situation. For comparison, a CT scan results in 1 rem of radiation exposure to a patient.

Industry/Regulatory/Political Issues
•TEPCO’s new president, Toshio Nishizawa, visited towns near the Fukushima Daiichi facility and apologized to their mayors for the difficulties caused by the accident. The mayors said their constituents expect TEPCO to offer compensation to those who have or will suffer financial losses in their businesses because of the accident, not just those evacuated from their homes.

•The Japanese government is recommending that 113 households evacuate from four districts within the city of Date. Higher levels of radiation have been detected sporadically in the affected districts near Fukushima Daiichi. Evacuation is voluntary and those who choose to move will be compensated.

•Reports in the Japanese media on radiological impacts say urine samples from 10 children in the city of Fukushima showed small amounts of radioactive cesium.

Media Highlights
http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/...ima_print.html
•Tom Fanning, chairman, president and CEO of Southern Company, explains seven steps that the U.S. industry is taking to respond to the Fukushima accident in a column for U.S. News & World Report.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...7HU39O20110630
•Reuters reports on TEPCO’s second round of compensation to people affected by the Fukushima Daiichi event, with each family receiving up to 300,000 yen (about $3,700). The first round earlier this year paid as much 1 million yen (about $12,400) per family.

New Products
•NEI has launched a new website, Safety First, dedicated to Fukushima to provide up-to-date information on developments in Japan and steps that the industry is taking to enhance safety and emergency preparedness at America’s commercial reactors.

Upcoming Events
•The task force reviewing U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission processes and regulations in light of the accident at Fukushima is expected to release its report on July 12. The task force will brief the commissioners on the report at a July 19 public meeting.

If any of you read the AP's four part series on nuclear energy, it's worth reading the NEI's rebuttal of it, posted here:
http://safetyfirst.nei.org/safety-an...uclear-energy/

[dorispulaski]

From TEPCO's 3:00 PM JST status report

At 9:00 am on June 30, we stopped the water desalination system to treat the concentrated saltwater in the storage tank of the system. At 3:52 pm on July 1, we restarted the system.

From 11:43 am to 4:36 pm on July 1, we conducted cleaning up the first floor of Unit 3 Reactor Building using a robot.

NHK News. Once the heat exchanger was installed, the unit 2 spent fuel pool cooled rapidly. The same appears to be true for Unit 3.

TEPCO: Nuclear fuel pool cooled to stable level
The operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has reported progress in its work to stabilize the facility's spent fuel rods.

Tokyo Electric Power Company says the cooling system that began operating at the No.3 reactor on Thursday has brought the temperature of the nuclear fuel storage pool of the reactor to just below 40 degrees Celsius from the previous level of 62 degrees.

TEPCO says the temperature of the pool was 39.9 degrees as of 5 AM on Saturday.

As cooling has progressed faster than initially expected, TEPCO says the temperature will likely stabilize at around 30 degrees in a few days. The temperature of the spent fuel pool of the No.2 reactor has already declined to that level.
As for the No.1 and No.4 reactors, the utility plans to begin operating cooling systems by the end of this month. Until then, the company needs to inject cooling water on a regular basis.

TEPCO is concerned about possible difficulty in installing the cooling system at the No.4 reactor. A hydrogen explosion in March damaged piping necessary for the system and debris left there is hampering construction work.

The company says there may be a delay in its installation plan.
Saturday, July 02, 2011 13:22 +0900 (JST)

This is important work, and must be done prior to allowing the evacuees to come home. It is so encouraging to see it being done!

Higher radiation detected on fields than asphalt
A government survey has found higher levels of radiation on fields and forests than on asphalt pavements in towns about 10 kilometers from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

The Cabinet Office and the ministry of science monitored radiation for more than 10 days from June 13th at 400 locations in Namie and Tomioka towns, which fall within a 20-kilometer no-entry zone.

The survey centered on JR Namie station, about 8 kilometers from the plant, and JR Tomioka station, about 10 kilometers from the plant. Measurements were made at one centimeter and one meter above the ground.

The highest level in Tomioka was detected on an unpaved road 2 kilometers northwest of the station, where the reading at the one-centimeter point was 39.1 microsieverts per hour.

In Namie Town, 25.4 microsieverts was detected at the one-centimeter point in a forest about one kilometer west of the station.

Readings were generally lower -- around several microsieverts -- on roads and parking lots covered by asphalt and higher on fields and forests.

Radioactive substances are believed to be easily washed away by rain on asphalt but adhere to soil and plants.

The government plans to monitor radiation at more than 3,400 locations in no-entry zones and evacuation advisory zones by the end of August.
Measurements will be taken at gardens of private homes and roof gutters, where radiation tends to be high, as well as roadside ditches.
Saturday, July 02, 2011 11:05 +0900 (JST)

[Olympia]

Several posts back: I'm very impressed with what you mentioned about France, that it is such a large exporter of electricity (now there's a product with built-in profitability) that its nuclear entity also cleans up other people's decommissioned plants and processes waste--and that its nuclear capacity results in such low CO2 emissions.

About the more recent posts: Japan certainly seems to be taking thorough measurements! Even the rain gutters of houses.

The man I know who's gone to Japan to visit family is apparently also volunteering while there to help elderly people who were affected by the disasters. He's a chaplain for a hospice program.

[dorispulaski]

Olympia, I worry a lot about the elderly people moved from their homes into shelters. I'm so glad your friend is volunteering.

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp...s/110702e3.pdf
Neither cesium nor iodine was detected in the air at either the West or the Main Gate at Daiichi. Small amounts of cesium are still seen at Daini.

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp...s/110702e6.pdf

No cesium was seen at either the north or south discharge channel of Daiichi. Some iodine was seen at the south channel. Cesium was seen at Daini and at the Iwasawa Shore.

No cesium or iodine was seen in the subdrains of Units 4,5,6 or the deep well.
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp.../110702e10.pdf

TEPCO status reports up through July 3rd, 3:00 PM JST

-At 9:00 am on June 30, since the storage tank of the water desalination system was filled up with the water*, we stopped the water desalination system to treat the concentrated saltwater in the storage tank of the system. At 3:52 pm on July 1, since we were ready to use another tank*, we restarted the system. *We'd published that the reason the water desalination system had stopped was to treat the concentrated saltwater in the storage tank of the system at the plant status from 10:00 am June 30 to 10:00 am July 2. Now we revised the reason as underlined.

-At 7:27 am on July 1, we stopped injecting treated water and started injecting only filtrate water, for the installation of the tank (buffer tank) for injection to the reactor

-At 10:00 am on July 1, we started transferring of low radioactive stored water from outdoor temporary tank to Mega Float.

-At 10:00 am on July 1, we started transferring of accumulated water from inside of turbine building of Unit 6 to temporary tank.

-From 11:43 am to 4:36 pm on July 1, we conducted cleaning up the first floor of Unit 3 Reactor Building using a robot.

Preparatory to installing nitrogen injection on Unit 3, and to check on the robot's cleaning work:

-At 10:59 am on July 2, we started measuring radiation dose at the first
floor of Unit 3 Reactor Building using a robot. At 12:14 pm on the same
day, we finished measuring radiation dose.


-From 10:59 am to 12:14 pm on July 2, we conducted measurement of the radiation dose at the first floor Unit 3 Reactor Building using robot to check the cleaning effect the day before.

-At 10:30 am on July 2, we stopped the accumulated water treatment system to exchange Cesium adsorption Instruments, and restarted the system at 1:45 pm.

. -At 10:30 am on July 2, we stopped operation of water treatment system for flushing system etc. at 1:45 pm on the same day, we restarted water treatment system.

At 6:00 pm on July 2, we started full scale operation of circulating injecting cooling which inject treated water by accumulated water treatment system to the reactor via buffer tank.

- At 6:55 on July 3, our employee found the leakage of seawater at one of outlet piping in 2 residual heat removal systems. Those 2 pumps will be stopped hereafter due to change defective piping.

- At 6:55 am on July 3, in the outside temporary seawater cooling pumps (2 pumps) used for the cooling for the reactor of Unit 5, we found a leakage of seawater from the water pipe (exit side) of one pump. To change the leaking pipe, we stopped the pump at 10:00 am on the same day. After that, we will stop the other pump as well.

[Perspective of Power Supply and Demand Balance in this Summer]
In regard with the supply side in this summer, taking in account of the
acceleration of restoration schedule for Hirono Thermal Power Station,
more purchase of privately generated power, and excluding the power
supply from 60Hz areas which had been planned (due to the current
difficult situation), supply capacity outlook is amended to 56.8GW at
the end of July, and 55.6GW at the end of August.
Also, in order to support balance of demand and supply in the Tohoku
area, which suffered severe damage from the quake, we would like to
supply maximum of 1.4GW to Tohoku Electric Power Company by thoroughly
implementing both supply and demand countermeasures. The supply capacity
in this regard will be 55.4GW at the end of July, and 54.2GW at the end
of August.

Estimated peak demand of 55GW for this summer is 5GW lower than that of
last year. This incorporates the saving of electricity from "Outline of
Countermeasures for Power Supply and Demand During Summertime" and
restoration from decrease of production due to the quake.

As the occurrence of unplanned outage of aged thermal power stations or
sudden increase of demand due to unexpected high temperature during summer
may cause difficulties in maintaining stable demand supply balance, in
order to continue to avoid rolling blackouts, we will steadily maintain
supply capacity, and continue our efforts on reliable operation and
maintenance of power facilities.

We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause and appreciate for your
cooperation to save electricity.

We would like announce that we have newly established four rest areas since June 10, 2011. Also, we would like to announce the status of preparation for the countermeasures against heat stroke such as wearing Cool Vest. We will continuously make best effort to improve working environment and life circumstance.

Cool vests
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp.../110702e13.pdf

Rest areas
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp.../110702e12.pdf


http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/03_01.html

NHK

TEPCO improves circulation cooling system
The operator of the troubled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant says the reactor cooling system is now fully recycling its water.

Tokyo Electric Power Company said the system no longer requires fresh water input, and no contaminated water is being released.

Previously, the system required 2 to 3 tons of fresh water per hour.

Water recycling resumed on Saturday evening after being suspended while the plant's operator installed stronger piping to prevent leaks.

Tokyo Electric Power Company had switched off the plant's cooling system for a day and a half after a series of problems.

The operation started a week ago, but was twice halted because of leaks. A water-decontamination device in the system also had to be shut down due to human error.

TEPCO cited a lack of preparation due to the speed of installing the system, which consists of Japanese and foreign devices.

The utility has set a target of July 17th to complete the first stage of its plan to bring the facility under control.
Sunday, July 03, 2011 07:56 +0900 (JST)

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/02_19.html

Here's a link to video of a robot vacuuming Unit 3

TEPCO uses robot to clean No.3 reactor
For the second day in a row, a robot has been sent into one of the damaged reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

It checked radiation levels after a robot on Friday removed radioactive-contaminated dust and rubble from the No. 3 reactor building.

The move was taken before nitrogen is injected into the reactor to prevent another of hydrogen explosion.

Tokyo Electric Power Company has already injected nitrogen into the containment vessels of the No. 1 and 2 reactors. It hopes to complete the injection of nitrogen into the No. 3 reactor by July 17th.

But radiation levels in the No.3 reactor are still too high for workers to safely enter.

On Friday, TEPCO used a US-made robot to begin cleaning inside the building.

The robot removed contaminated dust and rubble near the entrance using a strong vacuum cleaner.

A second robot on Saturday checked the radiation levels. Officials say the levels were lower than before the cleaning.

TEPCO is studying data obtained by the robot.
Sunday, July 03, 2011 03:11 +0900 (JST)

Hose leaking water at Fukushima No.5 reactor
The operator of the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant says a hose has been leaking seawater used to cool the No.5 reactor, which is currently in a state of cold shutdown.

Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, is set to replace the hose, but will have to suspend the reactor's cooling function to do so. It says this will raise the water temperature, but the reactor will still remain in a state of cold shutdown.

TEPCO says workers patrolling around the No.5 reactor found a hose leaking water on Sunday morning around the outlet of a temporary pump sending seawater into the reactor's cooling system. The company says the polyvinyl chloride hose has a crack about 30 centimeters long and 7 centimeters wide.
TEPCO stopped sending water at around 10 AM to replace the hose. The reactor's cooling system stopped 15 minutes later, meaning its cooling function was temporarily lost.

The water temperature inside the reactor was 43.1 degrees Celsius at 8 AM. TEPCO expects the temperature to rise 2.5 degrees per hour while the cooling function is halted.

The company says that if the replacement work finishes during the night and the cooling system is restarted, the water temperature will not exceed 100 degrees, the level needed to keep the reactor in a state of cold shutdown.

The No.5 reactor was hit by a pump failure on May 29th, when a delay in recovery briefly sent the water temperature to 94.8 degrees.
Sunday, July 03, 2011 12:58 +0900 (JST)

Embeded in this clip is a recording of Togi playing the sho
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/03_01.html

There is not much of it. Here's a longer clip of gagaku:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmNwR...eature=related

Ancient court music played in Hiraizumi
Ancient Japanese court music was performed at Motsuji temple in Hiraizumi on Saturday to mark the district's new World Heritage status.

The music, known as gagaku, was improvised by performer Hideki Togi on a woodwind instrument called a "sho". The Hiraizumi district, including this temple, was added to UNESCO's World Heritage List on June 25th.

A woman from neighboring Akita Prefecture said she was moved by his performance.

The temple is in the March 11th disaster-hit area of northeastern Japan.

Togi said his performance was influenced by his wish to console the victims of the disaster.

In May, Togi gave a performance in the area to mourn those lost in the earthquake and tsunami.
Sunday, July 03, 2011 03:10 +0900 (JST)

And local tuna is about to be available!

Students land fish at Onahama Port
Students from a local fisheries high school in Fukushima Prefecture landed a haul of tuna on Friday to help reopen a local fishing port.

Thirty-two students from Iwakikaisei High School returned to Onahama Port on Friday after 43 days of training off Hawaii. The annual trip was delayed by 3 weeks due to the March 11th disaster.

After the students informed school officials of their safe return, they brought ashore their haul of some 200 tuna.

No fish had been landed at Onahama Port since the disaster and nuclear crisis.

A student said he hopes that many people will enjoy eating the tuna. The fish will be sold at local supermarkets.
Saturday, July 02, 2011 05:46 +0900 (JST)

[let`s talk]

I am not sure why the French image is considered damaged in Japan? France did not supply the reactors at Fukushima Daiichi or Daini.

Half of reactors were supplied by General Motors and French have nothing to do with that. But my comment wasn't about Fukushima Daiichi or Daini.

French officials were the first ones who advised their nationals to leave Japan, practically a couple of days after the quake. Within a week the interntaional over-reaction and unreasonable panic created a new word: flyjin: fly+gaijin. Basically, it's about foreigners who turned out to be merely fair-weather friends. I am sure flyjins showed up even if French were completely quiet. But it happened that they were not. So, somehow locals deem them as first or one of the first flyjins.

[dorispulaski]

let's talk, thank you for the explanation and for the word "flyjin".

July 4th, 3:00 PM JST
Fukushima Daiichi
Main Office Building 335 microSieverts per hour
Main Gate 35 microSieverts per hour
West Gate 13 microSieverts per hour
Eight points on the periphery ( 5, 24, 15, 14, 17, 38, 116, 96) microSieverts per hour

- At 6:55 am on July 3, our employee found a leakage of seawater from the water pipe (exit side) of one of the outside temporary seawater cooling pumps (2 pumps) of the residual heat removal system for the reactor of Unit 5. We stopped the pump at 10:00 am on the same day and confirmed stop of the leakage. We stopped the residual heat removal system of the reactor at 10:15 on the same day. We stopped another seawater cooling pump at 10:20 on the same day and replaced the defected water pipe. After then, we restarted the seawater cooling pumps at 1:22 pm and 1:36 pm on the same day, and we restarted the residual heat removal system at 1:40 pm on the same day.

- At 10:39 am on July 3, we stopped the operation of water treatment system for flushing. We restarted the water treatment system at 0:50 pm on the same day.

-At 9:13 am on July 4, we started freshwater injection to reactor well and temporary storage pool of unit 4.
-From 10:00 am on July 4, we restarted transferring accumulated water from inside of turbine building of Unit 6 to temporary tank.
-From 1:30 pm on July 4, we restarted transferring low radioactive stored water from outdoor temporary tank to Mega Float.
Unit 1- At 8:13 am on July 4, we adjusted injection rate from feed water system piping arrangement to approximately 3.8m3 since decrease in amount of water injection was confirmed. - Water is currently injected at approx. 3.8m3/h through reactor feed water system piping arrangement.

From NHK

Work underway for nitrogen injection
Work is underway at the damaged nuclear power plant in Fukushima to reduce radiation levels in the Number 3 reactor container. The move is necessary before nitrogen gas can be pumped in to prevent a hydrogen explosion.

According to Tokyo Electric Power Company's schedule to stabilize the plant, the utility needs to inject nitrogen into the containers of the first 3 reactors by July 17th. Nitrogen has already been injected into the Number 1 and 2 reactor containers.

On Friday, a US-made robot began clearing contaminated dust and debris from the floors of the Number 3 reactor building. However, radiation levels inside the building are still high with readings of between 50 and 186 millisieverts per hour.

The radiation levels need to be reduced to one-third before workers are able to begin the nitrogen injection.
On Sunday, more than 50 sheets made of steel were laid on the floor. Work continues on Monday to fill the gaps between the steel sheets.

TEPCO plans to start connecting the pipes to inject the nitrogen on Friday and hopes to complete the nitrogen injection by July 17th. Cooling the reactors and preventing more hydrogen blasts are the top priorities in TEPCO's plan to stabilize the plant.

The minister in charge of the nuclear disaster, Goshi Hosono, says once the government is able to verify that the blast prevention measures are in place, it will consider lifting an evacuation advisory for certain areas 20 to 30 kilometers from the plant.
Monday, July 04, 2011 13:42 +0900 (JST)

Hoses at Fukushima to be checked
Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, is set to replace leaky plastic hoses that brought cooling to a halt at the Number 5 reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

TEPCO is now searching for potential leaks and will replace these hoses. A large number of the polyvinyl chloride hoses are being used in the reactor's heat removal system.

TEPCO found water leaking from a large crack in a hose around the outlet of a temporary pump sending seawater into the Number 5 reactor's cooling system on Sunday. The cooling system was stopped for 3-and-a-half hours to replace the hose.

The operator says the hose cracked because it was bent at an acute angle and was under pressure.

The company fears other hoses may crack and will search for possible trouble and replace them.

TEPCO adds that no replacement is required for hoses that transfer highly radioactive water because they are not bent at extreme angles.
Monday, July 04, 2011 06:15 +0900 (JST)

One thing that could be done as part of decontamination is to hook all street drains and ditches to a dug reservoir then to a water decontamination system (such as at Daiichi) and then powerwash the houses and streets. On playgrounds and public spaces, remove the top 5 cm or so of dirt. I do wonder if it is possible to leach cesium out of such dirt into water, and then decontaminate the water. Relevatively small projects like Date seem ideal places to try things.

Date City to decontaminate entire area
The city of Date in Fukushima Prefecture says it will take steps to reduce radiation contamination in its entire area.

The city is located about 50 kilometers northwest of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, outside the government-set evacuation zone. But high levels of radiation have been found in 4 districts. Last Friday, the government recommended 113 households to evacuate.

The city said on Monday that it will decontaminate residential areas, schools, roads and mountains in an attempt to reduce residents' exposure to radioactive substances as much as possible.

The city plans to set up a project team to sort out details on the decontamination process.

Officials say the city will shoulder the cost for the time being, but will ask the plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company and the central government to cover follow-up expenses.
Monday, July 04, 2011 16:13 +0900 (JST)

I would be more interested in this report if there were some actual numbers. The problem with the whole concept is, what is "high".

Ibaraki residents start monitoring radiation
Residents of a city northeast of Tokyo have started monitoring radiation levels in an effort to protect children from radiation exposure.

The group in Moriya, Ibaraki Prefecture, began the monitoring in a park on Monday. Measurements were taken one meter above the ground.

Moriya is about 200 kilometers from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, but the city has recorded the highest level of radiation among the municipalities in Ibaraki Prefecture.

The group says it will take measurements at 60 locations and put up warning signs where high levels of radioactive substances are detected.

Group member Mitsunobu Oishi says the authorities cannot conduct detailed checks in many places, so the group is taking action to ensure the safety of children.
Monday, July 04, 2011 15:54 +0900 (JST)

I'm not sure there is any new news here, other than that Kaieda has assured the mayor the central government will be responsible.

Mayor approves restart of Genkai nuclear plant
A mayor in the Japanese southwestern prefecture of Saga has approved the restart of a nuclear power station in his town.

Mayor Hideo Kishimoto of Genkai Town gave the green light on Monday to Toshio Manabe, the president of Kyushu Electric Power Company, the operator of the Genkai nuclear plant. Two reactors at the plant remain idle after routine check-ups were completed in April.

Kishimoto said he is convinced that the utility has emergency safety measures in place. He said industry minister Banri Kaieda has assured him that the central government will be responsible for the plant's safety.

Thirty-five reactors, or two-thirds of the national total, remain offline, due to the effects of the March disaster or regular inspections.

The Genkai plant is the first to be given the official go-ahead by municipalities hosting nuclear power stations.

Attention has shifted to whether the Saga prefectural governor will also approve a resumption of the plant's operations, despite local residents' concerns about its safety.
Monday, July 04, 2011 12:50 +0900 (JST)

Quake relief charity event held in Hanoi
A charity event has been held in Vietnamese capital of Hanoi to raise money for the survivors of the March 11th earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

About 200 Vietnamese and Japanese attended the event on Sunday hosted by the Japan Foundation and a Japanese magazine publisher.

Members of the Vietnam National Symphony played classical music pieces while local musicians gave performances of the country's traditional Ca Tru music that is registered on the List of UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Words of encouragements were offered for the people affected by the disaster. This was video taped and later posted on the internet.

A man who attended the event said he thinks people now have a better understanding of the difficulties Japan is facing. He called on people in Japan to "Ganbare" which means "hang tough" in Japanese.

The admission fees and profits from exhibitions and sales will be sent to Japan.
Monday, July 04, 2011 11:27 +0900 (JST)

[dorispulaski]

July 5th
TEPCO status

On July 4, we completed to set steel plates aimed at dose reduction at truck bay door on 1st floor of Reactor Building Unit 3.

- At 9:13 am on June 4, we started freshwater injection to reactor well and temporary storage pool of unit 4. We stopped injecting water at 6:18 pm on same day.

- From 10:00 am on July 4, we restarted transferring accumulated water from inside of turbine building of Unit 6 to temporary tank. We stopped transferring at 4:00 pm on same day.

- From 1:30 pm on July 4, we restarted transferring low radioactive stored water from outdoor temporary tank to Mega Float. We stopped transferring at 5:00 pm on same day.

- At 5:18 pm on July 4, as water level of the buffer tank that treated water at accumulated water treatment facility go through to inject water to the reactor rose near control level, we activated the pump for transferring treated water to the buffer tank.

NHK for July 5th

Conditions must be met to lift evacuation advisory
Members of Japan's Nuclear Safety Commission say the government must do more before it lifts an evacuation advisory for areas near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

During a news conference on Monday, the members referred to comments by the minister in charge of the nuclear disaster that the government could lift an evacuation advisory for areas 20 to 30 kilometers from the plant by around July 17th.

The members say a safety assessment must first be carried out to fully understand the situation inside the damaged reactors. They say the government must also confirm that another hydrogen explosion will not occur.

Residents in the evacuation advisory zone are required to remain indoors and must be prepared to evacuate in the event of an emergency. Some residents have already left for safer areas.

For those who have left, the members say the evacuation advisory zone must be thoroughly monitored for radiation contamination before residents are allowed to return to their homes.

Tokyo Electric Power Company has set July 17th as the date for finally getting the nuclear crisis under control. By that day, the utility hopes to have achieved stable cooling of the reactors and implemented measures to prevent a hydrogen explosion.
Monday, July 04, 2011 20:11 +0900 (JST)

Water flow falls at No.1 reactor, but restored
The volume of cooling water flowing into the No.1 reactor of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant fell on Monday, forcing workers to inject additional water.

A cooling system is in place at the number 1, 2 and 3 reactors. The system injects 3.7 tons of water every hour into the No.1 reactor.

Tokyo Electric Power Company says the reactor's water flow began to decrease gradually around 9 PM on Sunday night. By 8:13 AM on Monday, only about 3 tons of water was flowing into the No. 1 reactor, setting off an alarm.

Workers immediately began injecting double the usual amount of water. They managed to restore normal water flow in the reactor before 9 AM.

TEPCO says there was no change in temperature or pressure in the No.1 reactor.

The utility says some kind of debris may have clogged the hoses, reducing the water flow, and that it is checking to see how the failure occurred.
Monday, July 04, 2011 17:29 +0900 (JST)

Robot to gauge radiation in No.3 reactor
The operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant says it will send a robot inside the No.3 reactor to measure radiation and determine if it is safe to begin injecting nitrogen.

Tokyo Electric Power Company is rushing to implement the procedure, which has already been carried out in the No.1 and 2 reactors to prevent further hydrogen explosions.

High levels of radiation are hampering work inside the building housing the reactor. TEPCO workers on Monday covered parts of the floor with steel plates to block the radiation.

TEPCO says the remote-controlled robot is equipped with a special camera that shows radiation in different colors.

The firm plans to begin the operation on Wednesday after preparations on Tuesday. Once it has confirmed that radiation is falling, it will inspect pipes that will be used to inject nitrogen. It says if there are no problems, it will begin the injection before July 17.

Nuclear crisis minister Goshi Hosono said he wants to shrink the evacuation zone around the plant by that date, so attention is focused whether the plant operator can implement the operation as scheduled.
Tuesday, July 05, 2011 13:37 +0900 (JST)

Govt plans detailed radiation monitoring
The Japanese government will conduct a detailed survey of radiation levels in Fukushima and use the data to review existing evacuation orders and advisories.

In a meeting held on Monday, the government decided to take charge of all radiation surveys being conducted separately by ministries, localities and the operator of the disabled Fukushima nuclear plant.

All data will be collated by the education and science ministry and made public through a dedicated website.

A more detailed survey of radiation will begin later in July, with measurements to be taken every 2 square kilometers inside the no-entry zone and other areas where evacuation is advised.

Priority will be given to schools and streets frequented by children. The government plans to compile a database by the end of August before the children return to school.

Nuclear disaster minister Goshi Hosono has said that he hopes to begin studies around July 17th on whether to cancel one of the advisories that require residents to be prepared for evacuation in case of an emergency.

July 17th is the date when the nuclear plant operator is due to complete the first step of its 2-stage plan to put the crippled reactors under control.
Tuesday, July 05, 2011 10:41 +0900 (JST)

EU to ask for radiation tests on Shizuoka food
The European Union will require that food and farm products from Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan, be inspected for radioactive contamination before they are shipped to EU countries.

The EU said on Monday it made the decision after recently discovering in France tea leaves from Shizuoka with radioactive substances above the legal limit. It said the Japanese government also found contaminated tea leaves in Shizuoka.

The EU said it has lifted such requirements for food imports from Niigata and Yamagata, after confirming their safety by checking about 550 samples.

Currently, the EU requires radiation checks on food imports from Tokyo, Shizuoka and 10 other prefectures, following the crisis at the Fukushima nuclear plant trigged by the March 11th quakes and tsunami.
Tuesday, July 05, 2011 07:20 +0900 (JST)

Keidanren chief meets Areva executive
The chief of the Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, has asked for continuing cooperation from the world's largest nuclear reactor maker AREVA. The firm offered assistance in resolving the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Chairman Hiromasa Yonekura met with the vice president of AREVA, Dominique Mockly, in Paris on Monday.

Yonekura expressed his gratitude to Mockly for providing the technology to decontaminate the water at the Fukushima plant reactors.

He said it is necessary to urgently review the safety standards and implement the best measures to ensure them. He suggested that safety enhancement at nuclear power plants is essential to maintain nuclear power generation in the future.

Mockly said the nuclear industry in Europe is also facing adversity after the Fukushima accident. But he said it is possible to regain the public's trust once the industry becomes more transparent and discloses more information.

He added that AREVA hopes to exchange views on various aspects of nuclear energy with the Japanese in the future.

After the meeting, Mockly told reporters that the number of AREVA workers at the plant has decreased. But he said the company is ready to provide more workers at Japan's request.
Tuesday, July 05, 2011 04:37 +0900 (JST)

[champs]

This is artistic gymnastics related.
I recall there was a mention/discussion of whether Germany will be sending their team to Tokyo Worlds in October either here in this thread or the gymnastics thread over at FSU, so sorry if this is redundant:
Here is a video with Germany's Hambuchen in Tokyo in early May for promotion of the World championships, appealing safety:
http://gymnasticscoaching.com/new/20...-tokyo-worlds/

And a new video, this time with four gymnasts who were in Tokyo for Japan Cup 2011 last week:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=No9H00NwI1I

The first gymnast in the video should have said Tokyo instead of Japan but anyway.