Japanese Earthquake, Tsunami, and Nuclear Reactors

[dorispulaski]

And there were two other NHK stories I wanted to talk about in more detail:

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/...129646408.html

At least 61 people in Kenya’s capital were killed Monday after a gasoline pipeline exploded.

Energy Minister Kiraitu Murungi told VOA the explosion was one of the worst accidents ever in Kenya’s energy sector.
He explained that trouble began when pressure caused a gasoline pipeline to break a valve. Fuel then spilled into an open sewer in the informal settlement of Mukuru wa Njenga.

It started with a simple leak today. Did you even hear about it?

And yet the explosion in the low level nuclear waste reprocessing plant in France was all over the news, including in Japan.

Here's NHK's take. It has churned out 5 stories on this industrial accident (I'm listing from most recent back to first):

France probes explosion at nuclear-related site
Authorities in France say radiation levels around the nuclear waste processing facility where an explosion occurred are normal. They add that the furnace did not explode.

The explosion happened on Monday in Marcoule, southern France, at a building housing a facility to melt low-level radioactive waste. One worker was killed and 4 others were injured in the accident.

According to the facility, the blast was not in the furnace, as initially presumed, but near the furnace.

The French Institute for Radioprotection and Nuclear Safety says radiation readings in the air around the facility are the same as before the accident. No evacuation order has been issued for nearby residents.
The country's nuclear regulatory authority has sent an emergency response team to the site to investigate the cause of the accident.

The ecology minister Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet has gone to the site to assure residents that there is no nuclear leak.

Observers say the French government is trying to reassure the public. There has been growing concern over nuclear power stations in France following the accident in March at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi plant.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011 07:15 +0900 (JST)

For one thing, there is no nuclear plant at this site, nor is there a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant. It's irrelevant to whether French people should be nervous or not about nuclear power. It's about whether they want metal smelters around.

Previous article:

French institute examines radioactive samples
A French nuclear institute says metals containing 67,000 becquerels of radioactive substances were being burned at a nuclear waste treatment site near Nimes in southern France when an explosion occurred there on Monday.

The Institute for Radioprotection and Nuclear Safety says that the radioactive level is so low that there is no possibility of anything hazardous leaking into the environment.

It says the building housing the furnace has not been damaged, and there is no need for residents around the plant to evacuate.

But the institute says as wind was blowing from north to south at the time of the accident, it is now examining radioactive levels at several locations in the south of the compound.

The institute says the results will be available within a few hours.

It also says a fire broke out immediately after the explosion, but has been extinguished.

The institute monitored the impact of highly radioactive substances on the sea, after the explosion at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in March.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011 05:55 +0900 (JST)

The INSR is the group advocating a 1 mSv per year exposure threshold. If they say nothing happened, nothing happened.

And another NHK article

Explosion occurs at French nuclear facility
An explosion has occurred at a nuclear waste processing plant in the suburb of Nimes in southern France. The country's nuclear safety body says no radioactive leaks have been detected.

The blast in Marcoule took place shortly before noon on Monday.

One person reportedly died and 4 others were injured.

The nuclear agency says the explosion occurred in an oven used to melt metallic waste that contains very little radioactivity.

The plant is operated by a subsidiary of the EDF power company. A spokesperson says a fire broke out after the explosion, but it has since been brought under control.

Local media say no evacuation orders have been issued to residents living near the facility.

The nuclear safety authorities are investigating how the blast occurred.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has set up a task force. It is asking the French authorities to provide details of the accident in order to ascertain the situation.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011 05:55 +0900 (JST)

And here's an article from NHK that is just plain WRONG.

Explosion occurs at nuclear facility in Marcoule
The nuclear waste processing facility where an explosion occurred on Monday is part of a complex of nuclear facilities in Marcoule, southern France.

One of the facilities at the complex processes spent nuclear fuel to produce plutonium-uranium mixed oxide or MOX fuel.

The MOX fuel is sold for use in nuclear power stations in Japan.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011 05:55 +0900 (JST)

and the initial report

French envoy says no radiation leak from blast

A French envoy to the UN nuclear watchdog says there is no radioactive leakage after an explosion at a nuclear waste processing facility in southern France.

France's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Florence Mangin, confirmed that there was an explosion but said it was not a nuclear accident and no radiation has leaked.

Mangin is attending an IAEA board meeting in Vienna, Austria.

She said the French government will send an emergency response team to the site to gather further information.

France's interior ministry says the explosion was an industrial accident, not a terrorist attack.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011 05:55 +0900 (JST)

So the initial report was correct--what the heck was NHK doing with the other 4 reports? NHK reported nothing about the 61 people who died in a gasoline pipeline explosion in Nairobi.

This kind of over-sensationalized, crap reporting has become typical in anything with the word nuclear in the report. Heck, I expect to read something about explosive fallout from the nuclear family some time very soon.


And here's Atomic Power Review by will davis, the most reliable blogger about Fukushima. The coverage is making him crazy, even more crazy than I am about it, particularly coverage from Russia & Azerbaijan:

Monday, September 12, 2011

The Rabid Media - and the Marcoule incident
From time to time, I like to do the sort of thing you're about to see me do. I always thank Fintan Dunne for putting me on to this. Let's go!

First, look at the headline of the following article:

"What You Need to Know About the Nuclear Explosion In France."
http://www.theatlantic.com/technolog...france/244913/

There was no nuclear explosion in France. There was an industrial accident involving a furnace used to melt contaminated metal parts together into ingots for disposal. While this could involve, say, a fossil fuel explosion there isn't even a nuclear reactor in the facility in question.. and even THEN, there could not be a nuclear explosion because reactors cannot explode like nuclear weapons. So this has to be one of the most highly exaggerated headlines yet.

Here is just a horrible headline, and an even worse article:

France aims to limit fallout from nuclear accident.
http://en.trend.az/regions/world/europe/1930583.html

Where shall I begin?

-Clever use of the word "fallout" hints at radioactive fallout, but they really mean public reaction to the event.

-Note the use of the different serious scary words such as "blast" and "blown up."

-See the implication that the press has learned from anti-nuclear Fukushima press hack media guidelines vis a vis age of sites in this article when it mentions that this is one of the oldest nuclear sites in France. This is one of their new hot button things - age.

-Note how the article ends with "hasn't learned the lessons of Fukushima." Yes, well, lessons learned from one of the most massive natural disasters in modern times and how that relates to GE-Toshiba-Hitachi boiling water reactors in Mk I containment buildings really has little to do with an explosion and fire in and around a furnace that melts steel.

"Blast rocks nuclear plant in France."
http://rt.com/news/rocks-nuclear-plant-france-337/

It's not a nuclear plant. It's a waste processing facility. Can't we get a handle on the differences here, media? Please? What, do I need to issue you all a media guide? Nuclear energy 101, maybe I'll call it. By the way - don't even bother reading the article actually linked above because it's almost perfect in its incorrectness from front to back, top to bottom. It's a masterpiece of total inaccuracy.

"Jitters after nuclear accident in France."
http://english.ruvr.ru/2011/09/12/56071356.html

The Voice of Russia here makes it clear that they, and perhaps many others in Russia wish that something worse than Chernobyl would happen so that the spotlight is off them, and so that there's a new yardstick of "bad." Think I'm kidding? Read the last paragraph of this article twice slowly and you'll begin to realize I'm not.

I could go on and on like this, but I'd like you to compare all the articles you'll see in the blog roll on this site, and this site's own articles on the subject, with the various major media articles you have seen above on this post. The comparison - and the intent to scare and misinform by the major media - could not be more clear.

4:35 PM Eastern Monday September 12, 2011

Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if the Russian slant on this has more to do with promoting Russian fossil fuels- Gazprom and so forth, as the Russians are busily building and selling nuclear power plants in their own country and elsewhere.

[dorispulaski]

The second NHK story is this one:

And another NHK September 12th article. I decided to discuss this in a bit more detail, although we've all discussed the boars and the mushrooms before.

First the article.
Getting upset about wild boars and mushrooms is a fairly useless activity: it is well known that when there is any radioactive cesium present, it will concentrate in mushrooms (for example porcini mushrooms and deer truffles) and in any wild animals that eat them, like wild boars. It is no surprise that this works in Japan as well as in Germany, Czech Republic, and Ukraine:

Radiation checks on wild plants, animals urged
A Japanese expert is urging detailed checks on wild plants and animals for radioactive contamination after the recent discovery of high levels of radioactivity in a kind of mushroom and a wild boar.

Following the Fukushima nuclear accident, the central government set safety limits on radioactive substances in food. As of Saturday it has screened nearly 20,000 food products. The number includes items analyzed by prefectural authorities.

In March and April, vegetables and raw milk were found to contain unsafe levels of radiation. But recently, radiation levels, if detected, have not exceeded the safety standards.

Meanwhile, on September 3rd, a species of mushroom found in a forest in Fukushima Prefecture was discovered to contain 28,000 becquerels of radioactive cesium per kilogram, an amount far above the safety limit. A wild boar was also found to have radiation amounts about 6 times the safety limit.

Gakushuin University Professor Yasuyuki Muramatsu says radioactive cesium on soil and fallen leaves in forests is easily absorbed by mushrooms and edible plants. He says wild animals like boars accumulate high levels of radiation by eating contaminated mushrooms and plants.

The professor adds that detailed studies should be carried out on wild plants and animals to examine the impact of the nuclear accident on them as wild fauna and flora across Europe have been affected by radiation from the Chernobyl accident.
Monday, September 12, 2011 05:41 +0900 (JST)

Mycio in Wormwood Forest reports very large concentrations in boars and in mushrooms at Chernobyl. In fact, so far, this Japanese wild boar is a mere piker compared to a Ukrainian boar she mentions which had 444,200 becquerels in a kilogram of meat and a boar from Belarus that had 661,000 becquerels per kilogram of meat [Wormwood Forest, p. 108].

As to how such boars became that contaminated, Mycio reports on p. 109, "One mushroom found in 2002 contained 900,000 becquerels." If the boar ate several mushrooms like that, everything is explained. Please note that 2002 is long after the 1987 Chernobyl accident.

First for those who don't know about wild boars and mushrooms, please consider that one preferred method of truffle hunting involves a pig.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1L-uev-hwg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-vmtCoiVnI

Note that the pig digs up the truffle with his snout, thus inhaling whatever is in the soil, including radioactive cesium, if there is any. And if there is no one around, he's going to eat the truffle.

How much ground does a pig without an attendant dig up? Here's what a wild boas did in Volusia County, Florida, where they are a significant pest. The amount of destroyed land is alarming:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjPnT9e8akA

So boars eat worms, grubs and mushrooms in the top layer of soil, where radioactive cesium is most concentrated. It's no wonder that are likely to have very elevated cesium levels in areas where there is even a small amount of radioactive cesium.
A few words about truffles and porcini mushrooms:

Porcini mushrooms
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boletus_edulis

Common names for Boletus edulis vary by region. The standard Italian name porcino means "piglet" in Italian, and echoes the term suilli, literally 'hog mushrooms', used by the Ancient Romans,[15] and still surviving in Southern Italian words for this mushroom.[16] The derivation has been ascribed to the resemblance of young fruit bodies to piglets, or to the fondness pigs have for eating them.[17]

So, yes, wild boars will be only too happy to eat porcini mushrooms as well as truffles.
And porcini can tolerate a huge amount of metallic contamination:

Heavy metal contamination

Boletus edulis is known to be able to tolerate and even thrive on soil that is contaminated with toxic heavy metals, such as soil that might be found near metal smelters. The mushroom's resistance to heavy metal toxicity is conferred by a biochemical called a phytochelatin—an oligopeptide whose production is induced after exposure to metal.[73] Phytochelatins are chelating agents, capable of forming multiple bonds with the metal; in this state, the metal cannot normally react with other elements or ions and is stored in a detoxified form in the mushroom tissue.

and it draws on metals acquired over an area that is large compared with the size of the mushroom itself:

Mycorrhizal associations
Boletus edulis is mycorrhizal—it is in a mutualistic relationship with the roots of plants ("hosts"), in which the fungus exchanges minerals extracted from the environment for fixed carbon from the host.

This Czech paper discusses how wild boar meat becomes contaminated with radioactive cesium in detail:

http://actavet.vfu.cz/pdf/201079S9S085.pdf

Transfer of Radiocesium into Wild Boar Meat]
Petr Dvořák1, Petr Snášel1, Katarína Beňová2

The paper also notes that since cesium does not remain in the body of either boar or human, in the non-mushroom eating season, boars have much less cesium than when they can find an abundance of mushrooms and truffles.

The seasonal variations were similar to those of the neighbouring Germany, i.e. the highest contamination was detected in the first half of year.

A wise government would limit the hunting of wild boar to the first half of the year, something Germany has not done. And a wise hunter would be sure to brine the meat, as the article suggests:

Ecological halflife models (Lettner et al. 2009) can be used as valuable and effective tools to specify the countermeasures for contamination reduction or meat consumption regulation. Cooking or salting, including meat brining can take part in such countermeasures (Dvořák at al. 2008).

Boiling reduces cesium concentration better than other forms of cooking.

Now this Polish paper notes that boar meat was reported contaminated with radioactive cesium in 1985, even prior to Chernobyl. The cesium presumably came from atmospheric testing of bombs in the 1950's and 1960's.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science...48969794905835
http://www.irpa.net/irpa10/cdrom/01299.pdf

"Concentration of Caesium Isotopes in Foodstuffs in Poland"

D.Grabowski, B.Rubel, W.Muszynski, W.Kurowski, J.Swietochowska, G.Smagala
Central Laboratory for Radiological Protection,
Radioactive Contamination Department, Konwaliowa St.7. 03-194 Warsaw, Poland

Table 3 shows activity of both caesium isotopes in mushrooms in Poland
...

during the period between 1986 – 1999 and activity of 137Cs in single samples in 1985.
One can be surprised by the fact that in a few samples of mushrooms from 1985, there were more 137Cs than in other food products (e.g. Xerocomus badius 169 Bq kg-1) (4). This suggests that the overall radioactive contamination of forest mushrooms might equally be attributed both to the nuclear weapon tests in the atmosphere and to the Chernobyl accident

The correct moral to draw is to grow as many wild mushrooms in the forest as possible and use them to sequester cesium. Then store them as hazardous waste and repeat the following year. The cesium will be gone that much sooner.

The second moral is that it isn't wise to eat any wild boar or wild mushrooms unless they have been checked out first.

[Olympia]

See, this is one of those moments when we can be grateful that we're not rich enough to afford delicacies like truffles (well, not the mushroom kind, at any rate--I do splurge on chocolate truffles when possible). And we can be confident that they won't sneak any hint of truffle into our foods to adulterate them, because it's far to costly an ingredient. Isn't it nice how life works out sometimes.

I really like your idea of using mushrooms to siphon off the cesium from the soil, though.

[let`s talk]

From today, 12th, train schedules are officially back to its normal, pre-earthquake, schedules. No more adjustments, special trains, etc. A lot of ads and signs in Greater Tokyo are still off.

[dorispulaski]

From today, 12th, train schedules are officially back to its normal, pre-earthquake, schedules. No more adjustments, special trains, etc. A lot of ads and signs in Greater Tokyo are still off.

Excellent!

And now that the warm season is over, I understand that a good deal of the electricity saving rules have been cancelled?

Have the altered work schedules gone back to normal yet?

[let`s talk]

Excellent!

And now that the warm season is over, I understand that a good deal of the electricity saving rules have been cancelled?

Have the altered work schedules gone back to normal yet?

The altered work schedules is about people's work places or about working hours of public places, like supermarkets, etc? Offices were back to normal in a day or three after the quake. Shops and other public places have been working in the pre-earthquake regime for the last 3-4 months. I am not sure when they switched back to their usual routine. To say that the warm season is over is a little bit early. Today in Tokyo it was +33C and very humid. Electricity saving rules haven't been canceled yet. A good deal of signs and ads are off. Everywhere they still have posters and warning notes about saving electricity. It's true about Kanto though. Even in Shizuoka, a popular seaside area for summer holidays, located right next door, I didn't see any posters or warnings about saving electricity. But at least here, in the Greater Tokyo, trains are all back on usual tracks. It was a real mess in my head with all those extra-trains and adjusted schedules. Now it's over. Good!

[dorispulaski]

Thanks for the info!

Meanwhile

TEPCO STATUS REPORTS For September 14th and 15th:

TEPCO video of how their water system between the buffer tank and the reactors works, and how it is kept functioning during aftershocks. I found this a very interesting video!
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/news/110311/index05-e.html

Live Video shows that the panels are going up rapidly on the Unit 1 temporary covering.
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/f1-np/camera/index-e.html

Dust sampling at Unit 3-amazing that the spent fuel pool is not that damaged, considering that the whole top of the building blew off.
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/news/11031...s/110913_1.jpg

Based on the success of this method for improving cooling of Unit 3, TEPCO is extending it to Unit 2.

Unit 2
-At 2:59 pm on September 14, we started injecting water to the reactor through core spray system water injection piping arrangement in addition to the water injection through the reactor feed water system piping arrangement. Water is currently injected at approx. 3.8 m3/h through reactor feed water system piping arrangement, while the water injection through the core spray system water injection piping arrangement is under adjustment.

At 11:8 am on September 14, we stopped the operation of cooling facilities of common pool because the common pool power center will be moved with the replace of power panel located at the basement of the spent fuel common pool's building.

-At approx. 12:40 pm on September 14, 6 partner company's workers, who maintained water treatment faculties, conducted contamination check of full-face masks when they returned from the work site to 1F's Main Anti-Earthquake Building. As a result, inner side of the filter for 4 out of the 6 workers were confirmed to be contaminated. We will confirm whether the 6 workers might have absorbed contaminated materials inside of their bodies using whole body counter.


At approximately 12:40 pm on September 14, we found the inside of full-face masks, which were used by 4 out of 6 partner company workers, contaminated when we were checking the contamination of the masks used in maintenance work of the water treatment system. Then, as a result of the measurement by whole body counter, we have confirmed that no one took in radioactive materials.

- At approximately 4 pm on September 14, a TEPCO employee who returned from the patrol on the generators of Unit 1 - 4 (outdoors) to Visitors Hall of Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Station got decontaminated since contamination at his chin and neck was detected. Then as a result of the measurement by whole body counter, we have evaluated that no radioactive materials was taken in.

- At approximately 8:18 am on September 15, we found a partner company worker unequipped with a charcoal filter to the full-faced mask after the worker entered the site of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. We will check by whole body counter if he took in radioactive materials.

- At 10 am on September 15, we started transfer of accumulated water from the turbine building of Unit 6 to the temporary tank.

* From 9:15 am to 0:10 pm on September 14, we sampled gases in the Reactor Pressure Vessel of Reactor Building, Unit 1.

* At 9:47 am on September 14, we stopped the Spent Fuel Pool's desalination system of Unit 4 to install an electric dialysis equipment. At 0:25 pm on the same day, the desalination system resumed while we continued operation of an alternative system to cool down the pool.

* At 9:53 am on September 14, we stared transfer of the accumulated water from the condenser to the basement of Turbine Building of Unit 1.

* At 11:08 am on September 14, the Common Pool's cooling system was shutdown to move a Common Pool Power Center so that we will replace a power panel installed at the basement of Spent Fuel Common Pool.

* . At 2:59 pm on September 14, we started injecting water to the reactor through core spray system water injection piping arrangement in addition to the water injection through the reactor feed water system piping arrangement. At 3:25 pm on the same day, we adjusted the volume water at 1.0 m3/h. The volume of water injected from the feed water system remains unchanged Water is currently injected at approx. 3.8 m3/h through reactor feed water system piping arrangement, while the water injection through the core spray system water injection piping arrangement is under adjustment.

* At 0:40 pm on September 1, we found 4 out of 6 partner company workers contaminated when we were decontaminating the full-face masks of the workers who were engaged in maintenance work of the water processing system. By the use of whole body counter, we will check if they have take in radioactive materials.

* At 6:07 pm on September 13, as it was confirmed that there was a decrease in the amount of water injection for the reactor of unit 1, we adjusted the rate of water injection to approx. 3.8 m3/h.

* At 6:07 pm on September 13, as it was confirmed that there was a decrease in the amount of water injection for the reactor of unit 2, we adjusted the rate of water injection to approx. 3.8 m3/h.

* From 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on September 13, we transferred accumulated water from the basement of Unit 6 reactor building to the temporary tank.

At 10:00 am on September 11, we started transferring accumulated water from the turbine building of Unit 3 to the High Temperature Incinerator Building of Centralized Radiation Waste Treatment Facility. After the temporary interruption for the confirmation of the system constitution, we changed the transfer route and started transferring to Process Building of Centralized Radiation Waste Treatment Facility.

- At 9:51 am on September 13, we started transferring accumulated water from the turbine building of Unit 2 to High Temperature Incinerator Building of Centralized Radiation Waste Treatment Facility.

- At 3:58 am on September 13, we stopped the cesium absorption instrument and the decontamination instrument for the maintenance of the water treatment facility. Then, after the completion of the maintenance work, we restarted the treatment of the accumulated water at 7:20 pm on September 14.

NHK News

TEPCO spraying water directly into No.2 reactor

The operator of the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has begun injecting water directly onto the spot in the No. 2 reactor where the fuel is believed to be located after melting down in the pressure vessel.

Tokyo Electric Power Company has been spraying water continuously into the reactors since the March accident to cool them down.

As of 11AM on Wednesday, the bottom of the No.2 reactor was 114.4 degrees Celsius, compared to 84.9 degrees at the No.1 reactor and 101.3 at the No. 3 reactor.

TEPCO thinks the temperature at the No.2 reactor remains higher because the injected water is not cooling the place where the melted-down fuel is located.

On Wednesday, the utility began using pipes located above where the fuel is believed to be, along with an existing pipe, to diversify the coolant passages as the exact spot where the fuel is, remains unknown.

TEPCO says the temperature at the No. 3 reactor has dropped since the same method was introduced early this month.

The firm hopes to achieve a cold shutdown with the temperatures of all the reactors being kept stable and below 100 degrees by January.

It will adjust the amount of water being sprayed and monitor the change of reactor temperatures to find out the most effective way to cool them down.
Thursday, September 15, 2011 06:12 +0900 (JST)

Actually, Belarus did quite a bit of decontamination at the village of Gden & the town of Bragin post-Chernobyl, so this isn't unprecedented. Belarus got as much radioactive material from Chernobyl as Ukraine did, but Ukraine did no decontamination-just evacuated. However, if the Japanese commit to decontaminating all the severely affected areas, that will be unprecedented.

Expert panel starts discussing decontamination
An expert panel has begun discussing effective ways to remove radioactive materials from areas near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Experts on radiation and soil pollution on Wednesday attended the first meeting of the panel set up by the Environment Ministry.

Environment Minister Goshi Hosono told the panel that decontamination is Japan's top priority, and that the country faces the challenge of decontamination on an unprecedented scale.

In Fukushima Prefecture, municipalities near the plant have launched their own efforts to decontaminate buildings and soil.

The government plans to launch a model decontamination project in 12 of the prefecture's municipalities before focusing on severely contaminated areas early next year.

The panel is to discuss how much topsoil must be scraped away for effective decontamination, as well as standards and methods for municipalities' temporary storage of radioactive soil.

The ministry plans to draw up basic guidelines for decontamination, including specific methods, this year, based on the panel's discussion.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011 18:06 +0900 (JST)

Testing is always good. If there is no problem, people can be reassured. If there is a problem, it can be dealt with. Ignorance is the enemy, always.

Infants to be tested for radiation exposure

Minamisoma City in Fukushima Prefecture has decided to include infants and small children in tests for radiation taken into their bodies.

Parts of the city are designated as evacuation zones following the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

Since July, the city has been testing residents for internal radiation exposure, but infants and small children were excluded as the equipment did not fit them. It has been studying other test methods for them.

A city-run general hospital, working with a Tokyo-based medical firm, has decided on a method to measure amounts of radioactive substances in urine and began accepting applications on Thursday.

The new test will be provided free of charge for children 6 years old and under. Results will be mailed about 2 weeks after urine samples are received.

A mother said she has not been allowed to go outside with her baby, adding she wants to have her baby tested as soon as possible.

An official at the hospital said many parents must be worried about the health of their children, and that he hopes the tests would ease their concerns.
Thursday, September 15, 2011 14:01 +0900 (JST)

On its face, a good idea. However, I would like to see the ground under such panels sampled to see if it is affected in any way after 20 years. And I would like to know where the Japanese plan to put the 170,000 hectares of discarded panels 20 years from now when they wear out.

170,000 Hectares = 656.4 Square Miles

400,000 Hectares = 1,544 Square Miles

Government promotes solar power in idled farmland

Japan's agriculture ministry has decided to ease regulations so that idle farmland can be used for renewable energy generation.

The government is promoting the use of alternative energy after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident. But one of the challenges is securing enough land for solar power and other types of renewable energy.

Ministry officials say they will revise a farmland law so that 400,000 hectares of idle land nationwide can be used for the power generation business.

They also plan to set up a fund to help land owners and agricultural organizations start up companies engaged in wind and solar power generation on idle farmland.

The ministry estimates that 20 percent of the nation's electricity supply could be produced if 170,000 hectares of that land are used for renewable power generation.

It aims to submit necessary bills to next year's ordinary Diet session.
Thursday, September 15, 2011 11:07 +0900 (JST

UN: Fukushima plant based on poor assessment of natural disasters

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has blamed the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant in northern Japan on its design which, he says, was based on poor hazard assessments of natural disasters.

The secretary general released a 43-page report on Wednesday, after studying the March accident with UN entities including the International Atomic Energy Agency and the World Health Organization.

The report says it is necessary for nuclear power stations to strengthen their safety standards.

It proposes the creation of a global system to allow the IAEA to internationally monitor radiation levels, citing the international impact of major nuclear accidents and emergencies.

The report calls for an international emergency response framework in the event of nuclear accidents, to secure human health and food safety.

The report also stresses the importance of the peaceful use of nuclear energy, in order to help improve the lives of the 2.4 billion people in developing countries suffering from energy poverty.

The UN secretary general is to convene a high-level meeting on nuclear safety and security on September 22nd in New York.
Thursday, September 15, 2011 16:40 +0900 (JST)

Energy poverty and its effects can be seen when people run toward a gasoline spill to collect spilled gasoline, rather than away from it, as happened in Nairobi this week.


And another perspective on the tsunami:

March 11 tsunami caused unprecedented fire
A survey has found that Japan's March 11th tsunami triggered at least 130 fires, destroying 5.65 million square meters of the northeastern prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima. That's the worst case on record.

Fires are sparked when fuel from tanks and ships, drifting after the tsunami, are ignited by vehicle batteries or other sources. Once lit, flames spread quickly as tsunami debris hinders fire-fighters.

Fire departments from the 3 prefectures told NHK that of the 131 fires reported, 100 were in Miyagi, 22 in Iwate and 9 in Fukushima.

The largest damaged area was some 3.14 million square meters in Otsuchi Town, Iwate, followed by about 2.45 million square meters in Kesennuma City, Miyagi.

A total area of around 5.65 million square meters was reported to have burnt in 4 cities and towns.

Similar fires occurred when major earthquakes hit the central prefecture of Niigata in 1964 and the northern prefecture of Hokkaido in 1993. Over 50,000 square meters was consumed by fire in each event.

But the March 11th earthquake and tsunami destroyed an area about 100 times larger, making it the worst on record.

The figure is likely to rise as the fire departments continue their survey.
Thursday, September 15, 2011 06:12 +0900 (JST)

I don't know why workers do this, but they have done it in the US as well.

Plant workers fail to evacuate despite exposure

At least 4 workers at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant failed to evacuate even though their radiation monitor indicated levels of beta rays exceeding the set limit.

The workers were replacing equipment in the plant's wastewater processing system on Wednesday.

Their beta ray counter indicated levels above the evacuation benchmark of 5 millisieverts per hour, but the workers did not evacuate and continued repairs.

Beta rays can not easily penetrate the skin and the legal limit of exposure in case of emergency is 1,000 millisieverts per hour.

The 4 workers' level of exposure is believed to have been 9.5 millisieverts at maximum, which poses no immediate health risks.

The plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company, is looking into why the workers failed to leave despite hearing an alarm. It has also begun checking 17 other people who were working nearby for exposure to beta rays.

Late last month, 2 Tokyo Electric workers were exposed to high levels of beta rays. Another 2 workers were contaminated when they were accidentally sprayed with radioactive wastewater.
Thursday, September 15, 2011 09:51 +0900 (JST)

And NHK continued to report on the French furnace explosion. I find it strange that people, either French or Japanese or American, think that the second a disaster or accident occurs, there will be instant, complete, credible, accurate information about it. That just can't be so.

French nuclear agency declares accident terminated

Nuclear safety officials in France have declared Monday's explosion at a nuclear waste facility "terminated," but local residents remain worried.

The accident occurred on Monday at the Marcoule nuclear facility in southern France, inside a building that houses a furnace for melting low-level radioactive waste.
One person was killed and 4 others injured by the blast.

France's Nuclear Safety Authority says about 4 tons of metal scrap extracted from nuclear waste were being melted inside the furnace at the time of the accident.

It's not known what caused the explosion, but the nuclear authority says there has been no major damage to the facility, and no radioactive leaks.

The region has a high concentration of nuclear facilities, including a processing plant for fuel made from a mix of plutonium and uranium and a reactor being run to produce plutonium.

The French government has sent Ecology Minister Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet to the site to oversee investigations into the cause of the accident.

But local residents are complaining about the lack of information at the time of the explosion, and remain skeptical about the facility's safety.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011 19:17 +0900 (JST)

What.fracking.idiots.

(And yes, increasing natural gas usage means more fracking)

http://www.theoec.org/Fracking.htm?g...FUOo4AodDR7FiA

And NHK reports this. If a worker fell in the cafeteria, would that be a nuclear accident?

[b]German media report French explosion harshly]/b]

German media have reported harshly Monday's explosion at a nuclear waste treatment site in southern France, which killed a worker onsite.

German newspaper, Die Welt, called it the first major nuclear accident since the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan.

The daily says that French ministers are calling it an industrial, not a nuclear accident, but that there is no doubt it happened in the country's nuclear industry.

German weekly magazine, Der Spiegel, meanwhile highlights differences between the 2 countries in their energy policies.

Germany decided this year to shut down all its nuclear power plants.

The magazine says the accidents in Chernobyl and Fukushima did not change French attitudes toward nuclear energy, so the latest one will not either.

The magazine criticizes the slowness of the French nuclear safety authorities in disclosing information, and their response to the accident, describing it as very passive.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011 12:02 +0900 (JST)

IAEA adopts action plan to boost nuclear safety

The International Atomic Energy Agency has adopted an action plan aimed at strengthening safety at nuclear power plants around the world.

The agency's 35-nation board adopted the plan at a meeting in Vienna on Tuesday. The IAEA worked out the plan after a ministerial meeting held in June, in the wake of the nuclear accident in Fukushima, Japan.

The 12-item plan states that the agency will send inspectors to evaluate reactor safety at least once every 3 years based on voluntary requests from member countries with nuclear plants.

It also says the IAEA will send a rapid-response expert team for assistance in emergency measures in case of a nuclear plant accident.

Some countries, including Germany, wanted the safety evaluations to be mandatory, while others, including the United States, stressed that safety issues should be left to national authorities.

The action plan is expected to be implemented after it is approved at the IAEA's general conference to be held from Monday.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011 20:40 +0900 (JST)

And TEPCO attempts to correct errors in news coverage. Good luck with that.

Regarding the September 11 TBS Broadcast Report "Earthquake Disaster Special Program: Truth of Battle of Nuclear Accidents in 180 Days"

September 13, 2011
Tokyo Electric Power Company
With regard to the captioned report on Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, there were certain contents that were not based on facts or potentially misleading reported in the program. The items reported are as follows:

1.The report determined that "The meltdown and explosion of hydrogen could have been prevented by proper responses including the operation of IC despite the power outage. However, the details including the causes, mechanisms and operation of IC, etc. are now being investigated by the "Investigation Committee on the Accident at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Stations".
Under the circumstances, the report prematurely presumed or guessed that it was a "Human Made Disaster" before the facts become evident. Given the misleading nature of this report, we extremely deplore that such a report was made.

2.The report mentioned that "Action involving the vent took too much time because the order to implement the manual operations of the vent valve was delayed". Due to a station blackout, we were unable to monitor the pressure of the containment vessel. However, after the monitoring function was restored by connecting it to a small generator, the general manager swiftly issued orders that included moving forward with manual vent operations (March 12th, approx. 12:06 am). Hence, the order was not late. Prior to the implementation of on-site vent operations, it was necessary to obtain Government approval. In addition, we also had to spend time confirming operation procedures, the radiation level of the site, and an estimation of the operation time, making/reporting the evaluation of exposure dose around the site, and confirm the evacuation of residents. As a result, we actually started the vent operations at around 9:00 AM on March 12 after we confirmed that the evacuation of the residents of Okuma Town (Kumachi District) had been completed. In addition, because the site work was conducted when radiation levels were very high, the workers had to work in multiple shifts. They also had to work in the darkness due to the loss of power. It was very difficult to maintain communication between the workers and the head office because the physical lines of communication were lost at that time. It was under such severe circumstances that we were called upon to respond quickly and accurately.

3.The report mentioned that TEPCO reported its intentions to implement a full withdrawal from the site to the Government. However, that is not a fact. The point that was informed to the Government was that "Given the severity of the situation, we wanted to consider the potential necessity that for some workers who were not directly involved in the response work, they may temporarily be withdrawn". Regarding this very point, the former Prime Minister, Kan, mentioned at the budget committee in the House of Councilors on April 18 and May 2, that he had summoned the President of TEPCO and was given the answer that "it did not mean a 'withdrawal' (April 18th)". Prime Minister Kan also stated "At one stage, since I heard from the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry that TEPCO may have intentions of withdrawing due to various reasons, I summoned the President to clarify his intentions. His answer was that we do not have any intention of withdrawing." (May 2). These statements correspond to the facts as we understand them.

I'm sure the TEPCO people feel like the neighbors of this "farm" with respect to the press

Over 20 crocodiles escape flooded Thai farm

More than 20 crocodiles have escaped from a farm in Thailand, after heavy rain destroyed their enclosure.

The farm in the beach resort of Pattaya says 22 crocodiles have been captured, but some may still be on the loose.

The tourist attraction has about 400 crocodiles.
About 100 workers have joined in the search.

A local newspaper says people are staying indoors as the missing reptiles may be hiding in the area.

Heavy rain in Thailand over the past 2 months has caused mudslides and flooding, killing more than 80 people.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011 07:18 +0900 (JST)

[dorispulaski]

Meanwhile NPR has a report on the evacuees:


Areas Of Northern Japan May Be Off-Limits For Years


http://www.npr.org/templates/transcr...ryId=140411068
Heard on Morning Edition September 13, 2011

A few excerpts I found very interesting and pertinent:

I forget from time to time that a large part of the exclusion zone has severe earthquake and tsunami damage, too, and that damage has not been touched since the earthquake.

FRANK LANGFITT: Miyo Tatebayashi has just returned from a government-organized trip to the radiation zone. She wanted to see her house, which stood about three miles from the nuclear plant.

MIYO TATEBAYASHI: (Through translator) When I got out of the bus with my daughter, we were smiling and like, yeah, it's there. But when we actually saw our place, I thought, oh, there is no way.

LANGFITT: The tsunami had washed her home away, and the meltdown had irradiated her land. So much so, the government says parts of Tatebayashi's hometown, Futaba, may be off-limits for 20 years. Tatebayashi says she now realizes her life as she has known it, is over.

TATEBAYASHI: (Through translator) Now I've given up. I've finally accepted it.

It's inexcusable that the government hasn't conveyed radiation guidelines to the people who have received dosimeters, in my opinion:

LANGFITT: The couple is spending this warm afternoon indoors, at a community center. They don't want their daughter, Chitose, exposed to the higher radiation levels outside. So Chitose runs around by herself. A small, pink box swings from a cord around her neck. It's one of 26,000 radiation monitors the Fukushima government gave students recently. The devices will measure radiation exposure for each child over the next several months. But parents are confused. The government still hasn't said what it considers a safe level of radiation for students.

ISHIZAKA: (Through translator) I just don't know what this is useful for. Even if I'm told your kid had this level of radiation, I can't see whether it means it's safe or not.

LANGFITT: This has been a common complaint since the disaster. People say the government is slow to reveal information and explain things. I went to the Fukushima City Education Committee, and the Disaster Management Office, to find out why there's no safety standard for the radiation monitors. Officials said it was up to the national government to set them.
I'm here at Fukushima City Hall, looking at a radiation monitor. And it says that just outside, there's 1.09 microsieverts per hour of radiation. Using a Geiger counter, I found similar levels around town. A microsievert is a dose of radiation. But what danger, if any, does it pose?

STEVE SIMON: One microsievert per hour, in my view, is not terribly large.

LANGFITT: Steve Simon is a radiation physicist at the U.S. National Institutes of Health. He says one microsievert isn't dramatically higher than the level of radiation that occurs naturally, and he says it's never been shown to cause cancer.
SIMON: We're only talking about a few times background radiation, whereas all studies that have been done where they found effects, were hundreds or thousands or ten thousands of times.

LANGFITT: Would Simon feel safe living in Fukushima City?

SIMON: I would not have any hesitation about staying there, based on that single bit of information. That radiation level would not frighten me.

[dorispulaski]

TEPCO Status Reports for Sept 15 and 16, up till 10:00 am Sept 16.

Unit 2. At 3:45 pm on September 15, with regard to the injection into the reactor of Unit 2, we adjusted the amount of water injection from the core spray system to approx. 2.0 m3/h (the amount from the feeding water system is kept at approx. 3.8 m3/h) Thereafter, as decrease of water injection rate into the reactor was observed, at 9:11 on September 16, we readjusted water injection rate through core spray system to 2 m3/h. *


Unit 6 - - At 3:12 pm on September 10, we started cooling the spent fuel pool through the Residual Heat Removal System A using the seawater pump C. Then, we were cooling the reactor and the spent fuel pool by turn through the System A. At 2:33 pm on September 15, we started separately cooling the reactor through the Residual Heat Removal System and the spent fuel pool through Equipment Cooling Water System and Fuel Pool Cooling System.

Water treatment systems
*We found that the density of radioactive materials is increasing after treatment by decontamination instruments when we check the performance of treatment of water treatment instruments (decontamination instrument and cesium adsorption instrument). In order to find out causes, at 6:22 pm on September 15, we stopped operating the water treatment instruments and at 6:42 pm started to operate only the cesium adsorption instrument and it reached the rated flow (approx. 30 m3/h) at 6:46 pm. With regard to the second cesium adsorption instrument, it has been in operation.

* At 9:56 am on September 15, we restored and restarted the seawater pump of Equipment Cooling Water System of Unit 6. At 2:33 pm on the same day, we completed the adjustment of the flow rate of Fuel Pool Cooling System and started cooling the spent fuel pool. Consequently, the reactor and the spent fuel pool are now separately cooled through Residual Heat Removal System and Fuel Pool Cooling System respectively.


* At 9:44 am on September 15, we stopped transfer of the accumulated water from the basement of the turbine building of Unit 3 to Centralized Radiation Waste Treatment Facility (Miscellaneous Solid Waste Volume Reduction Treatment Building [High Temperature Incinerator Building]), and restarted transfer to Centralized Radiation Waste Treatment Facility (Process Main Building).

From 10 am to 4 pm on September 15, we transferred of accumulated water from the turbine building of Unit 6 to the temporary tank.

At approximately 8:18 am on September 15, we found a partner company worker unequipped with a charcoal filter to the full-faced mask after the worker entered the site of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. Then, as a result of the measurement by whole body counter, we have confirmed that the worker did not take in any radioactive materials.

TEPCO reported on its progress at finding and evaluating the radiation exposure of all people who have worked at the plant since March 11.

The number of the evaluated from March to June as of August 31 March: 3,738 persons out of 3,751 intended persons (13 persons are remaining.) April: 3,522 persons out of 3,650 intended persons (128 persons are remaining.) May: 2,996 persons out of 3,143 intended persons (147 persons are remaining.) June: 1,981 persons out of 2,278 intended persons (297 persons are remaining.)

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp.../110915e21.pdf

Results
External dose
In March, 6 TEPCO and 3 contractors more than 150 and less than 200 mSv
20 TEPCO and 8 contractors more than 100 and less than 150 mSv Everyone else less
In April, 2 TEPCO and 2 contractors more than 50 and less than 100 mSv, everyone else less
In May and months following, all measured less than 50 mSv.

Internal dose

In March, 5 Tepco over 250 mSv
1 Tepco more than 200 and less than 250 mSv
1 Tepco more than 150 and less than 250 mSv
5 Tepco more than 100 and less than 150 mSv
April and following months, all internal doses less than 50 mSv.
Adding together, for those hired April and afterward, all total doses are less than 100 mSv.

In March total exposure:
6 Tepco and 0 contractors more than 250 mSv
0 Tepco and 2 contractors more than 200 and less than 250 mSv
12 Tepco and 2 contractors more than 150 mSv and less than 200 mSv
62 Tepco and 15 contractors more than 100 mSv and less than 150 mSv

They are still searching for the people that they haven't been able to find and measure. In a step in the right direction, no one hired in July or later is unfound.

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp.../110915e19.pdf
Only Cs137 and Cs 134 were found by the Japanese Chemical Analysis Center gamma ray analysis in soil samples from the usual 3 sites at Fukushima Daiichi. Samples taken August 23rd. The shorter lived isotopes are now all below the threshold of detectin.
Highest Cs137 4.8 exp 5 becquerels per kg
Plutonium concentration typical of post-atomic test concentrations, but isotope ratios show some tiny contribution from the reactors.


NHK News

Clearly, since the performance of the water treatment system is better, TEPCO feels comfortable injecting more water.

TEPCO injecting more water into 2 reactors

The operator of the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is injecting more water into 2 of the plant's reactors in an attempt to lower their temperatures below 100 degrees Celsius.

As of 5 AM Friday, the bottom of No.2 reactor measured 114.1 degrees Celsius and that of the No.3 reactor 103.3 degrees. The temperature at the No.1 reactor was 85.3 degrees.

Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, has been injecting water continuously into the 3 reactors since the March accident. The utility is aiming at a cold shutdown of all reactors by January next year, with stable temperatures below 100 degrees.

Earlier this month, TEPCO began boosting injections of cooling water into the No.2 and No.3 reactors by using overhead pipes in addition to the pipes on the reactors' sides, to see if this would help lower temperatures.

As the new method showed some benefits, TEPCO began on Friday afternoon to increase the water flow by one ton to a total of 7 tons per hour for the No.2 reactor, and by 5 tons to 12 tons per hour for the No.3 reactor.

The company says it will continue monitoring temperatures and make adjustments as necessary. It also indicated it may inject more water into the relatively stable No.1 reactor.
Friday, September 16, 2011 18:07 +0900 (JST)

Who knew they had Monday morning quarterbacks in Japan?

Researchers say meltdown could have been avoided
A group of researchers says the meltdown of a reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant could have been avoided if water injection had been carried out 4 hours earlier than it was.

The researchers at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency on Thursday reported the finding based on a computer simulation of the accident at the plant's No. 2 reactor.

The core meltdown took place within a few days after the reactor's cooling system failed due to the major earthquake and tsunami on March 11th.

The Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, said earlier that data analysis shows that the cooling system may have stopped working shortly after 1 PM on March 14th.

The utility started injecting water to cool the reactor at around 8 PM that day, after reducing pressure in the facility. But by 8 PM the next day -- around 100 hours after the quake -- much of the reactor's fuel had melted and collected at the bottom of the reactor's pressure vessel.

The simulation suggests that if water had been injected by around 4 PM, it could have prevented the meltdown by lowering the temperature of the fuel before it reached 1,200 degrees Celsius, destroying the fuel's container.

Group leader Masashi Hirano says the damage to the fuel could have been avoided, and that he wonders why TEPCO did not start injecting water earlier despite difficulties

TEPCO says it doesn't believe the operation was delayed, adding that workers did their best amid high radiation levels and other severe conditions.

Of the plant's 6 reactors, the No. 1 to No. 3 suffered meltdowns after losing cooling functions.

At the No. 2 reactor, a hydrogen explosion on March 15th caused the release and spread of massive amounts of radioactive substances.
Thursday, September 15, 2011 21:46 +0900 (JST)

Noda is to address the UN. Ban Ki Moon apparently wants to tell him what to say?

UN chief urges Noda to explain nuclear accident

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has urged Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda to fully explain what took place after the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant and what measures will be taken.

Noda is scheduled to attend a United Nations' summit-level meeting on nuclear safety and security on Thursday of next week in New York.

Ban told reporters on Thursday that following the accident in Fukushima he has called on the international community to strengthen safety standards on nuclear power stations.

He said he wants Prime Minister Noda to share Japan's experience and lessons it has learned with leaders from around the world.

The UN chief also said it is necessary to step up safety at nuclear plants while introducing renewable energy, but that he thinks nuclear power generation should be continued to meet the world's energy needs.
Friday, September 16, 2011 07:57 +0900 (JST)

Yes, this will happen. Waste is typically concentrated by various process. As water and other constituents are removed in waste during treatment, the net concentration of cesium is larger. Again, I would suggest more SARRY systems at treatment plants. Typically, an acidified water will take up cesium better than non-acid, so acidify the water (white vinegar is pretty cheap). Then run the acidified water through the Sarry system to remove the cesium. Then you have to store the cesium, but the volume of radioactive waste is much reduced.

Cesium found in industrial waste

Industrial waste at 6 incineration facilities has been found to contain radioactive cesium at levels that exceed the government-set limit for disposal.

Following the nuclear accident in Fukushima, the ashes of garbage from private homes were found to contain levels of radioactive cesium, well above the limit of 8,000 becquerels per kilogram. The contaminated garbage was treated at waste disposal plants in the Kanto and Tohoku regions.

The Environment Ministry had asked 16 prefectures in the Tohoku, Kanto and Koshin-etsu regions to examine ashes from woodchips and other industrial waste.

Out of the 110 incineration facilities tested, levels of radioactive cesium exceeded 8,000 becquerels per kilogram at 4 sites in Fukushima Prefecture and one each in Iwate and Chiba prefectures. The highest measurement was 144,420 becquerels per kilogram at one facility in Fukushima.

These facilities were found to be temporarily keeping the ashes without disposing of them in landfill sites.

Since the 6 facilities had been storing the waste material outdoors before incineration, the Environment Ministry plans to examine other facilities that follow similar methods.
Friday, September 16, 2011 06:50 +0900 (JST)

[Olympia]

How heartbreaking that some lands in Japan, which has so little land to begin with, will be off limits for twenty years. Not that Chernobyl was more bearable, but at least the U.S.S.R. (which the Ukraine was part of in those days) had territory to spare, and even the Ukraine alone has a lot of space.

[dorispulaski]

We've been taking care our grandchildren while our son and his wife took a well-deserved break. Consequently, I haven't had time to post the last couple days.
It is sad if some areas are not decontaminated, but that would be a choice of the government.
At Chernobyl, the area around the damaged reactor was decontaminated, precisely so the other reactors at the site could be continue to be operated. The lack of decontamination is either a failure of will or a lack of financial incentive, or an inability to absorb the cost.
A commenter at this website asks the most important question that the Japanese government should be asking, and which they have been dodging: what is the level of radiation that should trigger long term evacuation, especially given that the biggest threat to life at Chernobyl was actually fear and despair:

Remember that the people who live in these places are subjected to this level of radiation every day of their lives:
http://atomicinsights.com/2011/09/if....html#comments

What do you think is a reasonable background radiation threshold ?
400 msv a year like Ramsar-Iran ?
600-700 msv a year like in some southwestern parts of France and parts of Brazil?
50 msv a year, the limit imposed on nuclear plant workers ?
20 msv a year, the restriction now imposed for determining evacuation zones in Fukushima (and 1 msv a year for children?)
10 msv a year like in Denver ?

Do we really think all the children in Denver should be evacuated?

September 17th, 18th and early 19th Status Reports:
TEPCO is changing their water injection scheme, making use of the core spray system for Unit 2. They have been using it for Unit 3.
The boric acid inhibits the rate of any nuclear reaction going on:

Unit 1
- At 3:41 on September 16, we adjusted water injection rate through reactor feed water system piping arrangement at approx. 3.8 m3/h, as decrease of water injection rate into the reactor was observed.
Unit 2
- At 3:35 pm on September 16, we adjusted water injection rate through core spray system at approx. 3 m3/h.
Unit 3
- At 3:05 pm on September 16, we adjusted water injection rate through core spray system at around 8 m3/h.
At 9:11 am on September 16, with regard to the injection into the reactor of Unit 2, as we observed decrease of injection rate of water, we adjusted the amount of water injection through the core spray system to approx. 2.0m3/h.

*From 10:16 am to 2:15 pm on September 16, at increasing volume of water injecting into the reactor of Unit 3, we conducted injection of boric acid into the reactor. Thereafter, we increased injection rate of water through core spray system and at 3:05 pm adjusted at 8.0m3 (injection rate from feed water system remain at 4.0m3/h).

*At 10:54 am on September 16, we could not monitor flow rate and pressure due to the fault of control board of second cesium absorption tower within the water treatment facility, we manually stopped operation of the facility. Thereafter, we replaced the control board and at 2:50 pm on the same day, restart the facility and at 2:57 pm returned to normal flow rate.

*At 9:53 am on September 16, we started transfer of the accumulated water from the condenser of Unit 1 to underground of the turbine building of Unit 1. We stopped transfer at 2:35 pm.

*At 3:35 pm on September 16, with regard to the injection into the reactor of Unit 2, we adjusted the amount of water injection through the core spray system to approx. 3.0m3/h (injection through feed water system remain at 3.8m3/h).

*At 3:41 pm on September 16, with regard to the injection into the reactor of Unit 1, as we observed decrease of injection rate of water, we adjusted the amount of water injection through the core spray system to approx. 3.8m3/h.


Water contamination system is again fixed. They had to change out a board.
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushi...10916_03-e.pdf


Tepco measured the concentrations of Cesium 137, Cesium 134, Iodine 131, and looked for other isotopes that emit gamma radiation in the containment vessel of Unit 1. The good news is that the concentrations are quite low- maximum 150 becquerels per liter of Cesium 137. No iodine 131. The only surprise Sb 125 at 140 bequerels per liter. (half life 2.75 years)

TEPCO has pictures of the Reactor One cover
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/news/11031.../110917_01.jpg
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/news/11031.../110917_02.jpg
There are a lot of other current pictures here:
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/news/110311/index-e.html
The changes in method for water injection are having results. Check out this graph and table. The Reactor Pressure vessel of Unit 3 is now at 90.9C and all the measurements they take are now under 100C:
Essentially, provided we see another week or two of these low temperatures, it will look like Unit 3 is in some form of cold shutdown, as is Unit 1.
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushi..._data_3u-e.pdf

They started using this method on Unit 2 later, but as you can see, the graph is starting to show improvement
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushi..._data_2u-e.pdf
Reactor pressure vessel bottom is down to 102.5 C.

Will Davis explains this effort in detail here:
http://atomicpowerreview.blogspot.co...or-update.html

First, TEPCO has greatly increased the amount of water being injected into No. 2 and No. 3 reactors through the core spray lines. This is an attempt to drive the measured temperatures down in order to establish a 'cold shutdown' condition.

TEPCO indicates that there was an increase in containment vessel pressure in No. 2 reactor plant shortly after the beginning of injection via the core spray line - thus it is certain that the water being injected through this line reached the core. It is important here to note that at this point, when either I or TEPCO use the term "core" this refers to the essentially deranged, or demolished, mass that contains the fuel elements' material and the control rods' material, in condition not fully known. (This is not news to long-time APR readers.)

After noting the success of the use of the core spray lines, TEPCO has decided to make a large increase in total water flow to these two reactors through the core spray lines (keeping the feed line amount the same) in order to attempt to determine what flow rate will give a cooldown rate to meet the desired 'cold shutdown' timetable. Even though the chances of recriticality are very remote, TEPCO has decided to inject borated water prior to each major increase (in steps) and monitor conditions closely.

He also discusses TEPCO's attempts to use control rod position sensors in Unit 1 to tell them something about the condition of the reactor pressure vessel bottom. However, the sensors are in very poor shape, either due to radiation, corrosive environment or exposure to high temperature or all of the above. Results are not conclusive.

NHK News

Cesium detected in 4% of tested rice
Radioactive tests on rice have been completed in more than half of the Tohoku and Kanto regions, and radioactive cesium has been detected in 4 percent of the samples. But the highest level detected so far is about a quarter of the government's safety limit.

Based on the interim results, shipments of rice have started in municipalities in 15 prefectures.

A preliminary examination is conducted while the rice is still growing and another test is carried out after the harvest. Rice can only be shipped if the amounts of cesium in the post-harvest test are below the government-set safety limit of 500 becquerels per kilogram in all the locations within a municipality.

Preliminary tests have been completed in 7 prefectures, but not in Fukushima or Miyagi.

Radioactive cesium has been detected in 72 places so far, including 64 locations in Fukushima Prefecture, where the Fukushima Daiichi power plant is located. But the highest level detected was 136 becquerels per kilogram, which is about a quarter of the government's safety limit.

The main test is being conducted in 17 prefectures, and has been completed in more than half of them. Radioactive materials were detected in rice harvested in 22 locations. But the highest level detected so far is 101.6 becquerels per kilogram, or one fifth of the government's safety limit.

With the preliminary and main tests combined, the results are known for more than 60 percent of the test locations. Radioactive materials have been detected in 94 locations, or 4.3 percent of the total.

Shipments of rice have started in municipalities in 15 prefectures, including all 52 municipalities in Chiba Prefecture.

In Fukushima Prefecture, shipments of ordinary rice have started in 2 municipalities, and those of early-harvested rice in 20 municipalities.
Sunday, September 18, 2011 22:23 +0900 (JST)

Rice, particularly white rice, does not have a relatively large cesium uptake,which is what this data demonstrates.

Japan to offer products from disaster areas as ODA
Japan's Foreign Ministry hopes to use products from the country's northeast that was hit by the March 11th quake and tsunami to aid developing countries.

The Foreign Ministry filed a budget request worth more than 220 million dollars with the government, which is working on a third supplementary budget bill for fiscal 2011.

The Ministry says it wants to use part of the requested budget, worth about 65-million dollars, to buy industrial products, including wheelchairs, and marine food products made in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima Prefectures, to provide them free of charge to developing countries.

The Ministry says it hopes the program will also help stop radioactive-related rumors from affecting
shipments and sales of those products overseas.

Sales of products made in the country's northeast have been hurt by such rumors since the nuclear crisis began at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant in the same region.

The Ministry also requested the equivalent of about 52 million dollars to set up a rapid quake and tsunami reporting system for nations in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Rim region.

The Ministry says it also wants the equivalent of about 13 million dollars to invite experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency to assess and advise on radiation surveys the government plans to conduct.
Monday, September 19, 2011 05:59 +0900 (JST)

This is interesting, but the fact that the effects of precipitation and wind are not included somewhat limits its utility. It also does not include the effects of decontamination projects.
The professor hopes that it will show where to decontaminate, and will somewhat alleviate people's worries
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/18_17.html
It's kind of neat to watch the animated map have areas drop back to normal.

Future radiation levels forecast on electronic map
A group of Japanese researchers has drawn up an electronic map which shows changing radiation levels at about 2,200 locations in a 5-year period.

The map was made by a research group led by Professor Isao Tanihata at Osaka University's Research Center for Nuclear Physics.

The group calculated estimated radiation levels at each of about 2,200 points over the next 5 years based on data released by the education and science ministry.

Most of the locations are in Fukushima Prefecture, where a nuclear accident was triggered in March by the massive earthquake and tsunami.

The group took into account the level of radioactive cesium, which drops as time passes.

By using Google Earth services, the group forecast the level at individual sites and point of time with a bar graph. Possible changes in level naturally caused by rain and wind and the decontamination effort are not included.

For example, the map shows that a radiation level of 4.36 microsieverts per hour detected in June in Kawamata Town about 30 kilometers northwest of the troubled plant will fall to 1.75 microsieverts 5 years later.

Professor Tanihata hopes that the map will help state and local authorities to work out a specific plan to decontaminate areas to get people to return to their hometowns.

The map will be made public at the research center's Website on Monday.
Sunday, September 18, 2011 14:59 +0900 (JST)

IAEA to adopt action plan to ensure reactor safety
The UN nuclear agency is due to adopt an action plan aimed at stepping up safety at nuclear power plants around the globe by conducting regular inspections.

The International Atomic Energy Agency will hold an annual ministerial meeting in Vienna for 5 days starting on Monday.

The meeting is expected to endorse an action plan that was adopted at a board meeting last Tuesday in response to the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan caused by the March 11th earthquake and tsunami.

The voluntary plan calls for the agency to send inspectors to reactor operating nations to check the safety of their reactors at least once over the next 3 years, to be followed by regular inspections.

The plan also calls on relevant governments to set up rapid-response teams to deal with nuclear emergencies in efforts to strengthen their nuclear crisis control.

During the meeting, Japan's nuclear crisis minister, Goshi Hosono, will brief other members about his government's plan to bring the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant under control. A special session will be held for the participants to exchange views on ways to deal with the crisis of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
Monday, September 19, 2011 05:59 +0900 (JST)

Siemens to leave nuclear industry
German industrial and engineering giant Siemens is withdrawing from the nuclear industry following the German government's decision to phase out nuclear power generation.

Chief Executive Peter Loescher revealed the plan in an interview in the edition of the German weekly magazine "Der Spiegel" published on Sunday.

Loescher said the company will no longer be involved with construction of nuclear power stations. He said the decision is the company's answer to the clear positioning of Germany's society and government for a pullout from nuclear energy.

He said the company will still produce steam turbines and other parts for non-nuclear facilities such as gas-fired power stations.

Siemens is the first major nuclear power equipment manufacturer to withdraw from the nuclear industry.

The German government decided in June to shut down all of the country's 17 nuclear reactors by 2022 in light of the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station in Japan in March.
Monday, September 19, 2011 09:28 +0900 (JST)

Further info, curiously, shows a greater rather than a lesser role for Japan in nuclear, internationally, via Mitsubishi and Toshiba, which owns Westinghouse's nuclear division, and of course, for France (via Areva) and Russia (via Rossatom):
Dan Yurman discusses Siemens' exit from the nuclear business here:
http://djysrv.blogspot.com/2011/09/s...ho+Samizdat%29

Areva pushes for Middle East contracts

While Siemens is retreating from the nuclear business, its former partner Areva is pushing ahead to ink new deals. The latest move involves a joint venture with Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to bid on Turkey’s second nuclear power station to be built at Sinop on the Black Sea coast. This moves follows the withdrawal of a consortium of Toshiba and TEPCO following the Fukushima nuclear crisis.

In an interesting development, Mitsubishi said it would not buy an equity stake in Areva despite previous public announcements it would pursue one. Mitsubishi Board Chairman Kazuo Tsukuda was quoted by financial wire services. as saying Areva no longer needed an infusion of cash.

Last year Areva shareholders added [e]900 in working capital ($1.24 billion). Tsukuda added that Mitsubishi would step up to offer capital to Areva if needed in the future.

The joint venture is referencing the 1,100 MW Atmea nuclear reactor for the bid in Turkey and also for a similar project in Jordan.

And for those who have claimed that dreck from the earthquake and Fukushima have already reached Hawaii, consider this bottle, which took 5 years to get there:

Message bottle from Japan washes ashore in Hawaii
A glass bottle containing a letter and photograph of a Japanese school has washed ashore in Hawaii, 5 years after it was dropped into the ocean in Kagoshima, southwestern Japan.

US naval petty officer Jon Moore found the clear glass bottle on Thursday during a beach cleanup on Kauai.

The letter was dated March 25th, 2006. It says the bottle was put into the Pacific Ocean by all the students in a class as their graduation memory.

The sender wrote in Japanese and English that she was a 6th grader and it was exciting to think about where the bottle would drift to and who would find and pick it up.

A photo of her elementary school classmates was enclosed.

The US petty officer who found the bottle says he will definitely respond and wants to write back to the school.

Local media are reporting the story about the bottle, which travelled more than 7,000 kilometers for over 5 years before reaching Hawaii.
Saturday, September 17, 2011 11:03 +0900 (JST)

[let`s talk]

One more documentary about Fukushima, nuclear power, etc. BBC.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vywZ84mixs

[dorispulaski]

After I catch up from the weekend, I will have to watch that.

Meanwhile, I have been catching up on global news:

Various German officials have denied that this will happen, however Der Spiegel says:
http://www.spiegel.de/international/...html#ref=nlint

09/15/2011
Greenwashing after the Phase-Out; German 'Energy Revolution' Depends on Nuclear Imports
By Laura Gitschier and Alexander Neubacher

Germany's decision to phase out its nuclear power plants by 2022 has rapidly transformed it from power exporter to importer. Despite Berlin's pledge to move away from nuclear, the country is now merely buying atomic energy from neighbors like the Czech Republic and France.

The nuclear power plant in the Czech village of Temelin, barely 100 kilometers (62 miles) as the crow flies from the Bavarian city of Passau, has a reputation for being particularly prone to malfunctions. Over the years, there have been 130 reported incidents here. Sometimes it's a generator that fails; at others, a few thousand liters of radioactive liquid leak out of the plant.
"The entire facility needs to be shut down immediately," says Rebecca Harms, a member of the European Parliament representing Germany's Green Party.
Still, due to high demand for electricity in Germany, the accident-prone Czech reactor is doing good business. Indeed, when Germany took some of its nuclear power plants offline this spring, the Czech nuclear industry went into the export business. These days, it's sending roughly 1.2 gigawatt-hours of electricity across the border every day.
Though it might be exaggerating things a bit to say it, after having to worry about the danger of the nearby Czech reactor for years, Passau residents are now glad it's there to keep their lights from going out.

With the Germans buying, the Czechs are planning to build more reactors:
http://www.ifandp.com/article/0013875.html

CEZ shifts to domestic energy security

The time for foreign expansion is over and developing nuclear energy will be a top priority for CEZ, the Czech state majority-owned power company, said its new CEO Daniel Benes.
The appointment of the new CEO heralds a new era in the company, shifting its focus from foreign expansion to its domestic market. “It is obvious that we will focus more on the Czech Republic. The period of foreign expansion has finished,” newspaper Mlada Fronta Dnes quoted Benes as saying.
“The main priority is developing nuclear energy, and it is not only about expanding Temelin (nuclear power plant),” he said. “It is also about prolonging Dukovany’s operations and raising output of current nuclear power plant blocks.”
CEZ plans to build two new power-generating units at its two-unit Temelin nuclear power plant over the next 10 years. In addition, it aims to build a new block at Dukovany and two further units in Slovakia, representing a CZK500bn (US$27.6bn) investment.
Mr Benes added that the Temelin tender will be awarded in 2013, according to the original timetable. The bidders include Toshiba Corp (Frankfurt: TSE1.F) unit Westinghouse, an alliance of Russia’s Atomstroyexport and Czech company Skoda JS, and France’s Areva (Paris: AREVA.PA).
While the company expects to concentrate its renewable energy portfolio abroad, it does not envisage the development of renewables at home.

And a legal challenge in Germany to the country's nuclear fuel tax appears to have been upheld, meaning the country will have to reimburse plants, and there are questions about whether the plants that were closed were closed legally:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...uclear-plants/

Germany faces backlash from closing nuclear plants

On Monday, the Financial Court in Hamburg expressed doubts about the constitutionality of a new federal tax on nuclear fuel rods - a ruling hailed as a victory by nuclear power plant operators.
The court also approved a nuclear plant operator’s request to suspend collection of the tax and reimburse payments that already have been made.

And there is this, too:

Constitutional scholars across Germany said the moratorium was unconstitutional on the grounds that only the legislature could make such a move, barring an imminent threat to the public.
Meanwhile, the announced phaseout of nuclear energy already has come at a cost to the industry and the government. It is also blamed for slowing economic growth in the second quarter of this year.

Meanwhile, Bayer Pharmaceuticals, which employs 35,000 people in Germany and has global sales of $48 billion, is threatening to leave Germany entirely because of the high price of energy.

In South Korea:

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stori...pu4dZQ.twitter

South Korean court rejects bid to shut nuclear reactor
Posted: 20 September 2011 1940 hrs

SEOUL - A court on Tuesday rejected a bid by local residents to force South Korea's oldest nuclear reactor to shut down immediately over fears of radioactive leaks.

The court in the southern city of Busan said the 30-year-old Gori-1 reactor is safe and being properly managed by its operator, state-run Korea Hydro-Nuclear Power Co, Yonhap news agency reported.

A group of 97 Busan residents had sought an injunction in April after the company decided in 2008 to extend the operations of the reactor, originally designed for only 30 years, for 10 more years.

The residents said extended use could lead to radioactive leaks.

Fears over nuclear power grew worldwide after Japan's earthquake and tsunami on March 11 badly damaged the Fukushima Daiichi plant.

Germany in May became the first major industrialised power to agree on an end to nuclear power, with a phase-out to be completed by 2022.

"It is accepted that Korea Hydro is currently conducting proper technical management to keep under control potential risks stemming from the continued operation of the Gori-1 reactor," Judge Park Chi-Bong said in his ruling.

The court said major parts prone to wear have been replaced and new technology had been added to improve resistance to an earthquake or tsunami.

South Korea operates 20 nuclear plants, which generate some 35 percent of its electricity needs, and plans to build 12 more over the next 14 years.

The nation has vowed to stick to its atomic power development programme despite heightened concern following the Japanese crisis.

- AFP/al

and in the USA, the NRC is waffling about restarting the North Anna, VA, nuclear plant, and is holding public meetings about it:

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-co.../11-056.ii.pdf

The NRC announces a public hearing on North Anna inspection results on Oct. 3, with the entire report to be available later in October.

You can check out the 'damage' here yourself, as reported by CBS:

http://www.wtvr.com/videobeta/24ed5d...-Power-Station

North Anna damage

• Some tiles on an admin building
• Some chipping on a pillar in the turbine building
• A pipe leak in the turbine building
• Shifting of the storage casks without any visible damage.

As to the storage casks, similar casks were in use at Fukushima Daiichi, and they weathered the quake without any damage. This is no surprise since the casks have been tested to endure collisions, tipping over, and various other extreme accidents, like being dropped from cranes, hit by speeding locomotives, head on collisions of trucks and trains, and so forth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mHtOW-OBO4

This is a cool video, if you like to watch things in collisions.

Meanwhile, Energy Secretary, Dr. Steven Chu, addresses the IAEA here, and while asserting that US nuclear safety must always be the most important thing, he presentst the administration's view that nuclear energy is and will be an important part of our energy mix here in the US. Furthermore, the US government wants to help other countries operate reactors by providing fuel for them:

http://energy.gov/articles/us-energy...ral-conference

ON THE IMPORTANCE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY: “Nuclear power will continue to be an important part of our energy mix, both in the United States and around the world. Its role grows more valuable as we confront a changing climate, increasing energy demand, and a struggling global economy… The United States recently announced the availability of a reserve stockpile of low-enriched uranium for countries pursing peaceful civilian nuclear programs.”

ON LESSONS LEARNED FROM FUKUSHIMA: “…the Fukushima disaster reminds us that nuclear safety and security require continued vigilance. All nations have a responsibility to learn from Japan’s experience. In the United States, a Nuclear Regulatory Commission Task Force has completed an initial 90-day review of the agency’s regulatory oversight and safety standards, given insights from Fukushima, and provided a set of recommendations to enhance reactor safety.”

[dorispulaski]

And TEPCO status again:


Tepco Status as of September 21st

Unit 1 Reactor Pressure Vessure Bottom: 80.1 C
Unit 2 Reactor Pressure Vessure Bottom: 111 C
Unit 3 Reactor Pressure Vessure Bottom: 86.4 C

Daiichi radiation readings for Sept. 21, 6:30 AM JST:
Eight peripheral measurement points (5, 20, 13, 12, 14, 33, 99, 75) MicroSieverts/hour
Main Office Building 291 microSieverts/hour
Main Gate 27 microSieverts per hour
West Gate 11 microSieverts per hour

Daini radiation readings for Sept. 21, 6:30 AM JST:
Seven peripheral points: (1.7, 1.2, 1.7, 1.5, 1.4, 0.9, 1.0 ) microSieverts per hour

TEPCO issued their quarterly status report:
Summary
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp...s/110920e2.pdf

Main Report
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp...s/110920e3.pdf

Some things I hadn't heard before:
Basic Concept for two years' work of "Basic Concept for Pushing Ahead with Decontamination Works" and "Basic Policy for Response on Decontamination Work" were published in August. Implementation bega with decontamination starting in Date City and Minami Soma City. The Japanese government has allocated 220 billion JPY for this.

There is a clear definition for cold shutdown of a damaged reactor:

Reactor Pressure Vessel Bottom Temperature is less that 100 C
Release of Radioactive Materials from the PCV is under control and public radiation exposure by additional release is being significantly held down.
In order to keep satisfying the above two conditions, secure midterm safety of the circulating water cooling system, (reliability of parts and materials, redundancy and independency, assessment for slack time for emergency, detection of failure and trouble, confirmation of restoration measures and recovery time, etc.)

95,420 tons of water have been treated by the water treatment system. Last week, uptime was 83%.

The usual stuff:

Unit 1

- From 3:37 pm on March 25, we started injecting freshwater by a motor driven pump which is now powered by the off-site transmission line. Water is currently injected at approx. 3.6 m3/h through reactor feed water system piping arrangement.

Unit 2
At 3:16 pm on September 19, we adjusted the water injection rate through core spray system water injection piping arrangement to approx. 4 m3/h.


- At 11:08 am on September 14, we stopped the operation of cooling facilities of common pool because the common pool power center would be moved with the replace of power panel located at the basement of the spent fuel common pool's building. After the completion of the work, we restarted cooling the common pool at 5:22 pm on September 19.

- At approximately 9:40 am on September 20, a hand of a worker of a partner company who was moving the on-house transformer outside hit his own full-face mask, and the charcoal filter of his mask came off temporarily. Since there is a possibility of the internal exposure, we will just in case check whether he is exposed internally or not using the whole body counter. We confirmed that neither the inside of the full-face mask nor his face was contaminated. Afterwards, as a result of measurement by the whole body counter, we confirmed that there was no internal exposure.

* At approximately 11:00 am on September 20, a puddle of water was found at the basement of common spent fuel pool. We are planning to conduct sampling of the puddle of water.



- At 10:00 am on September 20, we started transferring the accumulated water from the turbine building of Unit 6 to temporary tanks.

And they issued a photo of the leakage at the desalination facility:
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushi...10920_01-e.pdf

[dorispulaski]

TEPCO REPORTS September 21st

Some fixes to the water system and adjustments to the flow rates as they cool the reactors:

* It was confirmed that incorrect adsorption tower was installed in No.2 cesium adsorption instruments. At 9:47 pm on September 20, the instrument was suspended when switching operation was given to the tower. At 10:02 pm, the instrument was restarted and reached the regular water flow at 10:10 pm.

* At 10:00 am on September 21, we started transferring accumulated underground water from the turbine building Unit 6 to temporary tank.

* Unit 1
At 11:40 am on September 21, since we confirmed reduction of water injection volume to the reactor, we adjusted the water volume at approx. 3.8 m3/h from reactor feed water system piping arrangement. Water is currently injected at approx. 3.8 m3/h through reactor feed water system piping arrangement.


* At 11:40 am on September 21, as it was confirmed that water injection to Unit 2 reactor by reactor water feed system was decreased. We adjusted the amount of water injection to approximately 4.0 m3/h. The amount of water injection by reactor core spray system was also adjusted to approximately 4.0 m3/h.

* At 01:34 pm on September 21, water desalination instrument (reverse osmosis membrane type) (3) was restarted by using backup system.

*At 10:00 am on September 20, we restarted transferring accumulated water in the basement of turbine building of Unit 6 to the temporary tanks. At 4:00 pm on the same day, we stop transferring.

*At approximately 11:00 am on September 20, a puddle of water was found at the basement of common spent fuel pool. As a result of nuclide analysis of the water, some radioactive materials (Cs 134: 4.7-7.0x100 [Bq/cm3], Cs 137: 5.4-8.1x100 [Bq/cm3], Co 60: 1.2x100 [Bq/cm3]) were detected. However we assume that there is no leakage outside because any pipeline connecting to the outside does not exist. We are now investigating sources of the influent water.

You wouldn't want to drink that water (8,100 becquerels/liter of cs 137 at worst), but it is reasonable to handle.

and they issued their update on radioactive water treatment and storage

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp...s/110921e8.pdf



NHK NEWS

Typhoon Roke is coming. Winds are listed at 144 km/hr (89 mph). NHK has clarified yesterday's report of possibly more radioactive water--water is leaking into reactor 6's basement.

Fukushima nuclear plant on typhoon alert
Workers at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant are stepping up precautions in advance of the approaching typhoon.

Typhoon Roke is expected to approach the northern prefecture of Fukushima on Wednesday night. It has already brought a total rainfall of more than 200 millimeters to the area since Tuesday midnight.

Efforts to install steel plates at the plant's water intake area have been halted for fear of storm surges. Strong winds and heavy rain have forced the suspension of work to cover the No. 1 reactor building.

Outdoor piping and pumps for injecting water into the reactors have been secured with ropes to keep them from being knocked over by strong winds.

Tokyo Electric Power Company has confirmed rainwater has flowed into the basement floor of the No. 6 reactor turbine building and that it has found leaks in the roof of the central control room of the No.1 and 2 reactors. But no serious damage to the plant has been discovered.

Rainfall of up to 250 millimeters is expected in the area through Thursday noon, but TEPCO says radioactive wastewater is unlikely to overflow from the reactor turbine buildings.

TEPCO says it is closely monitoring the wastewater levels around the clock.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011 20:27 +0900 (JST)

TEPCO sets standard for compensating entrepreneurs

The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has unveiled guidelines for compensating individuals and small and mid-sized businesses affected by the ongoing nuclear crisis.

The Tokyo Electric Power Company says the amount of compensation for farmers, fishermen, manufacturers and tourist businesses will be calculated in principle based on last year's sales or shipments.

Compensation for individuals and companies that had to suspend business due to evacuation is to be determined by subtracting material costs from last year's sales.

Profit loss due to radiation-related rumors is to be partially compensated.

Initial compensation is to cover a 6-month period starting on the day of the March disaster. Applications for subsequent compensation will have to be made every 3 months.

Tokyo Electric plans to start mailing application forms next week and begin payment by the end of October.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011 20:21 +0900 (JST)

TEPCO plans to cut workforce
Tokyo Electric Power Company will cut its workforce by about 10 percent in the face of ballooning costs over the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

The utility needs to implement cost-cutting measures in order to be able to pay compensation to people affected by the accident.

On Tuesday, TEPCO President Toshio Nishizawa told a government panel inspecting the firm's financial situation that it will cut 3,000 to 5,000 employees.

But Nishizawa explained that the downsizing will not take place until about 3 years from now because TEPCO needs staff to deal with compensation procedures.

The panel's head, Kazuhiko Shimokobe, expressed dissatisfaction with the measure, saying it's insufficient.

The panel will compile a report on TEPCO's cost-cutting plans, which include the sale of assets, by sometime next week.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011 11:38 +0900 (JST)

Yes? And what is TEPCO supposed to do about cleanup workers-go slower and keep people in shelters longer because they are using fewer employees?

and

Japan posts trade deficit in August
Japan's trade balance in August posted a deficit for the first time in 3 months.

The Finance Ministry said on Wednesday that the trade deficit was a record high for August at about 10.2 billion dollars.

Exports rose 2.8 percent in yen terms to about 70.5 billion dollars, the first year-on-year increase since February.

Auto exports led the rise as supply chains disrupted by the March earthquake were restored.

In sharp contrast, imports rose 19.2 percent in yen terms to about 80.7 billion dollars.

This was largely due to record imports of liquid natural gas for thermal power generation. The higher demand for LNG is driven by power shortages resulting from the halt in nuclear power plant operations after the March disaster.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011 12:29 +0900 (JST)

One country's loss is another's gain. Despite Australia's touted carbon tax, it is happy to make money helping other countries, like Japan, to add CO2 to the air. This article from The Australian could not be more clear about Australia's happiness to oblige:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news...-1226141161891

Photo: LNG Ship

http://resources0.news.com.au/images...gy-horizon.jpg

Japan's Loss Our LNG Gain

THIS hulking behemoth docked in Darwin Harbour (main picture, right) is a 143,000-tonne illustration of the opportunity given to Australia by Japan's Fukushima nuclear disaster.

With each load, the Energy Horizon will take about $60 million worth of liquefied natural gas (based on present spot prices into Japan) to fuel the gas-fired power plants that are making up the shortfall left in Japan's energy grid.
On the Tokyo Gas vessel's maiden voyage it took on 65,000 tonnes of LNG from ConocoPhillips' Wickham Point terminal last weekend before heading back to Japan.
Tokyo Gas says it expects the Energy Horizon will make up to 15 trips a year, bringing gas from Darwin LNG and the Pluto project in Western Australia.
Japan is also investing in Australia's coal-seam gas industry and wants more thermal coal to fill the void left by nuclear plants that have been stalled after the Fukushima disaster as the nation rethinks its energy policy.

...

Senior Woodside and Santos executives, speaking recently at a packed gas industry forum in Tokyo, say the Fukushima disaster will add up 20 million tonnes a year to Japan's gas needs and Australia will be expected to supply a large share of that.
That's equivalent to more than a whole year's worth of Australia's present output, although enough new projects are starting, including WA's Pluto 1, Gorgon and Prelude projects and several Gladstone-based CSG ventures to soon triple production levels.
The latest gas industry forecasts suggest that Australia will soon surpass Qatar as the world's biggest provider.

...

The Perth-based head of Allens Arthur Robinson's Japan practice, Tim Lester, says the change in Japan's energy mix certainly has bolstered the future of several LNG projects.
"There's been a real shift in the economics of these projects. The capital costs are incredible and when the LNG price was a bit low there was a concern that too many projects were coming on line," he says. "But as a consequence of the nuclear disaster these projects are being readily sought after. I really sense that things have changed."

Natural gas is booming, but its price is going up & and is expected to go up more, or these projects would not be going forward.y.

We in the US will benefit, too, according to The Australian:

The US energy giant[Chevron] recently announced it had signed a binding deal to supply gas to Japan's Kyushu Electric Power. Under the arrangement, a total of 700,000 tonnes of LNG will be shipped to Kyushu from Wheatstone every year for up to 20 years. Chevron will provide the bulk of it and smaller supplies will come from the other project partners.
Kyushu will also buy a 1.83 per cent stake in the gas fields feeding the Wheatstone project and 1.46 per cent in the LNG processing plant to be developed near the town of Onslow, Chevron says.

What? Wasn't it supposed to be all renewables all the time in Japan now? Nope. Not any time soon.

The disaster has revived interest in renewable energy, but power use remains such that coal will also be a main beneficiary. Demand is increasing as companies seek to develop new sources of supply from Mongolia, Africa and other places.

In case you're wondering, the Japanese are importing coal, and are planning to import more coal:

Ferguson, who has been besieged by Japanese utility chiefs on both of his recent trips to Japan, says companies are also after extra coal from Australia, although short-term supplies remain constrained by the impact of the Queensland summer floods.
While there is no doubt Fukushima has presented a gilt-edged opportunity, Japan is pressing Australia to combat cost blow-outs and delays that are being blamed on labour shortages and materials prices.
Japanese government and industry figures are also worried about becoming too dependent on Australia. Although the two countries are close allies, the succession of floods in Queensland has raised questions over the reliability of our coal supply and Japan is looking towards developing countries to spread its resource risks.

Australian mining is going crazy, including causing labor shortages:

The two recent conferences in Tokyo have been awash with gold-rush style stories about the riches on offer to workers in mining regions and how this is distorting the labour market and fuelling tensions between small town regional communities and fly-in, fly-out workers.

Which is why Noda told the Wall Street Journal this, as reported by The Globe & Mail:


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe...rticle2173347/

According to The Wall Street Journal, Mr. Noda is determined to restart idled nuclear reactors by next summer, with fewer than a dozen of the country's 54 reactors currently operating.
"We must bring them back up as best as we can, because if we have a power shortage, it will drag down Japan's overall economy," Mr. Noda told the Journal. When asked whether this summer's success in living without reactors meant that the country can cope next year without restarting idled plants, he responded: "That's absolutely impossible."

The Japanese economy has already been dragged down.


Meanwhile countries other than Japan with a strong commitment to nuclear appear to be going ahead with nuclear builds after Fukushima, just as the US did after Three Mile Island.



Will Davis's Atomic Power Review blog:
http://atomicpowerreview.blogspot.co...-projects.html

New nuclear power projects
On the wires today are the following announcements:

-Brazil intends to build four nuclear plants to supplement the two it already operates, with one more in an advanced state of construction.

-South Africa intends to build six nuclear plants, to supplement the two plants it already has in operation.

According to the WNA database, Brazil has one nuclear plant site - Angra - which has two plants in operation and one under construction. The two operating plants are a Westinghouse two loop pressurized water reactor and a Kraftwerk Union PWR. The plant under construction is a KWU / Areva PWR.

South Africa's two plants are Koeberg 1 and 2, which are Framatome pressurized water plants.

Those who have decided for themselves that nuclear is a 'done deal' after the Fukushima Daiichi accident should note that many nations which have been planning nuclear construction or expansion for years are still going through with their plans.

For the record, about half of the operating commercial nuclear power plants in the United States received their operating licenses and were placed on the grid AFTER the Three Mile Island accident. Thus the news stories about other countries' plans to go ahead with nuclear power are not at all surprising to this writer.

And another

Good news out of Vancouver. RT @IBEW37: "Support of Nuclear Energy" Resolution No. 17 has been adopted. #IBEW #ibewcon2011

The US has two or three states taking action against nuclear power, most notably Vermont and New York. In Vermont, there is significant popular support for getting rid of Vermont Yankee, and Democratic Governor Shumlin is strongly in favor of that. He would be--his inaugural ball was paid for by Green Mountain Power president. GMP is wholly owned by Canadian natural gas company Gaz Metro.
http://yesvy.blogspot.com/2011/09/ve...-hurry-up.html

Things in Vermont are quite literally heating up:



http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world...t-1185210.html

Fire at Vermont Yankee corporate offices, seven miles from the plant, was arson.