DISASTER Fukushima Reactor Disaster: MAIN THREAD - Five Year Anniversary

from blogger ex-skf

Saturday, May 14, 2011
Water Torture at #Fukushima:

http://ex-skf.blogspot.com/2011/05/water-torture-at-fukushima-reactor-3s.html

Reactor 3's Temperature Remains High Despite Added Water,

and Contaminated Water in Reactor 2 Trench Is Rising

TEPCO is pumping 15 tons of water per hour into the Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) of the Reactor 3, as the temperature inside the reactor remains elevated.

Yomiuri Shinbun (1:11PM JST 5/14/2011):


TEPCO announced on May 14 that the temperature continues to rise in the Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) of the Reactor 3, and TEPCO increased the amount of water being injected by 3 tons per hour to the total 15 tons per hour starting this morning.

That's 360 tons per day. (No need to remind the readers that the fuel inside this Reactor is MOX fuel.)

According to TEPCO's press release on May 14 before they announced the increase of water being injected, TEPCO was going to switch the water injection line from the fire extinguishing line that they had been using to the regular (repaired) feed water line, as they suspected a leak in the fire extinguishing line. However, the temperature continued to rise, and now they are using both lines and increased the amount of water from the fire extinguishing line.

In the meantime, the highly contaminated water in the trench from the Reactor 2 is RISING despite the water is being transported to the Central Waste Processing Facility.

According to Yomiuri Shinbun (in Japanese, reporting the press conference; 1:53PM JST 5/14/2011), the level of highly contaminated water in the trench from the Reactor 2 has risen 4 centimeters since the work to transport the water to the Central Waste Processing Facility started on April 19. 5,070 tons of water have been already pumped from the trench.

TEPCO is injecting 7 tons of water per hour to cool the RPV of the Reactor 2, according to the above Yomiuri article.

No need to remind the readers that the Suppression Pool of the Reactor 2 is damaged.

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Tom, what happens if the heat from this reactor keeps heading upwards. Can it explode eventually?

Tom McDowell said:

from blogger ex-skf

Saturday, May 14, 2011
Water Torture at #Fukushima:

http://ex-skf.blogspot.com/2011/05/water-torture-at-fukushima-reactor-3s.html

Reactor 3's Temperature Remains High Despite Added Water,

and Contaminated Water in Reactor 2 Trench Is Rising

TEPCO is pumping 15 tons of water per hour into the Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) of the Reactor 3, as the temperature inside the reactor remains elevated.

Yomiuri Shinbun (1:11PM JST 5/14/2011):


TEPCO announced on May 14 that the temperature continues to rise in the Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) of the Reactor 3, and TEPCO increased the amount of water being injected by 3 tons per hour to the total 15 tons per hour starting this morning.

That's 360 tons per day. (No need to remind the readers that the fuel inside this Reactor is MOX fuel.)

According to TEPCO's press release on May 14 before they announced the increase of water being injected, TEPCO was going to switch the water injection line from the fire extinguishing line that they had been using to the regular (repaired) feed water line, as they suspected a leak in the fire extinguishing line. However, the temperature continued to rise, and now they are using both lines and increased the amount of water from the fire extinguishing line.

In the meantime, the highly contaminated water in the trench from the Reactor 2 is RISING despite the water is being transported to the Central Waste Processing Facility.

According to Yomiuri Shinbun (in Japanese, reporting the press conference; 1:53PM JST 5/14/2011), the level of highly contaminated water in the trench from the Reactor 2 has risen 4 centimeters since the work to transport the water to the Central Waste Processing Facility started on April 19. 5,070 tons of water have been already pumped from the trench.

TEPCO is injecting 7 tons of water per hour to cool the RPV of the Reactor 2, according to the above Yomiuri article.

No need to remind the readers that the Suppression Pool of the Reactor 2 is damaged.

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Click to expand...

Hansa44 said:

Tom, what happens if the heat from this reactor keeps heading upwards. Can it explode eventually?

Click to expand...

Good question! Obviously there's a risk to the degree that TEPCO is committed increasing the flows. I don't have the answer on the possibility of an yet another explosion at number three.. I wouldn't be surprised though.

There's a quote on the physics board which is somewhat alarming:
http://www.physicsforums.com/showpost.php?p=3301814&postcount=7222

Originally Posted by turi View Post

Does anyone here know how those water level sensors work? What could cause them to give erronous info (instead of simply appear offscale or stuck)?


MadderDoc answer:
My understanding is that when water gets low and the going gets tough in a reactor, there _is_ no well-defined water level anymore to measure. When the water level starts jumping up and down, its time for duck and cover.

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It seem as though there's a risk - maybe a resident expert can chime in.

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Arnie Gundersen states in his May 13 video that there's a real possibility of another Hydrogen explosion at unit three.

http://www.fairewinds.com/content/f...-steps-back-each-unit-challenged-new-problems

4:26 Hydrogen explosion still possible.

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From the scribb feed - formerly Reuters blog:

http://www.scribblelive.com/Event/Japan_Earthquake5

The cesium-137 soil concentration in an area in Tokyo has been measured at 77,000 Bq/m^2. (Japanese) onihutari.blog60.fc2.com

To put this in context, the Chernobyl cesium contamination map on page 5 of www.nirs.org would now have Tokyo well into the shaded area of contamination in Belarus.

Fukushima City at 500,000 Bq/m^2 is nearing the amount at the mandatory Chernobyl evacuation zone.

Keep in mind that also Cesium-134 contamination is occurring at almost twice the rate of Chernobyl, and that Cs-134 is about 2.5 times as toxic as Cs-137.

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Tom McDowell said:

Arnie Gundersen states in his May 13 video that there's a real possibility of another Hydrogen explosion at unit three.

http://www.fairewinds.com/content/f...-steps-back-each-unit-challenged-new-problems

4:26 Hydrogen explosion still possible.

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Click to expand...

And if there is, lets hope it's not a huge one, but considering the damage that keeps building, like the meltdowns, no one can possibly know what could happen.

Since these are all new experiences with reactors all anybody can do is guess.

The problem being, even tho' the effects could be devastating, or not, then what? How do you protect yourself if this stuff is spreading to the water, food, air?

In a sense, I can understand why they keep a lid on all info. There are just not any answers. I'm one of them that wants to know the whole truth, but there are others that do NOT want to know.

We have a poster who has just asked about dutchsinse. She is really scared and no longer wants any more info. I figure most of the world is like this.

Here's a little more info on #2 and #3, from ex-skf. Fair use:

Friday, May 13, 2011

http://ex-skf.blogspot.com/2011/05/from-tepco-presser-on-may-12-part-3.html

From Tepco Presser May 12, Part 3: "Probably the same situation in reactors 2 & 3"

The water gauges for the Reactors 2 and 3 are not to be trusted, said TEPCO's Matsumoto in the press conference on May 12 (I watched the live-recorded video) when the company officially acknowledged the meltdown of the Reactor 1.

If the water gauges for the Reactors 2 and 3 have been overstating the water levels, just like in the Reactor 1, it is very likely that all three reactors have hardly any water inside the Reactor Pressure Vessels (RPV), and the reactor cores are likely to have been melted.

Just like Michio Ishikawa of Japan Nuclear Technology Institute said on April 29.

About the water gauges for the Reactors 2 and 3:

"They are probably in the same condition as that of the Reactor 1. The numbers the gauges are currently showing are not very trustworthy. We need to monitor carefully with other parameters like pressure."

Weak points in the RPV and Containment Vessel:

"The RPV has more than 100 small pipes running through the bottom. Any one of them could have been damaged. We cannot completely deny that the [melted] fuel itself damaged the RPV. The Containment Vessel also has pipes, and it is possible that they got damaged when the pressure rose or when there was a hydrogen explosion."

To confirm, TEPCO does not deny that the fuels have all melted and went down?

"We don't deny that. How much of the fuels have melted we cannot say for certain, but our understanding is that they melted, and didn't retain the original shapes, and moved downward."

"We don't deny that part of the melted fuels may have damaged the RPV and escaped the RPV."

Any further danger if the melted fuel did escape the RPV and into the Containment Vessel:

"We're assuming it is being cooled by the water in the Containment Vessel."

If it is still within the Containment Vessel, that is.

WOW! Looks like they must have lied when they said it was safe enough for the workers to go in there to fix that gauge, eh? Why does that not surprise me? Fair use:

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011051400298

2,000-Millisievert Radiation Detected in No. 1 Reactor Bldg at Southeast Double Door, 3,000 Tons of Water in the Basement


Tokyo, May 14 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese nuclear safety agency said Saturday that the maximum radiation level of about 2,000 millisieverts per hour was detected in the No. 1 reactor's building of the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power station.

The industry ministry's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency confirmed the level in its measurement conducted Friday afternoon by using a robot.

The health ministry exceptionally sets a limit on cumulative radiation doses for workers at the Tokyo Electric Power Co. <9501> plant at 250 millisieverts, against 100 millisieverts for workers at nuclear plants in usual operations.

On May 5, workers entered the No. 1 reactor building for the first time since a hydrogen explosion occurred there following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that crippled the plant.
More on this:

From Yomiuri Shinbun and Asahi Shinbun, on 5/15/2011 (in Japanese):

2,000 millisieverts, or 2 sieverts, per hour radiation was detected inside the southeast double door of the Reactor 1 reactor building. Measurement was done by a remote-controlled robot on May 13. The location is where the pipe is that goes into the Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV).

3,000 tons of contaminated water probably leaked from the RPV and the Containment Vessel was found in the basement of the reactor building (where the Suppression Chamber is). TEPCO suspects the water is leaking from the seams of the pipes that connects the Containment Vessel body and the torus-shaped Suppression Chamber.

Now, TEPCO's new plan is to circulate the contaminated water in the basement back into the RPV to cool the RPV.

Fair use:

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201105130192.html

Accurate data destroys optimistic TEPCO assessment, hampers cooling plan

2011/05/14

Accurate data shattered the overly optimistic assessment of Tokyo Electric Power Co. concerning the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant and raised doubts about the company's game plan for ending the crisis.

Measurements from a recently installed water gauge provided conclusive evidence that the condition of the No. 1 reactor at the plant was much more serious than TEPCO officials have acknowledged until now.

TEPCO officials admitted on May 12 that a "meltdown" had occurred in the No. 1 reactor. Fuel rods had melted, and the molten fuel accumulated and caused small cracks at the bottom of the reactor pressure container, they said.

Until now, TEPCO officials only said that fuel rods were partially damaged and compiled a work schedule in April for restoring a stable cooling system based on that assumption.

Despite being unable to obtain accurate measurements from gauges in the reactors damaged in the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake, TEPCO officials still made those optimistic assumptions.

From immediately after the quake, the measurements from the water gauge at the No. 1 reactor showed very little change, casting doubt on the reliability of the instruments.

After workers entered the No. 1 reactor building and adjusted the water gauge, the data obtained showed water levels so low that the gauge was unable to measure it.

TEPCO officials concluded that water had accumulated in only about 20 percent of the volume of the No. 1 reactor's pressure container.

Other specialists had long warned that the situation at the No. 1 reactor was much more serious than the scenario that TEPCO officials were presenting.

At a news conference April 1, Shunichi Tanaka, a former vice chairman of the Japan Atomic Energy Commission, said all the fuel rods in the No. 1 reactor had melted, raising the possibility of damage to the pressure container.

TEPCO's latest measurements found the temperature of the pressure container was about 100 degrees. If the fuel rods had been exposed because of the low water level, the temperature should have been much higher. The only explanation is that the fuel rods melted, accumulated at the bottom of the pressure container and the melted fuel was cooled by the small volume of water at the bottom.

The No. 1 reactor is not the only one with problems. Small cracks have probably also developed at the bottom of the pressure containers of the No. 2 and No. 3 reactors.

Evidence of that possibility is the highly contaminated water found in the basements of the turbine buildings of the three reactors as well as underground trenches.

The contamination was likely caused by water leaking from the bottoms of the pressure containers of the three reactors.

TEPCO officials now admit that the measurements from the water gauges at the pressure containers in the No. 2 and No. 3 reactors are also unreliable.

While those water gauges will have to be repaired as soon as possible, TEPCO will also have to review its work schedule for cooling the reactors.

That will likely mean rethinking the plan to submerge the containment vessel of the No. 1 reactor in water to cool the pressure container within.

About 10,000 tons of water have already been pumped into the No. 1 reactor's pressure container, but about 3,000 tons of that water are unaccounted for. That likely means the water has leaked out of the containment vessel.

Moreover, if TEPCO continues to pump in water to the reactors to cool them, water contaminated with radiation will continue to leak out from the cracks at the bottoms of the pressure containers.

TEPCO officials have also not denied the possibility that melted fuel has leaked out of the pressure container. That would mean the volume of contaminated water will likely increase, making work in the reactor buildings much more difficult.

Truths are being let out slowly and in bits and pieces on several fronts. Here's one of the human ones. Fair use:

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110514p2a00m0na014000c.html
May 15, 2011
Contaminated nuke plant workers going back on job as safety regs go by wayside


Safety standards for workers at the tsunami-hit nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture have been relaxed without any scrutiny, forcing workers to do their jobs without being completely decontaminated, it has emerged.


Workers who are struggling to get the Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO)-operated Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant under control as well as experts have expressed grave concern about possible health hazards.


Radiation levels on the premises of the power station remain high, with part of the ruins of its No. 3 reactor building -- badly damaged by a hydrogen explosion -- emitting 900 millisieverts of radiation per hour.


Safety regulations dictate that when it is estimated workers will be exposed to more than 1 millisievert of radiation per day at a nuclear power plant, companies contracted by the plant operator must submit a work plan specifying the anticipated radiation levels to the local labor standards inspection office, get a receipt stamp and submit a copy of the document to the plant operator.


Some contractors then hand copies of the document to their subcontractors as a special permit to perform the work.


An employee of one of the subcontractors at Fukushima plant said he worked there without such a special permit and was exposed to 1.3 millisieverts of radiation over a 2 1/2-hour period. Subsequent screening detected radioactive substances on the back of the employee's head and neck, as well as those of about 10 co-workers.


They washed with special shampoo at the nuclear crisis operations center about 20 kilometers away from the plant. However, three of them were unable to completely decontaminate themselves. They tried again at a TEPCO facility but failed to completely remove radioactive substances from their bodies. TEPCO subsequently issued a certificate specifying the areas of their bodies contaminated with radioactive material, and they returned to work.


In cases where radioactive substances are detected on workers' bodies, their employers are required to submit a report detailing the work they performed and how they were contaminated to the original contractor, which in turn must notify TEPCO.


However, the workers' subcontractor has neither submitted such a report to the original contractor nor been instructed by the contractor or TEPCO to do so. The employee has pointed out that the safety regulations have been eased without any scrutiny amid the ongoing crisis.

"Both TEPCO and the original contractor appear to be thinking it's natural that we're contaminated with radioactive substances, considering our working environment," he lamented.


"Many of us are eager to help get the plant under control, and think we can't avoid being contaminated. But frankly speaking, we're concerned," he added.
TEPCO said the certificate specifying the areas of workers' bodies contaminated is issued if high levels of radiation are detected during screening, but claimed that such workers are completely decontaminated before returning to work.

Not much on the domestic reporting, but there is this, from May 5, Reuters. Bear in mind that this was written prior to the disclosure on #3 and that #2 and #3 are prrobably in the same condition. Fair use:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/05/us-japan-plant-idUSTRE74444B20110505

[Q+A: What's going on at Japan's damaged nuclear power plant?
[/B]

TOKYO | Thu May 5, 2011 10:08am EDT

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese engineers are struggling to gain control of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, 240 km (150 miles) north of Tokyo, which was seriously damaged by a March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

Two of the six reactors at the plant, operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), are considered stable but the other four are volatile.

Following are some questions and answers about efforts to end the world's worst nuclear crisis since the 1986 Chernobyl accident:

WHAT IS HAPPENING?

Workers are trying to fill the reactors with enough water to bring the nuclear fuel rods inside to a "cold shutdown," in which the water cooling them is below 100 degrees Celsius and the reactors are considered stable.

TEPCO has been pouring water into the reactor vessels containing the rods since the disaster to cool them as an emergency measure.

In a further step toward a cold shutdown, TEPCO is filling the containment vessel -- an outer shell of steel and concrete that houses the reactor vessel -- with water in a procedure called water entombment. It has started by increasing the amount of water being poured into the No.1 reactor.

At the same time, it will work to restore the reactors' cooling system, which functions like a radiator on a car.

For the No.1 reactor, TEPCO is trying to install a separate cooling system. On May 5, workers entered the No.1 reactor building for the first time since a hydrogen explosion ripped off its roof a day after the natural disaster. They installed duct pipes to connect to ventilators that will filter out 95 percent of the radioactive material in the air.

Once the radiation level drops in a few days, TEPCO plans to start installing the cooling system.

For reactors like No.2, which is suspected of having a damaged containment vessel, TEPCO said it hopes to seal the damaged sections with cement to prevent the water being pumped in from leaking out.

WHAT IS HAMPERING OPERATIONS?

The large amounts of runoff from the water TEPCO has been pumping in to prevent overheating of fuel rods and a nuclear meltdown. The operator has estimated the amount of contaminated water at the Daiichi plant at about 87,500 tonnes.

TEPCO plans to start operating in June a system to treat this contaminated water. The system, developed by Toshiba, Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Areva and U.S. firm Kurion, would adsorb and isolate radioactive elements, then the treated water would be re-used to cool down the reactors.

The isolated radioactive materials would remain in the nuclear plant for now.

For the time being, TEPCO has been transferring radioactive water that has accumulated at the reactor buildings into tanks and storage areas at the plant.

Many storage tanks on site were damaged by the tsunami and authorities made a decision in April to pump contaminated water with lower levels of radiation back into the ocean to secure storage space. That has since stopped but could resume if they run out of storage space again.

In the meantime, radiation continues to seep out of TEPCO's nuclear complex into the sea and into the air, although at far lower levels than at the peak of the crisis in mid-March.

Soil containing radioactivity 10,000 times the normal level was recently found at the bottom of the sea.

To contain contamination, workers have tried pouring liquid glass to stop a leak and spraying the ground with sticky resin to capture radiated dust. They are also injecting nitrogen into reactors to prevent new hydrogen explosions which would spread highly radioactive material into the air.

HOW LONG MIGHT THIS TAKE?

On April 17, TEPCO announced a timetable for its operations. Within the first three months it plans to cool the reactors and the spent fuel stored in some of them to a stable level and reduce the leakage of radiation.

TEPCO then hopes to bring the reactors to a cold shutdown in another three to six months.

But some experts said the process could take longer. TEPCO said constant aftershocks, power outages, high levels of radiation and the threat of hydrogen explosions were factors that could hamper its work.

Weather conditions, such as the approaching rainy season and typhoons and lightning during the summer, could also pose problems.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS?

The main risk is radiation continuing to seep, or burst, out each time a pipe leaks or rising pressure forces workers to vent steam. Leaking water from within the nuclear pressure vessels could find its way into soil and the ocean, while spikes in radiation could contaminate crops over a wide area.

The risk that the spent fuel pools could go into a chain reaction is low, as long as temperature indicators are accurate. But some more of the contaminated runoff may have to be dumped into the sea, if workers run out of space to store the water.

There is also a small risk of a corium steam explosion, particularly in the No.1 reactor, which is the plant's oldest and which is believed to have a weak spot.

If workers are unable to continue hosing operations, and if the nuclear fuel manages to melt through the bottom of the reactor and fall into a water pool below, this would result in a burst of heat and a sudden release of a huge amount of hydrogen that could breach the containment vessel.

Should either worst-case scenario happen, high levels of radiation could be dispersed up to 20 km (12 miles) around the site could be dispersed, making it impossible to bring the reactors to a cold shutdown without great sacrifice.

WILL THE SITE BECOME A NO-MAN'S LAND?

Most likely, yes. Even after a cold shutdown there are tonnes of nuclear waste sitting at the site.

Entombing the reactors in concrete would make them safe to work and live a few kilometers away, but is not a long-term solution for the disposal of spent fuel, which will decay and emit radiation over several thousand years.

The spent nuclear fuel in Fukushima has been damaged by sea water, so recycling it is probably not an option, while transporting it elsewhere is unlikely because of the opposition that would bring.

Experts say the clean-up will take decades.

Fair use:

http://ex-skf.blogspot.com/2011/05/fukushima-i-nuke-plant-didnt-have.html

Saturday, May 14, 2011

#Fukushima I Nuke Plant Didn't Have Doctor on Site When the Worker Collapsed

The hospital to which the worker was taken on May 14 after he collapsed on the job thinks he died of a heart attack (myocardial infarction), according to Yomiuri Shinbun (3:04AM JST 5/15/2011).

According to the hospital, CT scan test and blood test indicated the possibility that the man suffered a myocardial infarction. "It is hard to believe the radiation exposure had anything to do with his death," says the hospital.

In the meantime, TEPCO disclosed in the press conference on May 14 that there was no doctor on site when the man fell ill and collapsed at about 6:50AM. TEPCO's Matsumoto said "Since we are entering the warm season, we will do our best to ensure the health of the workers."

According to TEPCO, 1 doctor is stationed at Fukushima II, and 4 at "J-Village" (staging area for Fukushima I Nuke Plant operation) on 24/7 basis. However, at Fukushima I Nuke Plant, 1 doctor is present only for 6 hours from 10:00AM to 4:00PM for fear of radiation exposure. The hospital to which the worker was taken is 40 kilometers from the plant.

Fair use:

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/15_03.html

TEPCO releases photos in the No.1 reactor

The Tokyo Electric Power has released 5 photographs of the crippled Number 1 reactor of the Fukushima Daiichi plant.

One of the pictures taken by workers on May 9th shows a large amount of debris on the reactor building floor.

Another picture shows an elevator located at the northwest corner of the building with cables hanging loose. The elevator door was blown off by a large hydrogen explosion on March 12th.

Pictures taken by a remote-controlled robot on May 13th show debris at the southeastern side of the Number 1 reactor building. Equipment that appears to be an electrical circuit board can also been seen near a double door.

Around this area, extreme high levels of radioactivity have been observed -- up to 2,000 milisieverts per hour, thus workers can only stay in the vicinity for around 8 minutes.

Sunday, May 15, 2011 08:57 +0900 (JST)

Chances are it has been leaking there since the beginning and they just now found that particular leak. Fair use:

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/15_01.html

Radioactivity at No.3 reactor leaking into ocean


The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant announced that radioactive materials continue to leak into the ocean near the plant.

The Tokyo Electric Power Company said 140 becquerels of cesium-134 per cubic centimeter, was measured on Saturday morning near the water intake of the plant's Number 3 reactor. That represents 2,300 times the legal limit.

It also detected 150 becquerels of cesium-137, which is 1,700 times the legal limit.

On Wednesday of this week, the utility found that highly radioactive water was continuing to flow into the ocean from a pit located near the water intake of the Number 3 reactor.

On Friday, TEPCO detected 6,200 times the legal limit of cesium-134.

The company says it will continue to monitor radioactivity levels near the plant.


Sunday, May 15, 2011 08:57 +0900 (JST)

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201105140154.html

Canopy to cover damaged reactors

Tokyo Electric Power Co. is planning the construction of giant canopies that will cover the severely damaged reactor buildings at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, TEPCO officials said.

The canopies are meant to prevent the spread of radioactive materials from the reactor buildings that suffered damage from hydrogen explosions soon after the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake, the officials said May 13.

Each canopy will made of steel-beam scaffolding onto which polyester sheeting will be spread. The structures will stand about 55 meters tall, and the top will measure 47 meters by 42 meters.

The canopies will be set into place with a crane. Initial work to clear debris and create a path for the crane to operate on was done May 13. TEPCO said it hopes to begin actual construction in June and have the canopies completed by August.

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201105140158.html
Government compiles timetable for dealing with Fukushima accident, evacuees


The government is compiling a schedule of measures to deal with the accident at the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant to provide evacuees as well as the international community a better idea of what to expect.



Prime Minister Naoto Kan is scheduled to attend the Group of Eight summit later this month and is expected to explain what the government is planning to do to stabilize the situation at the Fukushima plant, as well as in rebuilding areas struck by the Great East Japan Earthquake.


With various hurdles blocking a cold shutdown of the nuclear reactors, the evacuation of residents will likely also become a prolonged process. That has led to calls that the government must present its own schedule of measures to help evacuees.



Sources said the timetable will be formally approved and announced May 17, in line with what is expected to be a revision of a work schedule by Tokyo Electric Power Co., the Fukushima plant operator, for how it plans to stabilize the situation.



TEPCO first announced the work schedule April 17, and had planned to revise it after about a month. Recent measurements at the No. 1 reactor indicating that large amounts of water are leaking from the containment vessel is but one factor that is forcing TEPCO to vastly revise its work schedule.



The government's timetable will outline what is expected to be done in investigating the nuclear accident as well as a rough idea of when certain measures proposed for evacuees will take place.



TEPCO's work schedule was a three-stage process with the first step covering the next several months, the second step covering the subsequent three to six months and the third step for more medium-term measures.


The government's timetable will also follow that three-stage process.
The government will conduct its investigation of the nuclear accident independent of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Both the government and IAEA plan to release the results of their separate investigations at a Cabinet-level meeting of the IAEA scheduled to be held between June 20-24.



The government will also set up a separate special committee made up of about 10 nuclear energy experts to look into the cause of the accident as well as measures to prevent a recurrence. An interim report from the special committee is expected by the end of the year.


Under the topic of evacuation from the no-entry zone established within a 20-km radius of the Fukushima plant, evacuees will be able to drive out their cars from late May. Until then, evacuees will be allowed to return to their homes for a few hours to gather valuables.



Plans call for a second round of such short returns home.
Residents in the areas outside of the 20-km radius where a more gradual evacuation will be undertaken will have to leave by late May. Those evacuees will receive support for business activities in the areas where they temporarily settle.
In all those areas, monitoring of radiation levels will be conducted in the medium term to determine if the evacuation orders can be lifted.


Evacuees and residents will be given health checks in May. Later, children and other residents will also have their health monitored over the long term.



Workers from public health offices around Japan have been sent to evacuation centers to check on evacuees. A telephone hotline for those worried about the effects from radiation has been set up as well as counseling by psychiatrists.
Regarding compensation for disaster victims, the government's timetable calls for provisional payments by TEPCO to evacuees as well as business owners. A fuller compensation program is expected once legislation is passed to establish a framework providing support for TEPCO as it makes compensation payments.
Like TEPCO's work schedule, the government's timetable will likely have to be revised over time depending on the progress made in resolving the situation at the Fukushima plant.

They found some of their "missing" water. Fair use:

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/14_23.html

TEPCO confirms water in No.1 reactor

The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant says the amount of highly radioactive water in the basement of the Number one reactor is increasing. The water is leaking from a hole or cracks in the containment vessel.

On Friday, Tokyo Electric Power Company workers found that the water in the basement is 4.2 meters deep.

The company intends to measure radiation levels of the water as it tries to find ways to deal with the leakage.

Also on Friday, a robot detected a maximum of 2,000 millisieverts of radiation per hour on the first floor of the reactor building.

The radiation level is the highest since the March 12th accident.
The company says the water is leaking from the pipes leading to the reactor, which were probably damaged as a result of a meltdown.

The utility has been forced to revise its original plan before submitting it to the government on Tuesday.

Sunday, May 15, 2011 08:57 +0900 (JST)

Fair use:

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/15_05.html

TEPCO: Years needed to remove damaged nuclear fuel


The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant says it may take a number of years to remove damaged nuclear fuel rods from the Number 1 reactor.

The Tokyo Electric Power Company announced on Saturday, that most of the fuel rods in the Number 1 reactor have melted and fallen to the bottom of the reactor where they are submerged in water.

TEPCO announced in April that it was aiming to get the reactor stabilized and cooled down in 6 to 9 months.
However, no timeline has yet been proposed for the removal of the nuclear fuel.

The company plans to study measures taken at the 1979 Three Mile Island accident in the US, where a meltdown of nuclear fuel rods also occurred.

There it took almost 10 years to remove melted fuel at the bottom of the reactor, which resembled hardened lava.


Sunday, May 15, 2011 08:57 +0900 (JST)

They're re-thinking nuclear power all over Japan....not to mention the world! I remember reading fairly early on, where the Japanese people had been reassured their entire lives, that nuclear power was absolutely 100% safe. Now the people are demonstrating over there, in huge numbers, wanting them all shut down. Fair use:

http://www.japantoday.com/category/...kaido-fukui-running-in-limbo-for-over-a-month

2 reactors in Hokkaido, Fukui in limbo for over a month

Sunday 15th May, 06:50 AM JST

Print

* only article
* article and comments

TOKYO —

Two reactors at nuclear power plants in Hokkaido and Fukui Prefecture have been in limbo in the final phase of their regular checkups in which they generate power as usual for tests for over a month longer than planned due to the nuclear crisis in Fukushima.

The situations at the Tomari plant in Hokkaido and the Oi plant in Fukui reflect heightened safety concerns about nuclear power, but some critics question the relevance of them supplying electricity before completing the legally mandated checkup.

The Tomari’s No. 3 reactor and the Oi’s No. 1 reactor were rebooted on March 7 and 10, respectively, before the March 11 earthquake and tsunami triggered the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, and had both been due to shift to commercial service in early April.

In the last phase of checkup, which is usually over in about a month, reactors generate the usual amounts of power for final checks for any irregularities before resuming commercial operation.

After the crisis, however, the government’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency required nuclear plant operators to take emergency safety measures such as securing a backup power source.

In addition to time consumed to take such steps, the plant operators Hokkaido Electric Power Co and Kansai Electric Power Co said they are taking into account concerns among local people.

A nuclear safety agency official has said there is no problem in commencing commercial operation of the reactors as long as regular checkups are completed.

But Hideyuki Ban, a co-representative of the nonprofit organization Citizens’ Nuclear Information Center, said the reactors should be stopped until their safety is assured under enhanced standards the government is expected to draw up against earthquakes and tsunami.

‘‘Rather than continuing the test operation in a wait-and-see attitude, the reactors should be stopped until they are confirmed to fulfill the new standards,’’ he said.

Little things mean a lot!Remember, there are all kinds of disasters and the things people are finding hard to come by there, could easily happen where you live. Do you a portable shower bag in your preps?

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110514002398.htm
Evacuees want more time in tub

Shunichi Seki and Tsuyoshi Takasawa / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers
MINAMI-SANRIKUCHO, Miyagi--Residents at more than 30 percent of evacuee shelters are able to take a bath only once per week, according to a survey by the Cabinet Office.


More than two months after the Great East Japan Earthquake, hygiene issues remain an urgent concern in stricken areas, and the Self-Defense Forces have been setting up and operating bathing facilities at shelters. However, the quality of the facilities varies greatly between shelters.


"If possible, I'd love to have a nice long soak like before," said Michio Saito, 78, who has been staying in a shelter at Shizukawa Middle School in Minami-Sanrikucho since May 8. Saito has had very few chances to relax in a tub since the disaster.
To take a bath, people living in the middle school have to take a shuttle bus to another evacuation center 1-1/2 kilometers away that has a tub built by SDF personnel. The bus service has just begun running three times a week, but previously ran only once a week.


Saito has never used the service because he has problems with his leg, and he worries he would have trouble using a deep tub and getting dressed in time to get the bus.


The last time Saito had a bath was in late April, when volunteers brought a tub by truck to the shelter where he was living at the time. Volunteer carers helped him in and out of the tub. Since then, his 74-year-old wife has cleaned his body with warm water.


"I don't know how long I'll have to continue living like this," Saito said wearily.
On the brighter side, a shelter at Kahoku Sogo Center in Ishinomaki in the prefecture, where about 520 people are staying, was given a bathtub for free on March 24 by a Niigata Prefecture-based manufacturer of emergency supplies.
The bathtub can accommodate four or five adults at a time, and it is used by men and women on a day-by-day rotation.


A 67-year-old carpenter staying at the shelter said: "I come back sweaty every day after fixing damaged houses. Having the tub so I can take a bath every other day makes a big difference."


According to a Cabinet Office survey of 536 shelters in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures, as of April 26, residents at 32.3 percent of the shelters were able to take a bath "about once a week."


Residents at 38 percent of shelters in coastal areas were able to take a bath weekly. Of shelters located away from the coast, only 9.3 percent said residents were able to take baths that often. The Self-Defense Forces had set up a total of 29 bathing facilities in the three prefectures as of May 11.
Tadashi Uchikoshi, 50, first lieutenant of the Maritime Self-Defense Force, is responsible for an outdoor bathing facility in Ishinomaki that has been named Kitakami no Yu (Kitakami bath).



"Sometimes more than 300 people come here in a day. There is a great need for bathing facilities," he said.


At the Baba Nakayama Seikatsu Center in Minami-Sanrikucho, evacuees prepared a three-tub facility by themselves, carrying stainless steel bathtubs from their wrecked houses and assembling iron plates collected by volunteers. The area has no water supply, so people pour water drawn from wells and provided by volunteers into the steel tubs, and heat the water by burning wood stripped from damaged houses.


Katsuo Abe, 67, who could not take a bath for several days after the disaster, said, "We were forced to make a bathtub by ourselves, because we didn't get help for a long time."


Hiroshima University Prof. Akira Eboshida, an expert in public health, said: "Taking a bath relaxes both the body and the mind, and it's an effective way to relieve fatigue. Improving bathing facilities for people affected by the disaster is an urgent issue, because their stress levels could continue to gradually increase if they're not able to keep their habit of taking a bath every day."
(May. 15, 2011)

I've been appalled that they haven't been protecting the children more, even in schools closer to Fukushima. The professor used to be a fan of nuclear power, but is not today. Fair use:

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110514002398.htm

Saturday, May 14, 2011
Professor Kunihiko Takeda: "Teachers, Wake Up and Protect Children from Radiation!"

Professor Kunihiko Takeda of Chubu University is a nuclear scientist known these days as one of the "nuclear sceptics" in Japan (he has been a "global warming sceptic", too), though he was a proponent of nuclear energy until mid 2000s when the government loosened the safety standards.

I am calling out to teachers again.

Do you think your job is to teach children according to the daily curriculum?

Your duty is not "to teach according to the daily curriculum" but to educate children in the true sense of the word and help them grow healthy. And first and foremost in today's Fukushima, Kanto, and Miyagi, your duty is to protect children from radiation exposure.

Wake up!!

Pay attention not to the provisional instruction from the Ministry of Education but to the law (that says 1 millisievert per year, and children are 3 times as sensitive to radiation as adults). You are in the position to protect children's health.

School lunch:

I hear that they use "cabbage, bean sprouts, cucumber, asparagus and beef from Fukushima" in school lunch in Yokohama City [in Kanagawa Prefecture].

What are they thinking?

It is good to help farmers in Fukushima, but that does not mean children should be forced to eat "contaminated vegetables". There should be other ways to help farmers.

People in charge of school lunch would say "it is safe", but that simply means "it is under the safety limit". If there is a bunch of spinach grown in Fukushima, and another bunch grown in Akita displayed side by side in a supermarket, would a mother pick Fukushima spinach?

Adults can choose what they eat, but children cannot. People in charge of school lunch should protect children like mothers would.

Use if school yard:

On April 14 in Kanagawa, iodine-131 was detected at 48,000 becquerels/square meters, and cesium-134 and cesium-137 were detected at 53,000 becquerels/square meters each on the surface of the soil with small gravels.

One month from the accident, radioactive materials had fallen on the ground, on the grass, and in the dust in the air as the soil gets kicked up.

Children are shorter in height than adults, and they play on the school yards. External radiation from the yards, and internal radiation from the dust they inhale. Children's radiation exposure is much bigger than that of adults.

But schools don't stop the use of the school yards.

They have school gyms. They could wash the floor and the walls of the gym clean to drastically reduce the radiation.

Why do school teachers want to expose children to radiation?

School events:

An increasing number of schools are going to places with even higher radiation levels for school athletic events, extracurricular activities, and school trips.

It is only natural for parents at this time not to want to have their children go to places with high radiation. Teachers should worry about the children's health instead of worrying about "breach of contract", "it had been planned before the accident" or "Ministry of Education would be upset if we cancel the event".

"If we cancel the event, it will inconvenience the other party", they may say. But which is more important, the inconvenience of the other party or the reduction of radiation exposure for children?

Swimming pool:

As usual, just like last year, the school athletic event will be held. As usual, just like last year, children will clean the school's swimming pool.

It looks like "as usual, just like last year", but there is one big difference.

That is, school yards and the water in the swimming pools weren't contaminated with radioactive materials last year. For children, radioactive materials are a poison.

Why do you take children to a poison? "We can't see a poison" say schools, but that's not what grown-ups should be saying.

Children doing push-ups on the dusty school yards. Their lips almost touch the dirt that has radioactive materials. If you are a teacher seeing this and if you don't think there's anything wrong with it, you'd better quit right away. You do not have aptitude to be a teacher.

Cows:

After the Chernobyl accident, Germany disposed of cows [?] as beef that contained cesium-137 would not be fit for consumption and the half-life [of cesium-137] was 30 years even if the meat was burned.

In Switzerland, which was further away from Chernobyl than Germany, they fed cows and sheep with hays from the previous year, and moved sheep to the uncontaminated western state of Fribourg.

In Japan, they moved cows from near the Fukushima Nuke Plant to all over Japan, to 24 different prefectures. Germany and Switzerland adhered to 1 millisieverts per year. Japan is saying "you have to put up with radiation".

[Contaminated] milk is dangerous. In Chernobyl, thyroid cancer in children was caused largely by drinking milk tainted with radioactive materials.
---------------------

Many mothers are suffering.

Schools that say "mothers are overreacting" are violating the law. Teachers, please study the law on radiation protection, and "clearance level". 20 millisieverts [per year] is in violation of the law.

Children in Kanto and southern Tohoku has already suffered a serious internal radiation exposure in March. They need a break [from radiation], even for a short while.

Please, they need a break!

Fair use:

http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/05/91126.html
Key nuclear facilities may have been damaged before tsunami

TOKYO, May 15, Kyodo
Data taken at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on the night of March 11 showing a high level of radiation at a reactor building suggest the possibility that key facilities there may have been damaged by the quake itself that day rather than tsunami-caused power loss that failed the reactor's cooling function, a utility source said Saturday.


The revelation may call for a review of preparedness against quakes at various nuclear power stations in Japan as they have primarily focused on securing auxiliary power supplies and embankment enhancement against tsunami after the Fukushima plant crisis, assuming that reactor facilities at the plant were unscathed by trembling.


On March 11, the power plant was shut down automatically just past 2:46 p.m. following the magnitude-9 quake. Within an hour, it was hit by at least two rounds of tsunami waves. The external power supply was then shut down, disabling the emergency core cooling system from injecting water at 4:36 p.m.

Delete
http://www.youtube.com/user/tbsnewsi?feature=feedlss#p/l/-ZPYlazljME

It'sJustMe said:

Just as a matter of record, I want to post this screen shot I just tool with what appears to be venting going on, by the #2 tower, on the left, and #3 on the right. I expect it will continue. On the live cam:

http://www.youtube.com/user/tbsnewsi?feature=feedlss#p/l/-ZPYlazljME

Click to expand...

What are all those moving lights at the link. UFO's?

The lights are waves, Hansa. The cam looks down off a mountain, towards the sea. The sea is choppy today! I deleted that pic because after a few minutes it quit. Weird!

Fair use:

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/15_10.html

Evacuation begins in Fukushima

Evacuation of some people who live outside the 20 kilometer radius from the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has begun.

Families with babies and children up to kindergarten age and pregnant women are the first of the 7,700 residents of two towns to evacuate.

Municipal officials say they have secured temporary housing for almost all of the residents who want it.

One evacuee says he and his family have to move out for the sake of his children, but it is very discouraging to leave.

He says they will do what they can until the day they are able to return to their home.

Some farmers cannot evacuate soon as they have not been able to find places to move their cattle or have them put down. Some families cannot move together to designated temporary housing or cannot decide on the place to go as they would be far from work or school.

The Japanese government expanded the evacuation zone around the plant to areas where cumulative radiation levels are 20 millisieverts or higher per year.

Sunday, May 15, 2011 13:00 +0900 (JST)

I thought we had read that this was on it's way weeks ago? I guess not. Fair use:

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/15_12.html

Massive floating platform heads for Fukushima
A massive hollow floating platform is being transported to Fukushima to hold radioactive water from a troubled nuclear power plant.

The steel platform is 136 meters long and 46 meters wide and can store up to 10,000 tons of water.

It was provided to Tokyo Electric Power Company from Shizuoka city, where it was used as a fishing park.

It was made water-tight and rust-resistant during one month of refitting at a Yokohama shipyard. A large crane was mounted and pipes attached.

After final inspection at a nearby port, the platform is scheduled to arrive off the coast at Fukushima Daiichi power plant in one to two weeks.
Sunday, May 15, 2011 13:00 +0900 (JST)

Fair use:
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/15_14.html


TEPCO to inject more water into No.1 reactor

The operator of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant says it will increase the amount of water being injected into the Number One reactor in a study of how to stabilize the reactor, whose fuel rods are believed to have melted down.

Tokyo Electric Power Company says the water level in the reactor is now extremely low and that the pressure vessel protecting the reactor core has a hole and cracks as a result of the meltdown.

It says the containment vessel was also damaged, and has been leaking a large amount of highly radioactive water into the reactor building.

TEPCO is now reviewing its effort to cool the reactor by filling the containment vessel with water. It says it decided to increase the amount of water being injected into the reactor from 8 tons per hour to 10 tons per hour.

The company says it will monitor the water level, temperature, and pressure inside the containment vessel for 2 days.

The utility says if a certain water level is maintained inside the containment vessel, it is possible to set up a cooling system that circulates water from the containment vessel to a heat exchanger and back to the reactor.

The company says after studying data obtained from the operation, it will come up with a specific cooling method on Tuesday when it reviews the roadmap.

Sunday, May 15, 2011 14:48 +0900 (JST)

And number #2 was already considered already there. We are finally getting some disclosure, i still don't think we got it all. The situation is and will remain volatile, perhaps linger than you I can even follow.

Do you all understand how many people have to die to even maintain the present crisis? And there isnt a real idea out there, even what to do? This whole question from A to Z is or existence Challenge. Fate has slept until now, she is on her path. God help us.

I know the damage cause by the quake, tsunami, explosions were catastophic....but looking at these pix I gasp because it looks like some giant hand went in and just totally destroyed everything....I can't wrap my mind around the 'how' of how this happened....

http://cryptome.org/eyeball/daiichi-npp15/daiichi-photos15.htm

It'sJustMe said:

I thought we had read that this was on it's way weeks ago? I guess not. Fair use:

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/15_12.html

Massive floating platform heads for Fukushima
A massive hollow floating platform is being transported to Fukushima to hold radioactive water from a troubled nuclear power plant.

The steel platform is 136 meters long and 46 meters wide and can store up to 10,000 tons of water.

It was provided to Tokyo Electric Power Company from Shizuoka city, where it was used as a fishing park.

It was made water-tight and rust-resistant during one month of refitting at a Yokohama shipyard. A large crane was mounted and pipes attached.

After final inspection at a nearby port, the platform is scheduled to arrive off the coast at Fukushima Daiichi power plant in one to two weeks.
Sunday, May 15, 2011 13:00 +0900 (JST)

Click to expand...

The idea of having a giant tank full of radioactive water floating in the ocean is not very pretty to me. Think about what could happen to that.

Translated by member on pysicsforums:
http://www.physicsforums.com/showpost.php?p=3302504&postcount=126

Plutonium detected in rice paddy by a food manufacturer more than 50 kms away from Fukushima power plant:

http://jbpress.ismedia.jp/articles/-/7890?page=2

また、ある食品メーカーが独自に調査した結果では、福島第一原発から50キロ以上離れた水田の土から、政府 が発表している数値よりケタ違いに高い放射線が検出されたという。

Additionally, a certain food manufacturing company conducted a survey by themselves. In a rice field is more than 50kms away from the Fukushima power plant, it was found that there was very high radiation that is very different to what the government released.

(heading)
原発から50キロ以上離れた田んぼの土から高濃度のプルトニウム

High density plutonium is in the rice field that was mentioned previously.

この食品メーカーによると、現時点でその結果を公表するのは影響が大きすぎるため発表は控えているとのこと だが、その田んぼの土からは高い濃度のプルトニウムも検出されたそうだ。

According to this food manufacturing company, they currently don't announce these results due to the large influence* that this rice field has high concentration of plutonium.

* Note: It is not mentioned what the influence is but it implies they do not currently release the information as it may have an impact on the media/public.

===

.

Tom McDowell said:

Translated by member on pysicsforums:
http://www.physicsforums.com/showpost.php?p=3302504&postcount=126

Plutonium detected in rice paddy by a food manufacturer more than 50 kms away from Fukushima power plant:

http://jbpress.ismedia.jp/articles/-/7890?page=2

また、ある食品メーカーが独自に調査した結果では、福島第一原発から50キロ以上離れた水田の土から、政府 が発表している数値よりケタ違いに高い放射線が検出されたという。

Additionally, a certain food manufacturing company conducted a survey by themselves. In a rice field is more than 50kms away from the Fukushima power plant, it was found that there was very high radiation that is very different to what the government released.

(heading)
原発から50キロ以上離れた田んぼの土から高濃度のプルトニウム

High density plutonium is in the rice field that was mentioned previously.

この食品メーカーによると、現時点でその結果を公表するのは影響が大きすぎるため発表は控えているとのこと だが、その田んぼの土からは高い濃度のプルトニウムも検出されたそうだ。

According to this food manufacturing company, they currently don't announce these results due to the large influence* that this rice field has high concentration of plutonium.

* Note: It is not mentioned what the influence is but it implies they do not currently release the information as it may have an impact on the media/public.

===

.

Click to expand...

Well. it looks like the whistleblowers are finally raising their heads and letting the people know what is going on. I don't know how much rice we get from Japan....maybe none....but I doubt if I'll buy anynore rice for a while. Silly? Maybe. But that's just me.

By the way...just a side note here. This morning I had a very vivid dream of a good friend having cancer. I was picking Clover for her. There was big bunches of it. Someone said clover is "highly" nutritious. Woke up.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703509104576325110776621604.html

snip
Tepco also released its analysis of a hydrogen explosion that occurred at unit No. 4, despite the fact that the unit was in maintenance and that nuclear fuel stored in the storage pool was largely intact.

According to Tepco, hydrogen produced in the overheating of the reactor core at unit 3 flowed through a gas-treatment line and entered unit No. 4 because of a breakdown of valves. Hydrogen leaked from ducts in the second, third and fourth floors of the reactor building at unit No. 4 and ignited a massive explosion.

===

This may explain why the fuel pool in unit four is intact (in relative terms anyway).

===

.

Tom McDowell said:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703509104576325110776621604.html

According to Tepco, hydrogen produced in the overheating of the reactor core at unit 3 flowed through a gas-treatment line and entered unit No. 4 because of a breakdown of valves. Hydrogen leaked from ducts in the second, third and fourth floors of the reactor building at unit No. 4 and ignited a massive explosion.
===
This may explain why the fuel pool in unit four is intact (in relative terms anyway).
===
.

Click to expand...

I will be the first to say that I am not well educated in nuclear power generation, and certainly not the piping systems, within reactor buildings. That said, I am having a bit of difficulty envisioning piping and valves being interconnected, from one building to the next. A gas treatment line? Are all 4 reactors attached by such lines? If so, a radiation problem in #1 could also affect the radition numbers in, say, #4. After traveling through #2 and #3. Or even explosions in all 4? That doesn't sound very safe, nor logical. Maybe I should ask any resident power plant experts here, why aren't they independent systems?

Tepco has disclosed that #1 really did melt down, as suspected, but that the amount of radiological substances released "will be limited". Fair use:

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/15_21.html
Rapid meltdown in No.1 reactor


Tokyo Electric Power Company, the operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, says most of the fuel rods in the No.1 reactor had dropped to the bottom of the pressure vessel within 16 hours of the earthquake on March 11th.

The utility revealed its study on the subject on Sunday.

TEPCO said it analyzed the data and calculated a timeline for the developments in the No. 1 reactor on the assumption that the reactor lost its cooling system as soon as it was hit by the tsunami.

The firm said that within about 3 hours after the reactor automatically shut down, the cooling water had evaporated to a level at the top of the rods.

In the next hour and a half, parts of the fuel rods are believed to have begun melting.

The temperature of the fuel rods is believed to have reached 2,800 degrees Celsius at this stage, and the meltdown advanced rapidly.

Almost of all the fuel rods melted and dropped to the bottom of the pressure vessel by 6:50 am on March 12th.

TEPCO said the temperature dropped after water was poured into the reactor starting at 5:50 am on the same day.

The firm says the melted rods created small holes on the bottom of the vessel, but that no major problems are developing there. It believes that the amount of radioactive substances that could spread from the reactor will be limited.


Sunday, May 15, 2011 23:29 +0900 (JST)

Here's an example of Japanese sentiment on nuclear power, after this crisis in Fukushima. Fair use:

http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/05/91171.html

2 in 3 back Kan's request to halt nuclear plant: Kyodo poll

TOKYO, May 15, Kyodo

Prime Minister Naoto Kan's recent unprecedented request to shut down the Hamaoka nuclear power plant received the backing of 66.2 percent in a Kyodo News poll released Sunday, while 47.0 percent supported the idea of reducing the number of nuclear reactors in the country.

The weekend telephone poll also showed that those who believe Kan should quit immediately has fallen to 17.5 percent, down 6.1 points from the previous poll in April, while the approval rating for the Cabinet stands at 28.1 percent, up 1.3 points.

The poll showed 66.5 percent oppose a possible hike in electricity charges to help cover compensation costs stemming from the crisis at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, while 29.8 percent said they would support such a hike.

Fair use:

http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201105130192.html

Accurate data destroys optimistic TEPCO assessment, hampers cooling plan

2011/05/14
Accurate data shattered the overly optimistic assessment of Tokyo Electric Power Co. concerning the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant and raised doubts about the company's game plan for ending the crisis.



Measurements from a recently installed water gauge provided conclusive evidence that the condition of the No. 1 reactor at the plant was much more serious than TEPCO officials have acknowledged until now.



TEPCO officials admitted on May 12 that a "meltdown" had occurred in the No. 1 reactor. Fuel rods had melted, and the molten fuel accumulated and caused small cracks at the bottom of the reactor pressure container, they said.
Until now, TEPCO officials only said that fuel rods were partially damaged and compiled a work schedule in April for restoring a stable cooling system based on that assumption.

Despite being unable to obtain accurate measurements from gauges in the reactors damaged in the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake, TEPCO officials still made those optimistic assumptions.

From immediately after the quake, the measurements from the water gauge at the No. 1 reactor showed very little change, casting doubt on the reliability of the instruments.

After workers entered the No. 1 reactor building and adjusted the water gauge, the data obtained showed water levels so low that the gauge was unable to measure it.

TEPCO officials concluded that water had accumulated in only about 20 percent of the volume of the No. 1 reactor's pressure container.

Other specialists had long warned that the situation at the No. 1 reactor was much more serious than the scenario that TEPCO officials were presenting.
At a news conference April 1, Shunichi Tanaka, a former vice chairman of the Japan Atomic Energy Commission, said all the fuel rods in the No. 1 reactor had melted, raising the possibility of damage to the pressure container.

TEPCO's latest measurements found the temperature of the pressure container was about 100 degrees. If the fuel rods had been exposed because of the low water level, the temperature should have been much higher. The only explanation is that the fuel rods melted, accumulated at the bottom of the pressure container and the melted fuel was cooled by the small volume of water at the bottom.
The No. 1 reactor is not the only one with problems. Small cracks have probably also developed at the bottom of the pressure containers of the No. 2 and No. 3 reactors.

Evidence of that possibility is the highly contaminated water found in the basements of the turbine buildings of the three reactors as well as underground trenches.

The contamination was likely caused by water leaking from the bottoms of the pressure containers of the three reactors.

TEPCO officials now admit that the measurements from the water gauges at the pressure containers in the No. 2 and No. 3 reactors are also unreliable.
While those water gauges will have to be repaired as soon as possible, TEPCO will also have to review its work schedule for cooling the reactors.

That will likely mean rethinking the plan to submerge the containment vessel of the No. 1 reactor in water to cool the pressure container within.

About 10,000 tons of water have already been pumped into the No. 1 reactor's pressure container, but about 3,000 tons of that water are unaccounted for. That likely means the water has leaked out of the containment vessel.

Moreover, if TEPCO continues to pump in water to the reactors to cool them, water contaminated with radiation will continue to leak out from the cracks at the bottoms of the pressure containers.


TEPCO officials have also not denied the possibility that melted fuel has leaked out of the pressure container. That would mean the volume of contaminated water will likely increase, making work in the reactor buildings much more difficult.

Even shutting down other reactors in Japan, besides Fukushima, has it's problems! Fair use:

http://www.japantoday.com/category/...tive-hamaoka-nuclear-reactor-in-cold-shutdown

Trouble delayed cold shutdown of Hamaoka nuclear reactor

Sunday 15th May, 06:53 PM JST

SHIZUOKA —

Chubu Electric Power Co said Sunday that cooling system trouble delayed the cold shutdown of the No. 5 reactor at its Hamaoka power plant in Shizuoka Prefecture for about two hours earlier in the day, while ruling out any external release of radioactive substances.

Seawater leaked into a steam condenser at the reactor, which cools and turns steam from the turbines into water, apparently due to damage to its piping, prompting the utility to switch to another system to cool and stabilize the reactor and complete the work shortly past noon, it said.

The No. 5 unit was the last active nuclear reactor at the plant located in the Pacific coastal city of Omaezaki to come to a stable condition with an internal temperature below 100 C, the benchmark for cold shutdown.

The utility serving central Japan halted operation of the plant—its only nuclear facility located around 180 kilometers southwest of Tokyo—on Saturday, following an unprecedented government request due to fears of another nuclear disaster in the event of a large earthquake in the area, which lies on a major active fault line.

The ongoing nuclear crisis at Tokyo Electric Power Co’s Fukushima Daiichi power plant on the Pacific coast around 220 km northeast of Tokyo was triggered by the devastating March 11 quake and tsunami.

The Nagoya-based firm said it had found Saturday evening, after a measuring instrument indicated abnormalities around 4:30 p.m., that around 400 tons of seawater had flowed into the condenser of the No. 5 reactor.

The water also found its way into the reactor, making it necessary to desalinate it, the company said.

At the plant, the No. 4 reactor was halted Friday and came to a stable condition the following day while the No. 3 reactor was already suspended for regular checks. The Nos. 1 and 2 reactors at the plant have been shut down for decommissioning.

In a related development, Katsuya Okada, secretary general of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, said Sunday nuclear power plants that remain closed or were shut down after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami should be restarted provided that they meet tougher safety standards.

‘‘It is an irrefutable fact that Japan cannot secure the electricity it needs unless it utilizes existing nuclear plants and those under construction,’’ he said, adding, ‘‘The public is now taking a more critical view concerning the safety of atomic energy, so revamping the existing safety standards should be a prerequisite (for continued use of nuclear facilities).’‘

Okada made the comments during a meeting with mayors of localities in Aomori Prefecture, where one nuclear power station is currently out of action and another is under construction.

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Two Other Reactors Suffer Serious Damage

MAY 15, 2011, 3:40 P.M. ET

By MITSURU OBE

TOKYO—Substantial damage to the fuel cores at two additional reactors of Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex has taken place, operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Sunday, further complicating the already daunting task of bringing them to a safe shutdown while avoiding the release of high levels of radioactivity. The revelation followed an acknowledgment on Thursday that a similar meltdown of the core took place at unit No. 1.
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European Pressphoto Agency Junichi Matsumoto, an official of Tokyo Electric Power Co. listens to questions during a press conference regarding the meltdown of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant at the company headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, May 13, 2011.






Earthquake in Japan

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Workers also found that the No. 1 unit's reactor building is flooded in the basement, reinforcing the suspicion that the containment vessel is damaged and leaking highly radioactive water.



The revelations are likely to force an overhaul of the six- to nine-month blueprint for bringing the reactors to a safe shutdown stage and end the release of radioactive materials. The original plan, announced in mid-April, was due to be revised May 17.


The operator, known as Tepco, said the No. 1 unit lost its reactor core 16 hours after the plant was struck by a magnitude-9 earthquake and a giant tsunami on the afternoon of March 11.


The pressure vessel a cylindrical steel container that holds nuclear fuel, "is likely to be damaged and leaking water at units Nos. 2 and 3," said Junichi Matsumoto, Tepco spokesman on nuclear issues, in a news briefing Sunday.
He also said there could be far less cooling water in the pressure vessels of Nos. 2 and 3, indicating there are holes at the bottom of these vessels, with thousands of tons of water pumped into these reactors mostly leaking out.



Tepco found the basement of the unit No. 1 reactor building flooded with 4.2 meters of water. It isn't clear where the water came from, but leaks are suspected in pipes running in and out of the containment vessel, a beaker-shaped steel structure that holds the pressure vessel.


The water flooding the basement is believed to be highly radioactive. Workers were unable to observe the flooding situation because of strong radiation coming out of the water, Tepco said.



A survey conducted by an unmanned robot Friday found radiation levels of 1,000 to 2,000 millisieverts per hour in some parts of the ground level of unit No. 1, a level that would be highly dangerous for any worker nearby. Japan has placed an annual allowable dosage limit of 250 millisieverts for workers.



The high level of radioactivity means even more challenges for Tepco's bid to set up a continuous cooling system that won't threaten radiation leaks into the environment.



Tepco separately released its analysis on the timeline of the meltdown at unit No. 1. According to the analysis, the reactor core, or the nuclear fuel, was exposed to the air within five hours after the plant was struck by the earthquake. The temperature inside the core reached 2,800 degrees Celsius in six hours, causing the fuel pellets to melt away rapidly.



Within 16 hours, the reactor core melted, dropped to the bottom of the pressure vessel and created a hole there. By then, an operation to pump water into the reactor was under way. This prevented the worst-case scenario, in which the overheating fuel would melt its way through the vessels and discharge large volumes of radiation outside.



The nuclear industry lacks a technical definition for a full meltdown, but the term is generally understood to mean that radioactive fuel has breached containment measures, resulting in a massive release of fuel.
"Without the injection of water [by fire trucks], a more disastrous event could have ensued," said Mr. Matsumoto.


Tepco also released its analysis of a hydrogen explosion that occurred at unit No. 4, despite the fact that the unit was in maintenance and that nuclear fuel stored in the storage pool was largely intact.


According to Tepco, hyrogen produced in the overheating of the reactor core at unit 3 flowed through a gas-treatment line and entered unit No. 4 because of a breakdown of valves. Hydrogen leaked from ducts in the second, third and fourth floors of the reactor building at unit No. 4 and ignited a massive explosion.