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SimplyInfo.org’s Fukushima Corium Research Experiment Results
In our research we have tried to find ways to help explain some of the behaviors seen in meltdown accidents. A picture can be better than just explaining it. A full on experiment can be even better. We have been investigating the processes of the melted fuel escaping the reactor vessel and how it behaves. Below the reactor vessel is a round concrete pedestal that helps hold up the reactor vessel. This round structure has a … Read entire article »
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Fukushima News Roundup; December 12, 2013
School bullying in Japan is up 180% with a significantly higher rate in Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures. The ministry responsible for the report cited increased efforts to address the issue as the reason for the over all higher rate. This does not explain the difference in the two prefectures impacted by the tsunami and nuclear disaster. Fukushima evacuees may receive additional compensation, the rates would not fully compensate them for lost property or relocation costs. Global Voices … Read entire article »
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Fukushima Water Leak Issues May Still Be Out Of Control In 2020
Officials from METI admit that problems with leaking contaminated water at Fukushima Daiichi may still not be under control in 2020. The advisory panel to METI has made a list of new actions that need to be taken to help control the leaking water problems at the plant. Some included were to pave over parts of the plant to lessen rainwater intrusion and to install double wall tanks on site for long term water storage. … Read entire article »
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Another Load Of Spent Fuel Moved At Fukushima Daiichi
TEPCO has moved another load of spent fuel from unit 4 to the common pool. After the initial fuel transfers TEPCO ceased reporting each fuel move and now only updates the plant update page. The new load was announced December 9, 2013. This article would not be possible without the extensive efforts of the SimplyInfo research team Join the conversation at chat.simplyinfo.org All content is copyright SimplyInfo.org. If you are viewing this content on any website other … Read entire article »
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Rats Infiltrate Power Systems At Fukushima Daiichi, Again.
Rats yet again set off a power system alarm after entering a power panel box at the plant. TEPCO’s report cites finding both rat feces and pieces of the material they used to block openings inside the power panel box. Electrical workers had blocked access around cables with various plastics and foam substances. From what we were able to review of this work, steel wool was not included in these blocking attempts leaving the foam … Read entire article »
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TEPCO Worried About Vent Tower Stability, 25 Seivert Radiation Found At Base
TEPCO had been inspecting the unit 1/2 vent tower at a distance after damage to the upper structural system was found a few months ago. This had involved using telephoto camera lenses to view portions of the tower. This tower has been roped off since August 2011 when extremely high radiation was found near the tower. Now TEPCO has sent workers to take radiation readings around the base of the tower again. They found 25 seiverts … Read entire article »
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The Plan For Japan
Besides the effort to declare arbitrary state secrets there have been a number of other disturbing efforts in the government and private sector. The government is planning to establish nuclear power as an “important base source of power” in Japan. This would undo all efforts to phase out nuclear power since the Fukushima disaster. The new policy will declare nuclear to be the only solution to the country’s energy needs even though no nuclear has been … Read entire article »
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Japan State Secrets Bill Delayed
Japan’s government effort to force through an unpopular state secrets bill has stalled. The DPJ and JCP parties submitted a no confidence motion in the lower house. The prevents the upper house from voting on the state secrets bill, the last step towards making it law. The LDP has already called for extending the legislative session by two days so they may still be able to obtain an upper house vote. Ex-SKF reports that the no confidence motion may not have enough votes to pass. Other sources on twitter indicated it could have enough votes if the DPJ joined in (they did) and that it would force a new election. The effort to railroad through this bill has caused large protests in Japan. This article would not be possible without the extensive efforts … Read entire article »
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IRID Review Of Contaminated Water Proposals (Including Ours)
IRID has released some feedback from the call for proposals on contaminated water issues. Our research team submitted six proposals to the committee. All of the IRID submissions were classified here: This list matches our proposals to the related review sections: 33 Groundwater bypass http://irid.or.jp/cw/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/RFI_Result1118_1_51.pdf 114 Final water treatment http://irid.or.jp/cw/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/RFI_Result1118_1_21.pdf 115 Underground zeolite http://irid.or.jp/cw/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/RFI_Result1118_1_11.pdf 544 Drainage canal passive filter http://irid.or.jp/cw/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/RFI_Result1118_1_31.pdf 545 Port filtration http://irid.or.jp/cw/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/RFI_Result1118_1_31.pdf Over all we were mostly pleased with the reviews and commentary the IRID board had on our proposals and the … Read entire article »
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Radioactive Strontium 90 And Radioactive Silver Found In Fukushima Fish
TEPCO tested fish within 20km (fish hauled 1-3 km offshore) of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant for cesium, strontium 90 and radioactive silver. This appears to be some of the first testing for isotopes other than cesium or iodine 131. Seventeen samples were tested, five fish were found with strontium 90 levels. There appeared to be a weak connection between the cesium levels in the fish and the strontium 90 levels in the fish. The cesium … Read entire article »
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Japan Govt. Declared Evacuation Too Expensive, IAEA Promotes More Sea Dumping
A government trip to research how the response to the Chernobyl disaster was conducted but the report was never made public. The officials looked at what was done after Chernobyl and declared it to be too expensive and complicated for the Japanese government so they suggested it be ignored. They declared there was little benefit to evacuating people but it was admitted the report ignored more critical evidence of the actual damage done to the … Read entire article »
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2011 Tohoku Quake Changed Earth Gravity
The GOCE satellite caught a change in the earth’s gravity due to the 2011 Tohoku quake. It was even able to record sounds generated from the event. “What researchers didn’t expect was that the GOCE satellite would capture a real-time change in gravity. But the 2011 earthquake, the fifth-strongest ever recorded, shifted rock formations several kilometers below earth’s surface, and changed the shape of the sea bed, altering the gravitational pull off Japan’s coast. The quake was … Read entire article »
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Testing On Frozen Wall At Fukushima Daiichi Is Underway
Work has begun to test the frozen underground wall concept at Fukushima Daiichi. A test section was frozen including the area inside pipes in the mock up. A video of the work can be found here http://youtu.be/4se7KSjF1lY TEPCO hopes to install the wall with government help and funding in upcoming years to combat the constant flow of contaminated water to the sea. This article would not be possible without the extensive efforts of the SimplyInfo research team Join the … Read entire article »
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Panel Urges New Water Responses At Fukushima Daiichi
One of the various panels making suggestions for the response to the mess at Fukushima Daiichi has called for 5 new measures to combat radioactive water at the plant. As the plant continues to leak an estimated 9 terabecquerels of just cesium 137 alone to the sea every month, these solutions are critical. Storage tanks with double outer walls Sealing cracks and piping holes with concrete Pave the ground with asphalt to prevent rainwater from seeping in Handling of … Read entire article »
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Tokyo Suburb To Be Decontaminated, 70% Of Town Marked For Clean Up
Toride City, a suburb of Tokyo was declared in need of decontamination after 70% of the city was found to potentially be contaminated above allowable levels. Surveys are being conducted to determine what homes require decontamination. Hot spots were found around Chiba, also considered to be a suburban part of Tokyo, requiring response from the government to do clean up there. PM Abe and other government officials have insisted Tokyo is not contaminated at all and … Read entire article »
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Fukushima Radiation Exceeds Chernobyl Evacuation Levels Across Japan
The contamination from Fukushima did not fall in concentric circles as the evacuation zones imply. Contamination from the disaster is also not uniform is where it concentrates. By comparing the Chernobyl evacuation zone standards to the contamination levels in Japan it gave a startling view of the problem. The USSR was never faulted for being overly cautious in their evacuation around Chernobyl. The map represents the mandatory and voluntary evacuation zone radiation level from Chernobyl, applied … Read entire article »
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Japan State Secrets Bill Would Jail Journalists, Hide Fukushima Information
This bill is a major issue in Japan for good reason, yet this issue gets little press in the west. The current LDP government proposed a new state secrets law that would make anything at any agency a “state secret” if the agency or prime minister decided it should be. This system has no oversight or checks and balances to prevent abuse or to protect the public’s right to know. “Yutaka Saito, a member of the … Read entire article »
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Second Set Of Unit 4 Fuel Loaded In Common Pool
TEPCO reports as of November 30, 2013 JST the second set of 22 fuel assemblies were loaded into the fuel racks of the common pool. The work was completed about 5pm JST according to NHK. NHK also reports that TEPCO will now give spent fuel priority for removal over the unused assemblies in the pool. This article would not be possible without the extensive efforts of the SimplyInfo research team Join the conversation at chat.simplyinfo.org All content is copyright … Read entire article »
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Who Really Runs Fukushima Daiichi?
Much has been made about the contractor system at Fukushima Daiichi, the worker abuses and cut rate construction. This only looks at one aspect of the contractor system at the plant. Tasks like tank construction have been given out to layers of subcontractors but these subcontractors only do some of the work at the plant. Much of the work falls to what are called prime contractors. These are companies like Toshiba, Hitachi-GE or Kajima. The … Read entire article »
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Unit 3 Spent Fuel Pool; Debris Removal Preparation Begins
Kyodo News announced yesterday that preparations are underway to remove the debris from the unit 3 spent fuel pool at Fukushima Daiichi. The debris in unit 3′s spent fuel pool is much more excessive and complicated than unit 4. In unit 3′s pool is a tangle of rebar and concrete along with the refueling crane. The refueling crane apparently fell in the pool during the explosion. One end landed on the fuel racks. Along with the … Read entire article »
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2nd Fuel Transfer From Unit 4 Completed
TEPCO has removed another cask from unit 4 and transported it to the common pool on November 29th JST. Kyodo News flew their helicopter over the plant in defiance of TEPCO’s claim these fuel transfers can not be photographed. This is the second cask transfer to take place from unit 4. The first one moved unused fuel assemblies. The second transfer removed spent fuel from the pool. This article would not be possible without the extensive … Read entire article »
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US Group Calls For Radiation Monitoring Of Food Supply
A US grassroots group is urging the public to support a set of efforts to improve food monitoring in the US against radioactive contamination. The fallout from Fukushima that fell on the US and that which has been crossing the Pacific has been an area of concern with residents of the US and Canada. Government agencies have declared the issue to be a “non-issue” and either have opted to do no testing or rely on premature … Read entire article »
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Unit 4 Cask Filled, Transit Prep Tomorrow 11.27.13
TEPCO announced an additional 16 spent fuel assemblies were loaded into the transport cask by the end of the day filling the cask with a total of 22 assemblies. 6 assemblies were previously loaded in the morning. Tomorrow will be cleaning and preparation of the cask for transport to the common storage pool. TEPCO is not declaring the transit date or time to avoid having the cask filmed claiming nuclear security concerns. http://www.tepco.co.jp/cc/press/2013/1232487_5117.html This article would not … Read entire article »
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Warning Alarm At Fukushima Daiichi Caused By Rat Pee
TEPCO was again foiled by rats. A warning alarm went off in the electrical switching gear at the plant. Workers investigating the cause discovered a rat had urinated on the alarm wiring. TEPCO has had multiple power outages caused by rats electrocuting themselves as they crawled into the replacement electrical switching equipment. Workers previously filled spaces in the electrical boxes where rodents could crawl in. A small entry space was found in this box. There … Read entire article »
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Unit 4 Fuel Removal Work Begins For Wednesday
TEPCO announced work to begin taking out spent fuel at unit 4 resumed this Wednesday morning JST. http://www.tepco.co.jp/cc/press/2013/1232461_5117.html This article would not be possible without the extensive efforts of the SimplyInfo research team Join the conversation at chat.simplyinfo.org All content is copyright SimplyInfo.org. If you are viewing this content on any website other than www.simplyinfo.org it may be plagiarized, please let us know. If you wish to reproduce any of our content in full or in more than a … Read entire article »
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Debris Removal At 1st Floor Unit 3 Fukushima Underway
TEPCO mentions that debris removal work on the 1st floor of unit 3 is underway. The work had been on various planning documents but is now confirmed to be ongoing. The work is being done by way of robotic equipment. The confirmation came as the SoRa robot developed an oil leak. This debris removal will help both robots and workers gain entry to more of the building. SoRa was built by Hitachi-GE. TEPCO does not state … Read entire article »
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Unit 4 Fuel Removal; 6 Assemblies Removed To Cask Today
TEPCO has announced that 6 fuel assemblies have been removed from the pool racks to the transport cask by the end of work today JST. The assemblies removed were spent fuel, considered to be more risky than the removal of unused assemblies as was done in the previous fuel move. Removal work concluded at 18:32 JST. No problems were reported. http://www.tepco.co.jp/cc/press/2013/1232451_5117.html This article would not be possible without the extensive efforts of the SimplyInfo research team Join the conversation … Read entire article »
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“Troika Of Irresponsibility” & Dissatisfaction In Fukushima Disaster Response
Remember only weeks ago when Japan’s PM Abe announced the government was taking over the contaminated water problems at Fukushima Daiichi? If you thought it was more of a political stunt you may be right. Asahi Shimbun looked at the history of this ongoing problem and who is to blame. In what Asahi Shimbun called a “troika of irresponsibility” (troika meaning a set of three) they documented the infighting and dysfunction that has caused progress … Read entire article »
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Unit 4 Fuel Removal Resumes Tuesday
NHK is reporting that TEPCO will continue the process to remove spent fuel from the unit 4 pool on Tuesday JST. The first run removed unused fuel and transferred it to the common pool nearby. This next effort will try to remove a group of spent fuel assemblies and transfer them to the common pool using the same process. TEPCO cited problems with sand and sediment in the spent fuel pool causing visibility issues and will … Read entire article »
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More On The Conversation About Unit 4
A SimplyInfo.org member has a review of the conditions and issues at unit 4 published over on SmirkingChimp that gives a good rundown of the kinds of conversations that persistently pop up related to unit 4 at Fukushima. Read it here: http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/greyraven/52768/on-unit-4-fuel-removal-what-you-need-to-know This article would not be possible without the extensive efforts of the SimplyInfo research team Join the conversation at chat.simplyinfo.org All content is copyright SimplyInfo.org. If you are viewing this content on any website other than www.simplyinfo.org it … Read entire article »
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Fukushima Evacuation Zone; Permanent Waste Facility, Some Compensated For Homes
The Japanese government has made a series of announcements about changes to policy related to the evacuation zone. This is a considerable change from the 2011 “You will be able to go home very soon”. Futaba, Okuma, Nahara and Tomioka will be partially set aside as storage facilities for nuclear waste. The government has set aside $200 billion USD to buy the land needed to house the waste. UPI characterized it as “the ultimate holding center for … Read entire article »
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Will Fukushima Daiichi Be Taken Apart With Lasers?
A UK company called TWI is developing a laser cutter that could be used to take apart contaminated equipment at nuclear power plants. The high powered lasers are currently used to weld automobile frames. The hand held system allows a worker to reach areas welding robots frequently can not. The system can also be set up on certain robot platforms to to work remotely and can be operated underwater. We have not seen any formal effort … Read entire article »
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Poor TEPCO! Upset That News Media Reported Fuel Cask Transfer
TEPCO sent out this press release today complaining about the press, for reporting news. Kyodo News and possibly others flew helicopters over Fukushima Daiichi during the fuel cask transfer process. This took place Thursday when the first cask of fuel from unit 4′s spent fuel pool was moved to the common pool building for unloading. The media has flown helicopter flights over the plant repeatedly to give the public a view of what is going … Read entire article »
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Unit 4 Fuel Unloaded Into Common Pool; Video & Photos
TEPCO announced they have removed the first load of fuel from unit 4 to the racks in the common pool. NHK reports the work was completed by the end of the day Friday. This process will have to be repeated 70 times to fully unload the pool at unit 4. Video of the process can be viewed on our YouTube channel http://youtu.be/paIoQkO2WpE Large format photos from the work can be found here http://www.flickr.com/photos/simplyinfo/10994784153/ This article would not be possible without … Read entire article »
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TEPCO Fails To Release Portion Of Unit 1 Torus Inspection
TEPCO recently released videos and reports of their work in the unit 1 torus room. The work was split into two days with one half being investigated one day and the remaining half the second day. TEPCO reports that this work was successfully completed. The video and handouts show day one’s work on downcomer sections 1-4. Day two covered sections 5-8 plus the assumption they would also investigate the section between downcomers 4 and 8. The … Read entire article »
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New Analysis Shows Unit 1 Meltdown More Severe Than Admitted
“Computer simulations show the melted fuel in Unit 1, whose core damage was the most extensive, has breached the bottom of the primary containment vessel and even partially eaten into its concrete foundation, coming within about 30 centimeters (one foot) of leaking into the ground.” This is a recent statement out of Hajimu Yamana, the president of IRID. IRID is the new authority created to come up with ways to decommission Fukushima Daiichi. In a 2011 report Lawrence … Read entire article »
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Vent Tower Height May Have Played A Role In Fukushima Reactor Explosions
SimplyInfo.org member Peter Melzer explains how the vent systems at Fukushima Daiichi played a role in the reactor explosions. Both the lack of power for fan driven systems and the height of the vent tower may have contributed to the explosions. Read the entire document at Peter’s blog. This article would not be possible without the extensive efforts of the SimplyInfo research team Join the conversation at chat.simplyinfo.org All content is copyright SimplyInfo.org. If you are viewing this … Read entire article »
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U4 Fuel Cask Moved To Common Pool Building
NHK and TEPCO have announced that the first cask of fuel assemblies has been moved from unit 4 to the common pool building. The cask will be placed in the common pool on Friday. Then work will begin to remove the assemblies from the cask to racks in the common pool. NHK has video of the transfer truck moving between buildings here. More images can be found here http://www.flickr.com/photos/simplyinfo/sets/72157637484080604/ Video of the effort here http://youtu.be/de_XveTXwwc This article would not be possible … Read entire article »
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New Fukushima Daiichi Robot Uses Electric Car Technology
The Mitsubishi Super Giraffe (MARS C) uses a car battery set up from the companies i-Mi-Ev car. The robot has an extendable arm to reach high, tight locations. The robot has been planned for use at Fukushima Daiichi. TEPCO has not released any reports of its use yet. NEDO worked on the development of this robot and some of the others in use at the disaster site. Specs for the robot can be found here. This article would … Read entire article »
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Fukushima Unit 4 Cask Moved, New Underwater Video
NHK is reporting that the cask transport effort took place Wednesday day. TEPCO has not forwarded any additional announcements at this time. They did however release an underwater video of the fuel transfer work. Per previous reports on Tuesday, TEPCO will review the process to look for portions that may need improvement before they begin the next round of fuel removal. Video of the fuel removal can be found on our YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIUHezUe1as&feature=youtu.be This article would not … Read entire article »
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