Fukushima nuclear reactor radiation at highest level since 2011 meltdown
https://www.theguardian.com/environ...-radiation-levels-highest-since-2011-meltdown
Extraordinary readings pile pressure on operator Tepco in its efforts to decommission nuclear power station
Cranes over the Fukushima Daiichi plant in February 2016. The decommissioning process is expected to take about four decades Photograph: Toru Yamanaka/AFP/Getty Images
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Justin McCurry in Tokyo
Friday 3 February 201710.19 GMTLast modified on Thursday 9 February 201707.01 GMT
Extremely high radiation levels have been recorded inside a damaged reactor at the
Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station, almost six years after the plant suffered a triple meltdown.
The facility’s operator, Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco), said atmospheric readings as high as 530 sieverts an hour had been recorded inside the containment vessel of reactor No 2, one of three reactors that experienced a meltdown when the plant was crippled
by a huge tsunami that struck the north-east coast of Japan in March 2011.
The extraordinary radiation readings highlight the scale of the task confronting
thousands of workers, as pressure builds on Tepco to begin decommissioning the plant – a process that is expected to take about four decades.
Even if a 30-percent margin of error is taken into account, the recent reading, described by some experts as “unimaginable”, is far higher than the previous record of 73 sieverts an hour detected by sensors in 2012.
Tepco pointed out, however, that the camera had probed deeper inside the reactor than before and had focused on a single point. Radiation levels at other spots filmed by the camera are estimated to be much lower, it added.
A single dose of one sievert is enough to cause
radiation sickness and nausea; 5 sieverts would kill half those exposed to it within a month, and a single dose of 10 sieverts would prove fatal within weeks.
Tepco also said image analysis had revealed a hole in metal grating beneath the same reactor’s pressure vessel. The one-metre-wide hole was probably created by nuclear fuel that melted and then penetrated the vessel after the tsunami knocked out Fukushima Daiichi’s back-up cooling system.
“It may have been caused by nuclear fuel that would have melted and made a hole in the vessel, but it is only a hypothesis at this stage,” Tepco’s spokesman Tatsuhiro Yamagishi told AFP.
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“We believe the captured images offer very useful information, but we still need to investigate given that it is very difficult to assume the actual condition inside.”
The presence of dangerously high radiation will complicate efforts to safely dismantle the plant.
A remote-controlled robot that Tepco intends to send into the No 2 reactor’s containment vessel is designed to withstand exposure to a total of 1,000 sieverts, meaning it would survive for less than two hours before malfunctioning.
The firm said radiation was not leaking outside the reactor, adding that the robot would still prove useful since it would move from one spot to the other and encounter radiation of varying levels.
Tepco and its network of partner companies at Fukushima Daiichi have yet to identify the location and condition of melted fuel in the three most seriously damaged reactors. Removing it safely represents a challenge unprecedented in the history of nuclear power.
Quantities of melted fuel are believed to have accumulated at the bottom of the damaged reactors’ containment vessels, but dangerously high radiation has prevented engineers from accurately gauging the state of the fuel deposits.
Earlier this week, the utility
released images of dark lumps found beneath reactor No 2 that it believes could be melted uranium fuel rods – the first such discovery since the disaster.
In December, the government said the estimated cost of decommissioning the plant and decontaminating the surrounding area, as well as paying compensation and storing radioactive waste, had risen to 21.5tn yen (£150bn), nearly double an estimate released in 2013.
This article was amended on 9 February to explain that the camera had probed deeper inside the No 2 reactor – and closer to the damaged nuclear fuel – than before, hence the high radiation estimate.
Fukushima Daiichi Status Updates
20 February 2017
On 16 February 2017, Japan provided the IAEA with a copy of a
report on the progress of investigation inside Unit 2 PCV at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent to all international Missions in Japan. The full report is
here.
https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/focus/fukushima/status-update
1 February 2017
On 1 February 2017, Japan provided the IAEA with a copy of a
report on the discharge record and the seawater monitoring results at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station during January, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent to all international Missions in Japan.
The report contains information on discharges from the subdrain and groundwater drain systems, as well as on groundwater bypassing conducted during the month of January. In both cases, in advance of the action, TEPCO analyzes the quality of the groundwater to be discharged and announces the results. These results confirm that the radiation level of sampled water are substantially below the operational targets set by TEPCO.
4 January 2017
On 4 January 2017, Japan provided the IAEA with a copy of a
report on the discharge record and the seawater monitoring results at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station during December, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent to all international Missions in Japan.
The report contains information on discharges from the subdrain and groundwater drain systems, as well as on groundwater bypassing conducted during the month of December. In both cases, in advance of the action, TEPCO analyzes the quality of the groundwater to be discharged and announces the results. These results confirm that the radiation level of sampled water are substantially below the operational targets set by TEPCO.
2 December 2016
On 1 December 2016, Japan provided the IAEA with a copy of a
report on the discharge record and the seawater monitoring results at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station during November, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent to all international Missions in Japan.
The report contains information on discharges from the subdrain and groundwater drain systems, as well as on groundwater bypassing conducted during the month of November. In both cases, in advance of the action, TEPCO analyzes the quality of the groundwater to be discharged and announces the results. These results confirm that the radiation level of sampled water are substantially below the operational targets set by TEPCO.
11 November 2016
The Japanese Government has provided the IAEA with a
report that summarizes the events and highlights the progress related to recovery operations at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. The IAEA provided its assessments, which are contained in full at the end of the report.
The IAEA acknowledges further progress towards the full operation of the Frozen Soil Wall and the results achieved by the operation of the sub-drain and groundwater drain systems. The IAEA notes the importance of the monitoring of changes of earth temperature and groundwater levels for assessing the effect of the overall countermeasures against the groundwater issues.
The progress made in preparing for the removal of fuel from the spent fuel pool of Unit 1 has been noted, including the measures that have been implemented to reduce the potential for the spread of contamination during the fuel removal activities.
The IAEA also notes that no significant changes were observed in the monitoring results for seawater, sediment and marine biota during the period from August 2016 until the end of September 2016. The levels measured by Japan in the marine environment are low and relatively stable. For the purpose of public reassurance, the IAEA encourages continuation of sea area monitoring, particularly considering the ongoing authorized discharges of treated and monitored groundwater into the ocean.
The IAEA considers that the extensive data quality assurance programme helps to ensure that stakeholders can be confident of the accuracy and quality of the sea area monitoring data. The IAEA continues to assist the Government of Japan in ensuring that the regularly updated Sea Area Monitoring Plan is comprehensive, credible and transparent. A proficiency test and two inter-laboratory comparison exercises are organized annually to test the sampling and analytical performance of the Japanese laboratories for the analysis of radioactivity concentration in seawater, sediment and marine organisms. The results of the fifth inter-laboratory comparison exercise study are currently being analysed while a sixth inter-laboratory comparison exercise study is being planned. A third proficiency test started in September 2016, which includes the analysis of radioactivity concentration in seawater.
Experts from the IAEA will visit Japan from 14 to 18 November 2016 to collect water and fish samples from coastal waters off Fukushima Prefecture to support the quality assurance of radioactivity data collection and analysis by the responsible authorities in Japan (
https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/med...-from-coastal-waters-off-fukushima-prefecture).
2 November 2016
On 1 November 2016, Japan provided the IAEA with a copy of a
report on the discharge record and the sea water monitoring results at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station during October, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent to all international missions in Japan.
The report contains information on discharges from the subdrain and groundwater drain systems, as well as on groundwater bypassing conducted during the month of October. In both cases, in advance of the action, TEPCO analyzes the quality of the groundwater to be discharged and announces the results. These results confirm that the radiation level of sampled water are substantially below the operational targets set by TEPCO.
3 October 2016
On 3 October 2016, Japan provided the IAEA with a copy of a
report on the discharge record and the sea water monitoring results at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station during September, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent to all international missions in Japan.
The report contains information on discharges from the subdrain and groundwater drain systems, as well as on groundwater bypassing conducted during the month of September. In both cases, in advance of the action, TEPCO analyzes the quality of the groundwater to be discharged and announces the results. These results confirm that the radiation level of sampled water are substantially below the operational targets set by TEPCO.
16 September 2016
The Japanese Government has provided the IAEA with a
report that summarizes the events and highlights the progress related to recovery operations at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. The IAEA provided its assessments, which are contained in full at the end of the report.
In this assessment, the IAEA acknowledges the results of the investigation of the fuel debris location in the Unit 2 reactor, by applying the muons transmission method, and that they contribute to further assessment of the conditions inside the Unit 2 reactor and to developing an effective approach for the removal of fuel debris.
Regarding the Frozen Soil Wall, the IAEA notes that the established continuous monitoring of the changes of the earth temperature and groundwater levels is essential for assessing the effect of the overall countermeasures against the groundwater issues.
In addition, the IAEA assessment acknowledges that the lifting of the evacuation orders indicates Japan's efforts with regard to the environmental remediation and recovery activities in the areas affected by the accident. The IAEA encourages Japan to continue these efforts and its monitoring of radiation exposure doses of the residents and the provision of practical measures of radiation protection (e.g. measurement of individual doses, health care and consultations) for people returning to previously evacuated areas.
The IAEA also acknowledges that no significant changes were observed in the monitoring results for seawater, sediment and marine biota during the period from May 2016 to July 2016. The levels measured by Japan in the marine environment are low and relatively stable. For the purpose of public reassurance, the IAEA encourages continuation of sea area monitoring, particularly considering the ongoing authorized discharges of treated and monitored groundwater into the ocean.
The IAEA considers that the extensive data quality assurance programme helps to ensure that stakeholders can be confident of the accuracy and quality of the sea area monitoring data. The IAEA continues to assist the Government of Japan in ensuring that the regularly updated Sea Area Monitoring Plan is comprehensive, credible and transparent. A proficiency test and two inter-laboratory comparison exercises are organized annually to test the sampling and analytical performance of the Japanese laboratories for the determination of radionuclides in seawater, sediment and marine organisms. A fifth inter-laboratory comparison exercise study is currently underway and includes the analysis of the radioactivity concentration in seawater and marine sediment. A third proficiency test will start in September 2016 and includes the analysis of radioactivity concentration in seawater.
5 September 2016
On 1 September 2016, Japan provided the IAEA with a copy of a
report on the discharge record and the sea water monitoring results at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station during August, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent to all missions in Tokyo.
The report contains information on discharges from the subdrain and groundwater drain systems, as well as on groundwater bypassing conducted during the month of August. In both cases, in advance of the action, TEPCO analyzes the quality of the groundwater to be discharged and announces the results. These results confirm that the radiation level of sampled water are substantially below the operational targets set by TEPCO.
2 August 2016
On 1 August 2016, Japan provided the IAEA with a copy of a
report on the discharge record and the sea water monitoring results at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station during July, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent to all missions in Tokyo.
The report contains information on discharges from the subdrain and groundwater drain systems, as well as on groundwater bypassing conducted during the month of July. In both cases, in advance of the action, TEPCO analyzes the quality of the groundwater to be discharged and announces the results. These results confirm that the radiation level of sampled water are substantially below the operational targets set by TEPCO.
6 July 2016
On 4 July 2016, Japan provided the IAEA with a copy of a
report on the discharge record and the sea water monitoring results at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station during June, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent to all missions in Tokyo.
The report contains information on discharges from the subdrain and groundwater drain systems, as well as on groundwater bypassing conducted during the month of June. In both cases, in advance of the action, TEPCO analyzes the quality of the groundwater to be discharged and announces the results. These results confirm that the radiation level of sampled water are substantially below the operational targets set by TEPCO.
8 June 2016
On 3 June 2016, the Tritiated Water Task Force has announced the release of a
report as well as an
outline of the report that presents the results of technical evaluations conducted by the Tritiated Water Task at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.
The Tritiated Water Task Force is an expert’s group established under the governmental Committee on Contaminated Water Countermeasures to examine and consider various options for the handling of contaminated water in the site containing radioactive hydrogen (tritium).
As the current Multi-nuclide removal equipment installed at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station is not technically capable of removing tritium, the treated contaminated water still contains tritium and is stored within the Fukushima Daiichi site. The report evaluates various options regarding the handling of this tritiated water.
The full text (in Japanese only) of the outline of the report is available on the website of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (see
here).
3 June 2016
The Japanese Government has provided the IAEA with a
report that summarizes the events and highlights the progress related to recovery operations at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. The IAEA provided its assessments, which are contained in full at the end of the report.
In this assessment, the IAEA acknowledges further progress toward the achievement of a sustainable situation regarding groundwater and contaminated water issues, including the commencement of the freezing of the major part of the land-side impermeable wall (started in March 2016). Other technical measures, such as the completion of the separation of Unit 1 turbine building from the circulation water injection line, also demonstrate progress in water management. These activities, as well as the ground water bypass and drain pumping, indicate effective implementation of the overall water management strategy.
In addition, the IAEA assessment states that no significant changes were observed in the monitoring results for seawater, sediment and marine biota during the period from February 2016 to April 2016. The levels measured by Japan in the marine environment are low and stable. For the purpose of public reassurance, the IAEA encourages continuation of sea area monitoring, particularly considering the ongoing authorized discharges of treated and monitored groundwater into the ocean.
The IAEA continues to assist the Government of Japan in ensuring that the regularly updated Sea Area Monitoring Plan is comprehensive, credible and transparent. A proficiency test and two inter-laboratory comparison exercises are organized annually to test the sampling and analytical performance of the Japanese laboratories for the analysis of radionuclides in seawater, sediment and marine organisms. A fifth inter-laboratory comparison exercise study is currently underway and includes the analysis of the levels of radionuclides in seawater and marine sediment. The results of the first four inter-laboratory comparison exercise studies (organised in 2014–2015) were presented in an IAEA progress report released in April 2016. The report indicated that the participating Japanese laboratories produced reliable data on the level of radionuclides in seawater, sediment and fish samples collected near Fukushima (see
here).
The IAEA considers that the extensive data quality assurance programme helps to ensure that stakeholders can be confident of the accuracy and quality of the sea area monitoring data.
2 June 2016
On 1 June 2016, Japan provided the IAEA with a copy of a
report on the discharge record and the sea water monitoring results at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station during May, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent to all missions in Tokyo.
The report contains information on discharges from the subdrain and groundwater drain systems, as well as on groundwater bypassing conducted during the month of May. In both cases, in advance of the action, TEPCO analyzes the quality of the groundwater to be discharged and announces the results. These results confirm that the radiation level of sampled water are substantially below the operational targets set by TEPCO.
3 May 2016
On 2 May 2016, Japan provided the IAEA with a copy of a
report on the discharge record and the sea water monitoring results at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station during April, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent to all missions in Tokyo.
The report contains information on discharges from the subdrain and groundwater drain systems, as well as on groundwater bypassing conducted during the month of April. In both cases, in advance of the action, TEPCO analyzes the quality of the groundwater to be discharged and announces the results. These results confirm that the radiation level of sampled water are substantially below the operational targets set by TEPCO.
4 April 2016
On 1 April 2016, Japan provided the IAEA with a copy of a
report on the discharge record and the sea water monitoring results at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station during March, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent to all missions in Tokyo.
The report contains information on discharges from the subdrain and groundwater drain systems, as well as on groundwater bypassing conducted during the month of March. In both cases, in advance of the action, TEPCO analyzes the quality of the groundwater to be discharged and announces the results. These results confirm that the radiation level of sampled water are substantially below the operational targets set by TEPCO.
4 March 2016
On 4 March, Japan provided the IAEA with a comprehensive
report summarizing the events and highlights on the progress related to recovery operations at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The IAEA had provided its assessments, which is contained in full at the end of the report.
Based on the information in the report, the IAEA recognizes the positive impact of the various countermeasures against groundwater ingress into the reactor buildings including the operation of various groundwater pumping systems. These countermeasures, together with the deployment of the sea-side impermeable wall, have led to a decrease in radioactivity in the port area.
The IAEA considers the removal of contaminated water from the Unit 4 seawater pipe trench and the plugging of the trench as important achievements for further risk reduction on-site.
No significant changes were observed in the monitoring results for seawater, sediment and marine biota during the period from October 2015 to January 2016. The levels measured by Japan in the marine environment are low and relatively stable. For the purpose of public reassurance, the IAEA encourages continuation of sea area monitoring, particularly considering the on-going authorised discharges of treated and monitored groundwater into the ocean.
The IAEA also considers that the extensive data quality assurance programme helps to ensure that all stakeholders can be confident of the accuracy and quality of the sea area monitoring data.
Finally, based on the information that has been made available in the report, the Joint IAEA/FAO Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture understands that the measures taken to monitor and respond to issues regarding radionuclide contamination of food are appropriate, and that the food supply chain is under effective control of the relevant authorities.
1 March 2016
On 1 March 2016, Japan provided the IAEA with a copy of a
report on the discharge record and the sea water monitoring results at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station during February, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent to all missions in Tokyo.
The report contains information on discharges from the subdrain and groundwater drain systems, as well as on groundwater bypassing conducted during the month of February. In both cases, in advance of the action, TEPCO analyzes the quality of the groundwater to be discharged and announces the results. These results confirm that the radiation level of sampled water are substantially below the operational targets set by TEPCO.
2 February 2016
On 1 February 2016, Japan provided the IAEA with a copy of a
report on the discharge record and the sea water monitoring results at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station during January, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent to all missions in Tokyo.
The report contains information on discharges from the subdrain and groundwater drain systems, as well as on groundwater bypassing conducted during the month of January. In both cases, in advance of the action, TEPCO analyzes the quality of the groundwater to be discharged and announces the results. These results confirm that the radiation level of sampled water are substantially below the operational targets set by TEPCO.
7 January 2016
On 6 January 2016, Japan provided the IAEA with a copy of a
report on the discharge record and the sea water monitoring results at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station during December 2015, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent to all missions in Tokyo.
The report contains information on discharges from the subdrain and groundwater drain systems, as well as on groundwater bypassing conducted during the month of December 2015. In both cases, in advance of the action, TEPCO analyzes the quality of the groundwater to be discharged and announces the results. These results confirm that the radiation level of sampled water are substantially below the operational targets set by TEPCO.
Radiation at Japan's Fukushima Reactor Is Now at 'Unimaginable' Levels
http://insider.foxnews.com/2017/02/08/unimaginable-levels-radiation-fukushima-pacific-ocean-leaks
As seen on
Happening Now Feb 08, 2017
The radiation levels at Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant are now at "unimaginable" levels.
Adam Housley, who reported from the area in 2011 following the catastrophic triple-meltdown, said this morning that
new fuel leaks have been discovered.
He said the radiation levels - as high as 530 sieverts per hour - are now the highest they've been since 2011 when a tsunami hit the coastal reactor.