RECORD-HIGH RADIOACTIVE WATER LEAK AT FUKUSHIMA PLANT
Channel: rumorecurioso
Date: 20/02/2014

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/  

RECORD-HIGH TAINTED WATER LEAK AT FUKUSHIMA PLANT
 
The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant says 100 tons of water containing record high levels of radioactive substances overflowed from a storage tank.

 Tokyo Electric Power Company officials on Thursday said workers on patrol found the leak in one of the tanks located on the mountain side of the Number 4 reactor building late Wednesday night.

 They said the leaked water contained an extraordinarily high 230-million becquerels per liter of beta-ray emitting substances, consisting mainly of strontium 90.

 The level is about 7.6 million times the government's permissible standard for the nuclide level of water allowed to be released into the sea.

 It is also the highest level of radioactive substances detected so far in the series of tank leaks at the site.

 They say they also detected 9,300 becquerels per liter of cesium 137 in the water. That is more than 100 times the government's limit.

 They say the water was leaking from a seam near the top of the tank. It traveled along a rainwater pipe that extends to outside the barrier surrounding the tank.

 Officials say they managed to stop the leak by transferring water from the overflowing tank to a neighboring one, 6 hours after the problem was first discovered.

 The utility estimates that about 100 tons of water had flowed outside the barrier. But they say the water should not have flowed into the ocean because there are no spillways near the tank that lead to the sea.
 Utility officials attribute the leak to a fault in one of the valves in the pipes that transfer water from a decontamination system to storage tanks.

 They say 2 other adjoining valves that lead to the troubled tank were open, leading to the unexpected flow of water into the tank and causing an overflow.

 They say an alarm had gone off earlier in the day, signaling an increase in the tank's water level. But workers who went to check the tank could find no abnormalities at that time.

 Officials say they are continuing their investigation, while working to recover the leaked water and the surrounding soil now contaminated by the water.

 The Nuclear Regulation Authority has instructed TEPCO to check other tanks for possible leakages.

Feb. 20, 2014 - Updated 05:26 UTC

KENNEDY: US TO SUPPORT FUKUSHIMA RECOVERY
  
The US Ambassador to Japan says technology from the United States will contribute to recovery efforts in Fukushima Prefecture.

 Caroline Kennedy spoke on Wednesday at a forum organized by Japanese and US governments. Participants held two days of talks. They discussed possible cooperation on decommissioning at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant and decontamination work in the prefecture.

 Kennedy said the event would give business people from both countries a chance to share their experiences, and to discuss how US technology can contribute to the recovery.

 Representatives from 26 US companies with expertise in nuclear waste disposal took part. They explained what they can do to help advance the cleanup.

 Members of Japanese firms operating in Fukushima also held meetings with their US counterparts.

 An embassy official said the US government supports the entry of American firms in the decommissioning process in Fukushima, adding that they have extensive experience.

Feb. 19, 2014 - Updated 05:48 UTC

DPJ CALLS FOR MORE POWER FOR NUCLEAR CRISIS FUND
 
Japan's main opposition Democratic Party is calling for greater oversight of decommissioning and cleanup at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant by a state-backed nuclear crisis fund. It says this should include powers to investigate the operator's work.

 The proposal comes as the government prepares a bill to expand the role of the Nuclear Damage Liability Facilitation Fund set up to support Tokyo Electric Power Company after the nuclear accident. The bill would allow the fund to observe work to scrap the damaged reactors and decontaminate radioactive water at the plant.

 The DPJ says the Fund should be given more power than the government bill provides for. The party says this will ensure the necessary work at the plant moves forward.

 The DPJ proposes that the fund be authorized to investigate TEPCO and that the operator be required to provide information.

 It says this will prevent the operator from neglecting its responsibilities on the grounds that its business is suffering.

 The proposal also calls for greater financial transparency. It says the basis for calculating the cost of scrapping the reactors should be fully accounted for, to avoid limitless public spending.

 It also recommends that the fund establish a mechanism to work closely with international experts and receive technical guidance and advice.

 The Democratic Party will submit their proposal to the government on Thursday.

Feb. 19, 2014 - Updated 07:29 UTC