News From The Meltdowns, July 2013
Channel: onthewaytoextinction
Date: 2013-07-06

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

FUKUSHIMA COOLING PIPE SHORTENED TO REDUCE LEAKS

Tokyo Electric Power Company has shortened a cooling water pipeline at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The operator is aiming to reduce the risk of leakage as contaminated water is circulated to cool the melted nuclear fuel.

 The pipeline stretches some 4 kilometers outside reactor buildings to guide water around the compound via processing facilities that can filter out radioactive substances.

 A series of water leaks and high operating costs forced TEPCO to shorten the pipeline by one kilometer. New pumping and other facilities are now located closer to the reactor buildings.

 The new pipeline went into operation on Friday.

 To prevent more troubles from delaying the timetable for decommissioning, TEPCO is considering ways to shorten the pipeline route even further in fiscal 2015.

Jul. 5, 2013 - Updated 13:12 UTC

6 MORE HIGH-LEVEL RADIATION EXPOSURE CASES FOUND

The health ministry has found that the estimated level of accumulated internal radiation exposure has exceeded the legal limit for 6 more employees who worked shortly after the meltdown accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in March 2011.

 The ministry reexamined estimates on some 20-thousand workers based on a formula used by Tokyo Electric Power Company, which is stricter than some of its contractors.

 Changes were observed in the readings of 450 workers, 431 of whom saw increased levels of radiation.

 The ministry estimates that 6 have been internally exposed to more than 100 millisieverts, the 5-year limit set for nuclear plant workers by law.

 The ministry has instructed TEPCO to adopt a unified formula and closely monitor the health conditions of plant workers.

Jul. 5, 2013 - Updated 15:50 UTC

TEPCO: CORROSION MAY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR LEAK

The operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant says chemical corrosion was likely to blame for a leak in a new filtering system.

 Tokyo Electric Power Company workers found the leak last month in the welding of a tank. The vessel holds contaminated water and is part of a system designed to remove radioactive materials.

 Workers emptied the tank and found more than 10 dents inside. TEPCO officials say each dent was 2 to 5 millimeters in diameter.

 They say a chemical to remove impurities likely reacted with the stainless-steel tank.

 The officials say they plan to apply anti-corrosion resin to the steel.

Jul. 3, 2013 - Updated 08:12 UTC

TEPCO TO REMIND EVACUEES TO FILE DAMAGES CLAIMS

The operator of the disabled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant will soon send reminders to more than 11,000 residents in the area to apply for nuclear accident compensation.

 Tokyo Electric Power Company officials met at the Fukushima Revitalization Headquarters on Friday.

 They will send the reminders in July to residents who were forced to evacuate or stay indoors during the nuclear accident that occurred in March 2011.

 Officials say 160,000 Fukushima residents qualify for this type of compensation, but nearly 7 percent of them had yet to apply as of the end of May. If they don't apply, the 3-year legal deadline to claim damages could expire next year.
 Yoshiyuki Ishizaki is the chief of the Fukushima headquarters.He says the company will study ways to prevent residents from missing out on the compensation.

Jun. 28, 2013 - Updated 09:19 UTC

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