Sunday, March 20, 2011

Fukushima Nuclear Energy Emergency Update



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CHECK NEWS HEADLINES FOR UPDATES:
news feeds on right and more news feeds below
See also:
yesterday's update for background info and links - Fukishima update 3/19/11 - Situation Better ??? (including US Pacific "West Coast" fallout update )
fallout alert with some info on radiation exposure remedies and warnings - (rosemary, potassium iodide)


UPDATES FROM IAEA (below)




U.S. PACIFIC WEST COAST ("PDT" Time = UTC -0700)



UPDATE 8:00 PM 2000 PDT SUNDAY MARCH 20 2011



Situation Critical

three reactor cores and their fuel damaged with possible melting of fuel - half the fuel exposed - elevated pressure in one reactor, unreliable data for another - at least one containment breach suspected - radioactive vapor vented into the atmosphere because of spikes in reactor pressure - major to extreme damage to four reactor buildings - status of four fuming fuel ponds also a critical issue following fires

I have to say that (higher level meltdown or not) this is an extremely terrible event which will have major consequences for Japan, the entire Pacific Region, and the entire world over the coming days, weeks, years, decades... Do not believe otherwise.

Progress in gaining control has been claimed and I have not yet heard of any catastrophic meltdown, but there is potential for world-wide consequence in this with six reactors all lined up like that.



IAEA Summary on Fukushima Nuclear Emergency (chart from 20 March 2011, 15.30 UTC)


Japan nuclear progress as toll up
BBC Asia/Pacific (21 March 2011 00:33 ET): The United Nations nuclear agency says there have been positive developments in Japan's efforts to tackle a nuclear emergency after the 11 February quake.
The IAEA said smoke or vapour rising from one of the overheating reactors at the damaged Fukushima power plant had become less intense.

But it said the overall situation remained very serious.



IAEA Summary of Conditions at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant @iaea.org
(see other recent reports below)



...of great concern is Unit 3, the only one which has a fuel mix containing extremely toxic plutonium - stabilized after fire trucks doused it for hours with hundreds of metric tonnes of water, but now the pressure is erratic ... reactor 3 fuel ponds are also in serious trouble

it appears that work advanced on bringing power back to water pumps used to cool overheating reactors and various fuel ponds, but is taking time due to dangerous radiation levels, difficult conditions and damaged systems...

they have flooded the site with water canons - technicians have vented radioactive vapor into the air because of spikes in reactor pressure at points, but some plans for venting have been abandoned for fear of spreading excess radioactive contamination into the atmosphere - there are conflicting reports of pressure building and falling in Reactor 3.




QUAP: If there's a hell, it's surely radioactive... and looks like Fukushima Dai-ichi...
Here's the news today: Japanese nuclear experts "might" be making SOME progress on cooling the overheated reactors and spent fuel pools at Fukushima Dai-ichi. The problem is, maybe they AREN'T making ANY progress at all! They just can't know. The internal temperatures of the reactor cores are unknown. Pressures at various places in the system are all that is known. The only thing that creates heat in the system -- and thus, pressure -- is the radioactive fuel. So the continued steam releases suggest fuel isn't cooling very quickly, and stability is NOT guaranteed at ANY of the three reactors that had the misfortune to be operating when the 9.0 earthquake struck.
- Ace Hoffman Nuclear power reports, Sunday, March 20, 2011.





More background below

See also: Fukushima Update - Situation Critical | fallout on US West Coast? (3/19/11)
More of today's news (3/20/11) below

CHECK: links at top + news feeds on right | more news feeds below




US - Pacific "West Coast" fallout update




Pacific Storm track bringing fallout to North America, but the severity said to be insignificant - all this acknowledging that no amount of contamination is good at all; and that, especially locally in Japan and the Northern Pacific, this is surely of historic and catastrophic proportion.

authorities say the level (miniscule) is and will be "safe," but don't take their word for it. alternative views maintain that no level of exposure is safe - its a numbers game (i guess you would have to ask those certain few individuals who fell within the percentage and actually did develop cancer and genetic damage some number of years from now)

North Pacific storm surge (imgage from 4:00 PM PDT Friday, 2300 UTC March 18)

StormSurf weather animation > > Click for Current Wave Model - North Pacific Surface Pressure and Wind (180 hr. loop)


See also:

Saturday's post for US West Coast fallout info - Pacific "West Coast" fallout update (3/19/11) - includes more info and links

fallout alert (including info on radiation remedies and usage warnings)

EnviroReporter.com’s Radiation Station
- live shot of a RadAlert Inspector Nuclear Radiation Monitor in EnviroReporter.com‘s Santa Monica office on the West Los Angeles border.




CHECK NEWS HEADLINES FOR UPDATES:
links at top + news feeds on right | more news feeds below




Recent Background (more of (3/20/11) "today's news" below)


All Things Nuclear
MARCH 19, 2011: Possible Source of Leaks at Spent Fuel Pools at Fukushima
A current focus of concern in Japan now is the pools at the reactors where spent fuel is stored. Some of this spent fuel is still very radioactive since it was only removed from the reactors a few months ago, and it must be covered by water and cooled to keep from overheating. If the spent fuel rods get too hot, they can suffer damage and release significant amounts of radioactive gases into the atmosphere, and could eventually catch fire.

from UPDATE 9:00 PM 1700 PDT THURSDAY MARCH 17 - -

until today it has been only an extremely serious situation getting worse.

although still an extremely serious situation with terrible potential and already tragic consequences, a bit of good news now is that they are apparently getting power back to the plant so that they might be able properly cool what's left of the reactors and fuel ponds. also: water canons and fire trucks may have been able to spray water into the critical #4 reactor pond, and the US is sending some giant pumps.

hopeful for success with cooling efforts -- still no encouraging word on meltdown status with four out of six reactors in serious trouble, some extremely so with partial meltdowns and containment breaches which verge on critical -- utter catastrophe looms as extreme radiation levels continue inhibiting effort to gain control -- fuming and perhaps melting spent fuel ponds perhaps most serious as they are not contained and vent directly into the atmosphere -- reactor 3 contains plutonium mix capable of worst -- radiation plume forecast to hit U.S. West Coast, but so far predicted fallout said to be minimal.

The "outer building" surrounding Unit 3 of Fukushima I explodes, presumably due to the ignition of built up hydrogen gas, on March 13, 2011. This is the reactor which has the extremely dangerous plutonium-laced MOX fuel. State of the nuclear reactor core remains unknown... (photo enhanced for contrast and enlargement with several layers of noise, sharpening and blurring)

from UPDATE 11:15 PM 2214 PDT WEDNESDAY MARCH 16
Containment breaches are suspected following four explosions at three reactors - fuel storage pond burns and vents radiation - no catastrophic meltdown is reported, but multiple partial meltdowns are suspected - extremely dangerous radiation levels rise and fall - local human catastrophe and environmental disaster with world-wide ramifications continues to unfold

facility fires reported involve areas with extremely dangerous "spent fuel" - spent fuel storage "pond" was on fire twice and radioactivity was being released directly into the atmosphere - - many workers evacuated due to high radiation levels, at times all of them - smoke seen rising from the site is assumed to be radioactive...:


IAEA - INTERNATION ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY


UPDATED MARCH 23


Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Accident Update (23 March, 20:00 UTC)

Brief update on state of Fukushima Daiichi reactors

Japanese authorities today announced a number of developments at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, where reactor cooling systems were disabled following the massive earthquake and tsunami on 11 March.

At Units 1, 2, 3, and 4, workers have advanced the restoration of off-site electricity, and the lights are working in Unit 3's main control room.

Black smoke was seen emerging from the Unit 3 reactor building, spurring the temporary evacuation of workers from Units 3 and 4. The emission of smoke has now decreased significantly.

Crews continued today to use a concrete pump truck to deliver high volumes of water into the Unit 4 spent fuel pool, where there are concerns of inadequate water coverage over the fuel assemblies.

At Units 5 and 6, workers have successfully restored off-site power to the reactor, which had previously reached a safe, cold shutdown status.


Briefing on Fukushima Nuclear Accident (23 March 2011, 15:30 UTC)

On Wednesday, 23 March 2011, Graham Andrew, Special Adviser to the IAEA Director General on Scientific and Technical Affairs, briefed both Member States and the media on the current status of nuclear safety in Japan. His opening remarks, which he delivered at 15:30 UTC at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna, are provided below:

There are some positive developments related to the availability of electrical power supply to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plants, although the overall situation remains of serious concern.
AC power is now available at Units 1, 2 and 4. Power has been restored to some instrumentation in all Units except Unit 3. At Unit 3, the main control room has lighting, but no power to its equipment or instruments. As a positive development instrumentation, as it becomes available, is providing more data that can be assessed by experts.
The pressure in the reactor pressure vessel and drywell of Unit 3 is stable. However, pressure has increased in both the reactor pressure vessel and the drywell of Unit 1, where seawater injection has been increased. Until heat can be removed from Unit 1, pressure tends to increase as water is injected. The reactor feed water system is being used, in addition to water injection through fire extinguisher lines.
Pressure readings in Unit 2 appear to be less reliable. Only limited data is available concerning the reactor pressure vessel and reactor containment vessels' integrity of Unit 2. Temperature readings in the reactor pressure vessels of Units 1 and 3 were high and of some concern. The temperature has now dropped in Unit 1 following the start of seawater injection via feed-water pipes. Indications are that the temperature at Unit 2 is stable.
Units 5 and 6 continue to have off-site power and remain in cold shutdown.
Dose rates measured in the containment vessels and suppression chambers of Units 1, 2, and 3 are available and are being studied.
Periodic water spraying of Units 2, 3, and 4 and the common spent fuel pool has continued.
Radiation Monitoring

The IAEA radiation monitoring team took additional measurements at distances from 30 to 73 km from the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Results from gamma dose-rate measurements in air ranged from 0.2 to 6.9 microsievert per hour. The beta-gamma contamination measurements ranged from 0.02 to 0.6 Megabecquerel per square metre.

The second IAEA monitoring team has now arrived in Japan. The two teams in Japan will continue to work closely with the Japanese authorities. Monitoring will be undertaken in the areas of Fukushima and Tokyo. Measurements will be taken to determine more precisely the actual composition of the radionuclides that have been deposited.

More data has become available from the Japanese authorities. The measurements indicate that the radiation dose rates at the Daiichi site are decreasing. Absent further releases from the site, this is to be expected as relatively short lived radionuclides such as Iodine-131 decay away. At the Daiini site, small spikes have been observed in gamma dose rate measurements; these are most likely to be the result of releases carried by the wind from the nearby Daiichi site.

The deposition of iodine-131 and caesium-137 varies across some ten Prefectures from day to day, but the trend is generally upward. In contrast, environmental radiation monitoring data in the Fukushima Prefecture outside the 20km evacuation zone, shows mostly decreasing values.

Monitoring of the marine environment is being undertaken by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport, Science and Technology (MEXT). High levels of iodine-131 and caesium-137 were measured close to the effluent discharge points Units 1 to 4 of Fukushima Daiichi (i.e. before dilution by the ocean). Future monitoring will cover eight locations 30 km off the coast at 10 km intervals. Results for seawater and the atmosphere above the sea should be available in the next few days. IAEA experts from the Marine Environment Laboratory, Monaco will assess this data.

Since yesterday, the IAEA has received further information from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare regarding the presence of radioactivity in milk, drinking water and vegetables. The results of some samples were above the limits specified in Japanese regulations concerning limits for food and water ingestion.

In Fukushima prefecture six raw milk samples, and in Ibaraki prefecture three spinach samples, showed concentrations of Iodine-131 in excess of limits. We understand that the Prime Minister of Japan, Mr. Naoto Kan, has today issued instructions to food business operators to cease, for the time being, the distribution of, and for the public to cease the consumption of, certain leafy vegetables (e.g., spinach, komatsuna, cabbages) and any flowerhead brassicas (broccoli, cauliflower) produced in Fukushima Prefecture. The Prime Minister has ordered food business operators not to distribute, for the time being, any fresh raw milk and parsley in Ibaraki Prefecture.

We have also been advised that the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has encouraged Ibaraki and Chiba Prefectures to monitor seafood products.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Water Office stated that levels of iodine-131 in tap water at a purification plant were found to be above the limits for drinking water for infants but below the level for adults. The Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare, has requested that tap water in Tokyo is not used as drinking water for infants.

So, in summary: there are some positive indications on the site; precautionary restrictions around the site on certain foodstuffs; and monitoring of the environment is continuing beyond the evacuation zone and at sea. No significant risk to human health has been identified.

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Accident Update (23 March, 1:10 UTC)
Restoring power to Fukushima Daiichi


Without electrical power, cooling systems at Fukushima Daiichi’s six reactors cannot operate. Many of the problems facing the nuclear power plant stem from the loss of electrical power at the site following the massive earthquake and tsunami on 11 March. The earthquake cut off external power to the plant and the tsunami disabled backup diesel generators.

Japanese officials have been working to restore power to the facility, and their efforts are organized in three phases.

Units 1 and 2
Reactor cooling systems at these units are severely hampered. There is suspected damage to the nuclear fuel in both units. Workers have successfully connected off-site electrical supplies to a transformer at Unit 2 on 19 March and later to at least one electrical distribution panel inside the plant. Technicians are conducting diagnostic tests to determine the integrity of the reactor’s electrical systems.

Japanese authorities plan to connect Unit 1 sometime after Unit 2. Because of the degraded condition of the Unit1 reactor building, this work may take more time compared to Unit 2, were the reactor building sustained significantly less damage since the earthquake intact.

Units 3 and 4
Reactor cooling systems at Unit 3 are severely hampered. There is suspected damage to the reactor’s fuel, and the condition of its spent fuel pool is uncertain. Unit 4 had been shut down for routine maintenance — and all its fuel was removed to the reactor building’s spent fuel pool — prior to the earthquake. There is therefore no concern about fuel in the reactor core, but considerable concern about the fuel from the spent fuel pool.

Workers are moving toward restoring electricity to both units, but their progress is uncertain.

Units 5 and 6
Both units had been shut down for routine maintenance prior to the earthquake, reducing their cooling needs somewhat, but not entirely. On March 17 operators were able to start one of the Unit 6 diesel generators. On March 19, workers successfully connected the second diesel generator in Unit 6. The two generators were used to power cooling systems in both reactors, which then achieved a safe, cold shutdown configuration. Off-site power was restored to Unit 5 on 21 March.

Restoring external power to the power plant does not mean the reactors will immediately resume normal safety function. The earthquake and tsunami may have inflicted considerable damage in addition to knocking out electricity supplies. Since the extent of this damage (and therefore the extent of necessary repair) is unknown, it is not possible to accurately estimate a work schedule. Progress of efforts to restore power may be impaired by heavy gloves or respirators required to permit the operators work at in the reactors following the damage inflicted by the earthquake and tsunami.

As power is restored, workers will perform checks to make certain the conditions are safe to restart individual components. They will check for grounds and ensure circuits remain intact. If damage is discovered, a decision will have to be made whether to perform repairs or move on to the next component on a prioritised list. Nuclear reactors, especially safety related equipment, incorporate multiple layers of redundancy. So a problem in one component does not necessarily mean a specific safety function will be unrecoverable. It is more likely that operators will move on to the redundant equipment in an effort to determine the most intact system and focus their restoration efforts there. This process takes time.
more / possibly a more current update has been posted


Fukushima Nuclear Accident Update (21 March 2011, 23:15 UTC)

Status of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant


Japanese authorities have notified the IAEA that efforts to restore power for the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant are on-going. As of 19 March at 21:46 UTC, the power centre at unit 2 had received electricity. Work to restore electricity to units 3 and 4 is continuing.
White smoke was reported seen emanating from unit 2 on 21 March at 9:22 UTC. Grayish smoke was reported seen emanating from unit 3 at 6:55 on 21 March, and this was reported to have 'died down' two hours later. All workers at units 1 through 4 evacuated after the smoke at unit 3 was seen. The IAEA is seeking further information at this time on the status of workers at the site.
Japanese authorities have also reported that water has been sprayed over the Common Spent Fuel Pool; this started on 21 March at 1:37 UTC. The IAEA is seeking further information on this development and will report further as updates are received from Japan.
Fukushima Nuclear Accident Update (21 March 2011, 15:30 UTC)
On Monday, 21 March 2011, Graham Andrew, Special Adviser to the IAEA Director General on Scientific and Technical Affairs, briefed both Member States and the media on the current status of nuclear safety in Japan. His opening remarks, which he delivered at 15:30 UTC at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna, are provided below:

1. Current Situation
We are seeing some steady improvements, but the overall situation at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant remains very serious. High levels of contamination have been measured in the locality of the plant.
The restoration of electrical power to Unit 2, which we reported yesterday, is good news. AC power is available and an electrical load check to pumps, etc. is currently on-going. Work on the restoration of off-site power to Units 3 and 4 is also underway.
Seawater is still being injected into the reactor pressure vessels of Units 1, 2 and 3.
Pressure in the reactor pressure vessel and the containment vessel drywell at Unit 3, which had been rising yesterday, has again fallen.
Water is being sprayed periodically into the spent fuel pools at Units 2, 3 and 4. The Agency still lacks data on water levels and temperatures in the spent fuel pools at Units 1, 2, 3 and 4. Following the restoration of cooling at Units 5 and 6, temperatures in the spent fuel pools continue to decline.

2. Radiation Monitoring
As I reported yesterday, the IAEA radiation monitoring team took measurements at distances from 56 to 200 km from the Fukushima nuclear power plant. At two locations in Fukushima Prefecture gamma dose rate and beta-gamma contamination measurements have been repeated. These measurements showed high beta-gamma contamination levels. Measurements by the IAEA and the Japanese authorities were taken at the same time and locations. The Japanese and independent IAEA measurements gave comparable results.
Measurement of gamma dose rate and beta-gamma contamination were taken on 20 March at more locations. The dose-rate results ranged from 2-160 microsieverts per hour, which compares to a typical natural background level of around 0.1 microsieverts per hour. High levels of beta-gamma contamination have been measured between 16-58 km from the plant. Available results show contamination ranging from 0.2-0.9 MBq per square metre.
Further measurements are needed to assess possible contamination beyond the area currently monitored - both closer to the facility and further way. We have no contamination measurements showing that that contamination levels are high at greater distances than 58 km from the plant, but this cannot be excluded.
I have no further information available regarding the measurement of alpha radiation. As I reported yesterday, from the measurements taken within the evacuation zone (20 km), no significant alpha radiation had been detected at that time.
In the coming days, the IAEA monitoring team will continue to take measurements in the Fukushima prefecture. We are seeking data from Japan on radioactivity contamination measurements for the rest of Japan.
Some results on the monitoring of foodstuffs have been made available by Japan to the IAEA and FAO. Results provided recently by the Japanese authorities range up to 55 000 Bq per kg of I-131 in samples of Spinach taken in in the Ibaraki Prefecture. These high values are significantly above Japanese limits for restricting food consumption (i.e. 2 000 Bq/kg). I understand that the Japanese Government is actively considering relevant precautionary measures and has instructed four Prefectures (Ibaraki, Totigi, Gunma, Fukushima) to refrain, for the time being, from distributing two types of vegetables (spinach and kakina) from these Prefectures and milk from Fukshima.

IAEA Briefing on Fukushima Nuclear Emergency (20 March 2011, 15.30 UTC)

Here is the current status of the six reactors, based on documents and confirmed by Japanese officials:

Unit 1
Coolant within Unit 1 is covering about half of the fuel rods in the reactor, and Japanese authorities believe the core has been damaged. High pressure within the reactor's containment led operators to vent gas from the containment. Later, an explosion destroyed the outer shell of the reactor building above the containment on 12 March.
There are no indications of problems with either the reactor pressure vessel or the primary containment vessel.

Efforts to pump seawater into the reactor core are continuing.
No precise information has been available on the status of the spent fuel pool.

On 18 March, Japan assigned an INES rating of 5 to this Unit.
Further information on ratings and INES scale
.
* LEVEL 5 MEANS "ACCIDENT WITH WIDER CONSEQUENCES"

On 19 March, the containment vessel pressure indication was restored.

Unit 2
Coolant within Unit 2 is covering about half of the fuel rods in the reactor, and Japanese authorities believe the core has been damaged. Following an explosion on 15 March, Japanese officials expressed concerns that the reactor's containment may not be fully intact. As of 19 March, 11:30 UTC, officials could no longer confirm seeing white smoke coming from the building. Smoke had been observed emerging from the reactor earlier.

Efforts to pump seawater into the reactor core are continuing.
No precise information has been available on the status of the spent fuel pool. On 20 March, workers began pumping 40 tonnes of seawater into the spent fuel pool.
On 18 March, Japan assigned an INES rating of 5 to this Unit.

Unit 3
Coolant within Unit 3 is covering about half of the fuel rods in the reactor, and Japanese authorities believe the core has been damaged. High pressure within the reactor's containment led operators to vent gas from the containment. Later, an explosion destroyed the outer shell of the reactor building above the containment on 14 March.

Following the explosion, Japanese officials expressed concerns that the reactor's containment may not be fully intact. White smoke has been seen emerging from the reactor, but on 19 March it appeared to be less intense than in previous days.

Efforts to pump seawater into the reactor core are continuing.
Of additional concern at Unit 3 is the condition of the spent fuel pool in the building. There are indications that there is inadequate cooling water level in the pool, and Japanese authorities have addressed the problem by dropping water from helicopters into the building and spraying water from trucks. Spraying from trucks continued on 20 March. There is no data on the temperature of the water in the pool.

On 18 March, Japan assigned an INES rating of 5 to this Unit.

Unit 4
All fuel from Unit 4 had been removed from the reactor core for routine maintenance before the earthquake and placed into the spent fuel pool. The building's outer shell was damaged on 14 March, and there have been two reported fires - possibly including one in the area of the spent fuel pool on 15 March - that were extinguished spontaneously.
Authorities remain concerned about the condition of the spent fuel pool, and Japanese Self Defence Forces began spraying water into the building on 20 March.
On 18 March, Japan assigned an INES rating of 3 to this site.

Units 5 and 6
Shut down for routine maintenance before the earthquake, both reactors achieved cold shutdown on 20 March. The reactors are now in a safe mode, with cooling systems stable and under control, and with low temperature and pressure within the reactor.
Instrumentation from both spent fuel pools had shown gradually increasing temperatures over the past few days. Officials configured two diesel generators at Unit 6 to power cooling and fresh-water replenishment systems in the spent fuel pools and cores of Units 5 and 6. As of 20 March, temperatures in both pools had decreased significantly.
Workers have opened holes in the roofs of both buildings to prevent the possible accumulation of hydrogen, which is suspected of causing explosions at other Units.

Restoration of Grid
Progress has been achieved in restoring external power to the nuclear power plant, although it remains uncertain when full power will be available to all reactors. Off-site electrical power has been connected to an auxiliary transformer and distribution panels at Unit 2. Work continues toward energizing specific equipment within Unit 2.

Evacuation
Japanese authorities have informed the IAEA that the evacuation of the population from the 20-kilometre zone around Fukushima Daiichi has been successfully completed. Japanese authorities have also advised people living within 30 kilometres of the plant to remain inside.

Iodine
On 16 March, Japan's Nuclear Safety Commission recommended local authorities to instruct evacuees leaving the 20-kilometre area to ingest stable (not radioactive) iodine. The pills and syrup (for children) had been prepositioned at evacuation centers. The order recommended taking a single dose, with an amount dependent on age:
Baby
12.5 mg
1 mo.-3 yrs.
25 mg
3-13 yrs.
38 mg
13-40 yrs.
76 mg
40+ yrs.
Not necessary

Radiation Measurements
Radiation levels near Fukushima Daiichi and beyond have elevated since the reactor damage began. However, dose rates in Tokyo and other areas outside the 30-kilometre zone remain below levels which would require any protective action. In other words they are not dangerous to human health.
Dose rates have been provided by Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport, Science and Technology for 47 cities and town representing a comprehensive nationwide monitoring network. The data set covers the period from 15 March, 08:00 UTC to 20 March, 17:00 UTC with an hourly sampling frequency. No significant changes of dose rates have been observed if compared to previous day data.
At the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, radiation levels spiked three times since the earthquake, but have stabilized since 16 March at levels which are, although significantly higher than the normal levels, within the range that allows workers to continue onsite recovery measures. Two new on-site environmental monitoring locations have been added to the monitoring network.

Radionuclides in Foodstuffs and Water
The IAEA has received information from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare regarding the presence of Iodine-131 in three milk samples tested in the town of Kawamata. The concentration is reported to be above allowed levels. Cesium-137 was detected in one sample, though in concentration below allowed levels.
In the Ibaraki prefecture, Iodine-131 and Cesium-137 have been detected in leaf vegetables such as spring onions and spinach. Some of the samples have been reported to be above the levels allowed by the Japanese food hygiene law for emergency monitoring criteria for intake of vegetables.

According to the Nuclear Safety Division, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) analysis for Iodine-131 and Cesium-137 in tap water from 46 locations yielded the majority of samples as non-detects. Only six out of 46 exhibited any iodine-131, though the concentration was reported to be below levels allowed by the Japanese food hygiene law for emergency monitoring criteria for drinking water.





"TODAY'S NEWS" - (3/20/11) -



CHECK NEWS HEADLINES FOR UPDATES:
links at top + news feeds on right | more news feeds below



Building pressure at reactor 3 increasingly dangerous, fuel pool cooling slowly progressing
Possibility of major releases from reactor #3, wind currently blowing inland

Greenpeace: Pressure inside the reactor’s steel containment is still rising. Tepco increased cooling efforts but has been unable to stop the increasing pressure which unabated threatens to breach the containment structure. In such an event, given the destruction of the reactor building, radioactive steam and air would be released directly into the atmosphere.

Greenpeace info page
Four nuclear power plants located on the eastern coastline close to the epicenter were affected: Onagawa (3 reactors), Fukushima-Daiichi (6 reactors), Fukushima-Daini (4 reactors) and Tokai (1 reactor). These reactors are all using boiling water technology, and enter services in the 1970s and 1980s.



Radiation levels may be falling at stricken nuclear plant
Los Angeles Times
March 20, 2011, 4:43 p.m.
The radiation levels are still high at the Fukushima Daiichi plant but appear to be coming down, says the head of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, cautioning that it is still hard to obtain accurate data.

Although the restoration of electricity to two of the reactors at the Fukushima plant appears to have stabilized them, the situation in Japan "is still quite uncertain," said Edwin Lyman of the Union of Concerned Scientists in Washington.

"It's premature to make any assessment about the most severely affected reactors," he said.

After stringing a new power line to the plant from the electric grid, company officials reported on Saturday that they had reconnected coolant pumps in reactor Nos. 5 and 6 and restored the flow of water to the spent fuel cooling pools in those buildings. In the day since, temperatures in those pools have returned to near normal.

But those two pools had not been considered a significant threat. Authorities are much more concerned about reactors No. 2 and No. 3 and the spent fuel pool at No. 4. The reactor containment vessel at No. 2 may be cracked and venting some radioactive gases into the environment. Reactor No. 3 is the only reactor at the site that contains plutonium in the fuel rods and its escape would be extremely dangerous because it is carcinogenic in even minute doses.


See Saturday's post for US West Coast fallout info - Pacific "West Coast" fallout update (3/19/11)





Democracy Now! - "Underestimating the Seriousness of the Problem": Experts Urge Japan to Raise Nuclear Alert Level and Evacuate Wider Area
March 18 - The Japanese nuclear crisis worsens as Japanese authorities race to cool the overheating reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station. Earlier today, Japan raised the nuclear alert level at the crippled plant from a four to a five, on par with Three Mile Island. This decision has shocked many nuclear experts. “Our experts think that it’s a level 6.5 already, and it’s on the way to a seven, which was Chernobyl," says Philip White of the Citizens’ Nuclear Information Center in Tokyo. We also speak with Dr. Ira Helfand of Physicians for Social Responsibility about the long-term health effects from radiation exposure from Fukushima. [includes rush transcript]


JOINT EPA/DOE STATEMENT:
Radiation Monitors Confirm That No Radiation Levels of Concern Have Reached the United States

Release date: 03/18/2011

Today, one of the monitoring stations in Sacramento, California that feeds into the IMS detected miniscule quantities of iodine isotopes and other radioactive particles that pose no health concern at the detected levels. Collectively, these levels amount to a level of approximately 0.0002 disintegrations per second per cubic meter of air (0.2 mBq/m3). Specifically, the level of Iodine-131 was 0.165 mBq/m3, the level of Iodine-132 was measured at 0.03 mBq/m3, the level of Tellurium-132 was measured at 0.04 mBq/m3, and the level of Cesium-137 was measured at 0.002 mBq/m3.

Similarly, between March 16 and 17, a detector at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington State detected trace amounts of Xenon-133, which is a radioactive noble gas produced during nuclear fission that poses no concern at the detected level. The levels detected were approximately 0.1 disintegrations per second per cubic meter of air (100 mBq/m3),

The doses received by people per day from natural sources of radiation - such as rocks, bricks, the sun and other background sources - are 100,000 times the dose rates from the particles and gas detected in California or Washington State.

These types of readings remain consistent with our expectations since the onset of this tragedy, and are to be expected in the coming days.


EPA: No Dangerous Radiation Levels on West Coast
Rachel Krech – Sun Mar 20, 5:14 pm ET
Contribute content like this. Start here.
Panic over radiation from the Fukushima nuclear power plant reaching the West Coast of the U.S. is still spreading. Potassium iodide pills, which can prevent radiation from being absorbed by the thyroid, are flying off store shelves and fetching high prices online too. But many government agencies have stepped forward and released statements in hopes of easing the fears many Americans may have about nuclear radiation from Japan.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released an official public statement saying that they are monitoring the concentration of radioactive substances in the air at many different locations through the west coast and the rest of the U.S. and as of this past Friday, there has been no major increase in the amount of radiation.


EnviroReporter.com’s Radiation Station
- live shot of a RadAlert Inspector Nuclear Radiation Monitor in EnviroReporter.com‘s Santa Monica office on the West Los Angeles border.
Why do the numbers jump around?
Ions from the earth (radium and uranium) and cosmic radiation (including the Sun) do not emit in a steady manner. It’s random. That said, when the numbers go up and stay up, that’s the time to pay close attention.
When should I be worried?
A range of normal background radiation at this location at this time over several days has been determined to be between 40 to 46 CPM. These measurements are similar to background measurements taken in this location over long periods of time prior to the partial meltdowns in Japan.
Should radiation measured by the Inspector begin to rise to double background, we will be concerned. If the measurements go to triple background and above for a sustained period of time in the next few days, we might deduce that this may be coming from the Japan nuclear disaster.


Fukushima Nuclear Reactor Truth: Locally Chernobyl
By Sascha Vongehr | March 20th 2011 08:07 AM
For decades we have been told that with the lessons learned from the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, nuclear energy is safe. As the still unfolding mayhem at the Dai-Ichi plant in Fukushima, Japan, proves, nothing could be further from the truth.

The fuel rods in at least three reactors are partly molten. All six reactors are in trouble, although most were not on-line during the earthquake! In spite of all downplaying by officials, the nuclear industry, and science apologists, a complete meltdown of some reactors and a nuclear chain reaction of molten fuel are still possible. A few [http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2011/03/current_status_of_the_nine_nuc.php?utm_source=sbhomepage&utm_medium=link&utm_content=channellink] science bloggers keep up honest reporting about the current state.

Saturday
Only two blocks have been connected to electricity. Venting of radioactive gas is going on.

Sunday
The crisis is far from over. Pressures in the plutonium carrying reactor rose again. Venting a cloud dense with radioactive Iodine, Krypton and Xenon may be necessary. Moreover: The wider consequences start to become apparent:

Radioactivity in spinach and milk from areas as far as 75 miles away exceed safety limits. Tap water turned up radioactive iodine in Tokyo and other areas. Safety officials finally admit that protective iodine pills should have been distributed near the plant days earlier.


Daily update from Japan
BY TATSUJIRO SUZUKI | 18 MARCH 2011
Sunday, March 20, 6 p.m. ET, Tokyo
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano, press conference: Pressure inside until 3's containment vessel has been stabilized; thus, venting has not been necessary so far and efforts to restore power have not been interrupted. Meanwhile, food contamination (spinach from Ibaraki prefecture, milk from Fukushima prefecture) was reported again. No immediate risk, but more careful monitoring is needed. It is possible that there may be a restriction on food distribution.

Sunday, March 20, 12:30 p.m. ET, Tokyo
Nuclear Industry and Safety Agency (NISA) press conference: There is increased pressure inside the containment vessel of unit 3; the deicsion was made to vent the steam from the vessel, which will result in higher radioactivity levels.

The reasons for this increase in pressure are not yet known. This development may stop the current efforts of spraying water on the storage pools, as well as efforts of recovering power.

Sunday, March 20, 12 p.m. ET, Tokyo
TEPCO press conference: The special rescue team and the Special Defense Forces spent more than 10 hours spraying water, and their heroic efforts seem to have a positive impact. Radiation level near the plant (500 meters away) decreased from 3,443 microsieverts per hour last night to 2,625 microsieverts per hour this morning. Meanwhile, Ibaraki prefecture announced it would stop distributing spinach. Food contamination issue is now emerging.

Sunday, March 20, 1 a.m. ET, Tokyo
Situation on the site is getting better, but food issue is emerging.

The 1,200 tons of water sprayed on the storage pool of unit 3 seems to be having a positive impact. The Nuclear Industry and Safety Agency (NISA) reported that, 500 meters from the plant, the radiation level decreased from 3,443 microsieverts per hour to 2,906 microsieverts per hour; however, detailed analysis is still needed.
Meanwhile, units 1 and 2 are now connected to the grid. The equipment needs to be checked whether it is in working order.

Saturday, March 19, 4:30 p.m. ET, Tokyo
Press conference: Confirmed reports of first food contamination of spinach (from Ibaraki prefecture) and milk (from Fukushima prefecture). More sampling is needed to determine how the food contamination is spread. The level -- although it is beyond food safety standards -- is still not harmful to public health; the total exposure level is about one CT scan (around 6.9 millisieverts) if consumed over one year.

Saturday, March 19, 4 p.m. ET, Tokyo
Defense Ministry press conferece: Pictures taken by the infrared censor camera suggest that the surface temperatures of units 1,2,3, and 4 are all below 100 degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit). This is good news. Currently, water is continuously being sprayed (unmanned operation) on the storage pool of unit 3. A total of more than 1,200 tons will be poured. I hope it will cool down the pool for a while.

Saturday, March 19, 2 p.m. ET, Tokyo
Last night 60 tons of water was poured on the storage pool of unit 3, and plans are underway to water continuously for seven hours or longer this afternoon. It has been confirmed that there is water in the storage pool of unit 4. For unit 5 and unit 6: Power has been recovered and so has the cooling capability. There are no major changes in other reactors (units 1-3) and radiation monitoring.

Friday, March 18, 11:45 p.m. ET, Tokyo
A total of about 60 tons of water was sprayed over the 1,300 ton storage pool of unit 3 tonight. Meanwhile, efforts to restore power are underway. Once power is restored, cooling capability could be significantly improved, assuming necessary equipments can work. There is hope now.

Friday, March 18, 4:50 p.m. ET, Tokyo
Press conference: One week after the earthquake. This afternoon, 50 tons of water was poured on the unit 3 pool. It is confirmed that water was successfully poured, but its effectiveness is not known yet. Efforts to restore power are still underway. Radiation monitoring data is showing steady decline in most places; this is good news.


Status of Fukushima nuclear power plants Sunday midnight
The Mainichi Dalily News, TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The following is the known status as of Sunday evening of each of the six reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant and the four reactors at the Fukushima Daini plant, both in Fukushima Prefecture, which were crippled by the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami on March 11.
Fukushima Daiichi plant
-- Reactor No. 1 (Operation suspended after quake)
Partial melting of core, cooling failure, vapor vented, building housing containment of reactor damaged by hydrogen explosion, roof blown off, seawater being pumped in.

-- Reactor No. 2 (Operation suspended after quake)
Damage to reactor containment structure feared, cooling failure, seawater being pumped in, fuel rods fully exposed temporarily, vapor vented, building housing containment of reactor damaged by blast at adjacent reactor No. 3, blast sound heard near suppression chamber of containment vessel, seawater pumped into pool holding spent-fuel rods on Sunday, access to external power restored Sunday.

- Reactor No. 3 (Operation suspended after quake)
Partial melting of core feared, cooling failure, vapor vented, seawater being pumped in, building housing containment of reactor badly damaged by hydrogen explosion, seawater dumped over spent-fuel storage pool by helicopter Thursday, water sprayed at it from ground for four days in a row through Sunday.

-- Reactor No. 4 (Under maintenance when quake struck)
Renewed nuclear chain reaction feared at spent-fuel storage pool, fire at building housing containment of reactor Tuesday and Wednesday, only frame remains of reactor building roof, temperature in the pool reached 84 C on March 14, water sprayed at pool on Sunday.

-- Reactor No. 5 (Under maintenance when quake struck)
Some fuel rods left in reactor core, cooling in spent-fuel storage pool resumed Saturday, cold shutdown at reactor on Sunday, access to external power restored Sunday.

-- Reactor No. 6 (Under maintenance when quake struck)
Some fuel rods left in reactor core, emergency power generator and cooling functions restored Saturday, cold shutdown at reactor on Sunday.

Fukushima Daini plant
-- Reactors No. 1, 2, 3, 4 (Operation suspended after quake)
Cold shutdown, not under emergency status.


Notice the phrase "Nine of ten nuclear reactors at two locations at Fukushima, Japan" - most of the focus has been on Daiichi, but there is also Fukushima Daini along with many other reactor facilities in Japan. I wonder if there are any others besides the Fukushima plants which have been affected?
- From March 18 -
Current Status of the Nine Nuclear Reactors Damaged in Japan's Earthquake and Tsunami
March 18, 2011 6:53 PM, by Greg Laden's Blog
Nine of ten nuclear reactors at two locations at Fukushima, Japan, have problems ranging from damaged cooling systems to partial meltdowns, and spent fuel storage facilities at several of these reactors are severely damaged. In some cases, facilities seem to have been shut down safely. In other cases, there is a strong suspicion of serious damage but the degree of damage is uncertain.
Executive summary: (Fukushima Daiichi) The current most likely worst-case scenario is that the spent fuel rods in the storage pool at Reactor Number 4 will undergo a renewed chain reaction. However, two reactors, Number 1 and 3, may be partly melted, and the stored spent fuel rods at Reactor Number 3 contain a somewhat more dangerous fuel, Plutonium, as a percentage of their fissionable material.
----- At Fukushima Daini, Reactor Number 3 was shutdown after the quake and there appears to be no problem there. Reactors number 1, 2 and 4 at this location suffered cooling pump failures, and were shut down. Reported increases in radiation observed at this plant on March 14th were probably due to radiation coming from Fukushima Daiichi. There seems to be little information regarding the nature of the "cooling pump failures" at this plant, and information about the condition of the plant (i.e., what it will take to make it operable again) is not readily available.



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"Underestimating the Seriousness of the Problem": Experts Urge Japan to Raise Nuclear Alert Level and Evacuate Wider Area
March 18 - The Japanese nuclear crisis worsens as Japanese authorities race to cool the overheating reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station. Earlier today, Japan raised the nuclear alert level at the crippled plant from a four to a five, on par with Three Mile Island. This decision has shocked many nuclear experts. “Our experts think that it’s a level 6.5 already, and it’s on the way to a seven, which was Chernobyl," says Philip White of the Citizens’ Nuclear Information Center in Tokyo. We also speak with Dr. Ira Helfand of Physicians for Social Responsibility about the long-term health effects from radiation exposure from Fukushima. [includes rush transcript]



"Why Are We Playing Russian Roulette With the American People?": Longtime Nuclear Critic Ralph Nader Advocates Phasing Out Nuclear Power Industry
March 18 - Former presidential candidate and longtime consumer advocate and nuclear critic Ralph Nader strongly advocates phasing out nuclear power in the United States by calling for public hearings on the status of every single nuclear power plant. "What we’re seeing here is 110 or so operating nuclear plants in the United States, many of them aging, many of them infected with corrosion, faulty pipes, leaky pumps and combustible materials... Why are we playing Russian roulette with the American people for nuclear plants whose principal objective is simply to boil water and produce steam? ... This is institutional insanity, and I urge the people in this country to wake up before they experience what is now going on in northern Japan." [includes rush transcript]

“Serious Danger of a Full Core Meltdown”: Update on Japan’s Nuclear Catastrophe
March 17 - Fears of a full-scale nuclear reactor meltdown are increasing as Japanese authorities use military helicopters to dump water on the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station. The water appears to have missed its target and failed to cool the plant’s reactors and spent fuel rods. “The walls of defense are falling, with the melting of the cores, the collapsing of the—we’re expecting the collapsing of the vessels. And then, with these damaged containments, these are all open windows to the atmosphere,” says Paul Gunter of Beyond Nuclear. Some experts say U.S. reactors are safer than those in Japan. But investigative journalist, Karl Grossman, notes a 1985 report by the National Regulatory Commission acknowledged a 50 percent chance of a severe core accident among the more than 100 nuclear power plants in the United States over a 20-year period. [includes rush transcript]

Prominent Japanese Environmentalist Keibo Oiwa Urges Global Movement to End Nuclear Power and Confront the “Crazy System Based on Greed, Anger and Ignorance”
March 17 - We speak with leading Japanese cultural anthropologist and environmentalist Keibo Oiwa in Yokohama. He is the founder of the Sloth Club, Japan’s leading "Slow Life" environmental group. “I’m realizing again that democracy is so hollow now. We do not have power,” Oiwa says. “We have been controlled by the government and the Tokyo Electric Company, a private company... We have to really look for a lifestyle and a way of thinking again, to live again with harmony, in harmony with nature.” [includes rush transcript]

“No Happy Ending”: Nuclear Experts Say Japan’s Disaster is Intensifying
March 16 - Japan’s nuclear crisis is intensifying. A second reactor unit at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station may have ruptured and appears to be releasing radioactive steam. The plant has been hit by several explosions after a devastating earthquake and tsunami last Friday damaged its cooling functions. It has sent low levels of radiation wafting into Tokyo more than 130 miles away. The company operating the reactors withdrew at least 750 workers on Tuesday, leaving a crew of 50 struggling to lower the temperatures. We go to Japan to speak with Philip White of the Citizens’ Nuclear Information Center in Tokyo and with Peter Ford of the Christian Science Monitor in Sendai. We also speak with Peter Bradford, a former commissioner at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. “The best-case scenario at this point is not a good one, not a good one for the public, not a good one for the nuclear industry,” Bradford says. “There is not going to be a happy ending to this story.” [includes rush transcript]

"Get the Children Away from the Reactors": Japan Urged to Expand Evacuation Area Around Nuclear Plants as Leaking Radiation Spreads
Japanese anti-nuclear activist Aileen Mioko Smith and nuclear engineer Arnie Gundersen question whether Japanese officials are doing enough to protect civilians from radiation, including proper monitoring and widening the evacuation zones. Some 70,000 residents have been forced to evacuate their homes, and another 140,000 people have been ordered not to step outside. “You can’t protect the people from reality,” Smith says. And Gundersen says, “If I were in Japan, I would at least get the children away from the reactor, because their bodies are growing faster and their cells are more susceptible to radiation damage. I would go out to 50 kilometers and at least get the children away from those reactors.” [includes rush transcript]



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