Fukushima update - 10/23/2013

Radioactive Reality (23 October 2013) Fukushima Workers "We hide accidents at plant"

28 Signs That The West Coast Is Being Absolutely Fried With Nuclear Radiation From Fukushima

Enenews headlines

03:36 PM EST on October 23rd, 2013 | 37 comments Scientific Reports: It’s “remarkable” where plutonium from Fukushima reactor is suspected to have been found — “Even more unexpected” that it’s located outside main strip of contamination — Need to assess consequences for public of a release of plutonium-rich hot particles (PHOTO) 11:21 AM EST on October 23rd, 2013 | 41 comments Fukushima Workers Speak Out: We hide accidents at plant — CNN: Health is suffering — CBS: Radioactive materials “just pour right in” after cleanup (VIDEOS) 09:39 AM EST on October 23rd, 2013 | 21 comments Nuclear Expert: Concern about structures at Fukushima plant holding up during typhoon — Risk of much, much more severe spread of contamination (VIDEO) 08:44 AM EST on October 23rd, 2013 | 19 comments Japan Times: Concern mounts at Fukushima, big typhoons may collide — Francisco to be “unable to move” due to Lekima, says forecast — High threat of landslides, flash floods (PHOTO) 02:38 AM EST on October 23rd, 2013 | 67 comments Sailor’s horrific Pacific journey goes viral, smashes record — Picked up by The Guardian, USA Today, many more… All fail to mention ongoing crisis at Fukushima, by far world’s largest release of radioactivity into ocean

Tepco’s Typhoon measures to prevent contaminated water overflowing entirely messed up

Fukushima Diary,

23 October, 2013

Two more Typhoons are coming to hit Japan from this weekend.

(cf, Two more Typhoons are coming to Japan / Meteorological Agency “Unpredictable” [URL])

Having 11 tank area dams overflow on 10/20/2013 even in the normal rain, Tepco is trying to prevent the mixture of rainwater and contaminated water from overflowing due to the next Typhoons.

However the back-up tanks of 4,000 m3 capacity is nearly full already. Tepco has to rely on the underground reservoirs that leaked contaminated water this April.

On 10/23/2013, they released the map of water transferring between the tank area dams and the back-up reservoirs, but it looks shockingly unorganized (The image below).

They are going to introduce additional tankers and fire-engine but it is not known if they can control the water sufficiently.

 

http://www.tepco.co.jp/nu/fukushima-np/handouts/2013/images/handouts_131023_08-j.pdf

Tepco eyes fuel removal from Fukushima reactor 4 pool in early November

The process, to continue until the end of next year, will mark a new stage in the decommissioning of the reactors 1 to 4, which were severely damaged in the nuclear crisis triggered by the March 11, 2011, mega-quake and tsunami.

Japan Times,

23 October, 2013

Reactor 4 unit was the only one of the four not to experience a meltdown because its fuel had been in the spent-fuel pool during maintenance work. But there is concern over the continued storage of the more than 1,000 fuel assemblies in the pool, which is located inside a reactor building that suffered a hydrogen explosion.

Tepco had planned to begin the process from mid-November, but it has nearly completed preparations, including the installation of a crane to remove the fuel.

If the safety of the equipment is confirmed by the Nuclear Regulation Authority, Tepco will start taking out the fuel.

The fuel will be placed in containers and taken to what has been called a common pool in a different building about 100 meters away that is expected to provide more stable conditions for keeping the fuel cool.

The reactor 4 spent-fuel tank currently contains 1,331 spent fuel assemblies and 202 unused ones. Tepco succeeded in taking out two unused fuel assemblies in a trial last year.

The challenging task will be carried out along with the ongoing fight to contain the spillage of massive amounts of highly radioactive water accumulating at the plant as a result of continuing water injections into the crippled reactors 1, 2 and 3.

Tepco said Wednesday that it detected 59,000 becquerels per liter of beta radiation, emitted by radioactive substances including strontium, in water taken from a drainage channel near a storage tank that was found to have leaked 300 tons of highly toxic water in August.

The water sample, extracted the previous day, showed a record-high figure. To prevent the radioactive water inside the channel from flowing into the Pacific, Tepco has placed sandbags at a downstream section.

Tokyo Electric Power Co. plans to start removing nuclear fuel from the spent-fuel pool at the top of the reactor 4 building at the crippled Fukushima No. 1 plant as early as Nov. 8, about a week earlier than scheduled, sources close to Tepco said Wednesday.