TEPCO HOPES TO DUMP MORE "TREATED" WATER!

#Fukushima #nuclear cleanup remains plagued by complexities

Story by Julian Ryall, March 11, 2024

"#Japan on Monday marked the anniversary of the #March2011 earthquake and tsunami that destroyed three of the six reactors at the #FukushimaDaiichi nuclear power plant.

"Shortly after the magnitude-9 earthquake struck on March 11, a series of tsunami inundated four of the reactor buildings and set off a chain reaction in three reactors that resulted in the release of significant amounts of radioactivity into the environment.

Tens of thousands of local people were quickly evacuated and, over the following years, the reactors were stabilized.

"The challenge in recent years has been to gather the large amounts of nuclear fuel that escaped from the reactors in order to halt the release of more #radiation — something that had never been attempted before and has to be carried out in buildings where radioactive #contamination remains dangerously elevated and where debris from the tsunami and subsequent hydrogen explosions still litters the area.

"Tokyo Electric Power Co (#TEPCO), the operator of the plant, has estimated that work to make the plant safe will take between 30 and 40 years, but recent reports on progress at the site have been largely negative.

"In January, TEPCO announced that it would have to delay plans to commence in March the test use of a robotic arm to remove radioactive material from the No. 2 reactor. The initial plan called for tests using the robotic limb to take place in 2021 but were delayed by technical glitches.

"TEPCO is now aiming to have the remote-controlled arm operational in October, although that will be three years behind the original schedule.

"Other areas of the project have also experienced challenges, with the first drones and a robot sent into the No. 1 reactor building earlier this month also suffering faults that meant they had to be withdrawn before they could complete their mission to locate molten fuel debris that has leaked from the reactor and map other damage.

"TEPCO, however, maintains that steady progress is being made and that the 30- to 40-year target for decommissioning remains viable.

[...]

"In addition, each of the three crippled reactors has its own set of specific challenges and there is no disposal site for the highly radioactive nuclear waste that must be recovered from the site, he pointed out.

The key steps now are to remove all the spent nuclear fuel, whether intact or leaked, from inside reactor buildings one and two, and the retrieval and disposal of fuel debris from the partial core meltdowns.

"Gorgues said he favors speeding up the release of treated water from the plant in order to dismantle the hundreds of storage tanks that presently occupy much of the site, with that land needed for new waste treatment and storage facilities.

"The expert also played down suggestions that TEPCO is likely to miss its declared timeline for the decommissioning process, emphasizing that the three- or four-decade schedule is 'a target' rather than a deadline."

https://www.msn.com/en-xl/news/other/fukushima-nuclear-cleanup-remains-plagued-by-complexities/ar-BB1jGXw8

#Fukushima Up Close, 13 Years Later

by Robert Hunziker
October 13, 2023

"The world is turning to #NuclearPower as a solution to #GlobalWarming, but it is postulated herein that it is a huge mistake that endangers society. One #nuclear #meltdown causes as much damage over the long-term as a major #war. Moreover, according to Dr. #PaulDorfman, chair of the Nuclear Consulting Group, former secretary to the UK Scientific Advisory Committee on Internal Radiation: 'It’s important to understand that nuclear is very likely to be a significant climate casualty.'

"#BeyondNuclearInternational recently published an article about the status of Fukushima as well as an exposé of how the nuclear industry gets away with responsibility for #radiation-caused (1) deaths (2) chronic conditions like #cancer (3) #genetic deformities: A Strategy of Concealment, September 24, 2023, by #KolinKobayashi, who is a Tokyo-born France-based anti-nuclear #activist journalist also serving as president of Echo-Exchange. Kobayashi’s work was posted by CounterPunch under the title: How Agencies That Promote Nuclear Power Are Quietly Managing Its Disaster Narrative.

"The following synopsis, including editorial license that adds important death details which defy the nuclear industry’s bogus claims about nuclear safety, opens closed pathways to what’s really going on.

"After thirteen years, the declaration of a State of Emergency for #FukushimaDaiichi Nuclear Power Plant still cannot be lifted because of many unknowns, as well as ubiquitous deadly radiation levels. The destroyed reactors are tinderboxes of highly radioactive spent fuel rods that contain more cesium-137 than eighty-five (85) #Chernobyls. Cesium-137 in or near a human body erupts into a series of maladies, one after another in short order, depending upon level of exposure: (1) nausea (2) vomiting (3) diarrhea (4) bleeding (5) coma leading to death.

"The spent fuel rods at the Fukushima nuclear reactor site are stored in pools of water on the top floor of compromised reactor buildings 100 feet above ground level, except for Unit 3 which completed removal of its spent fuel rods in 2019, an extremely slow, laborious process that’s highly dangerous.

"Stored spent fuel rods in open pools of water are the epitome of high-risk. 'If the 440 tonne vessel collapses, it could hit the storage pool next to it. If this pool is damaged, even partially, another major disaster could occur.' (Kobayashi) In that regard, there’s significant risk of collapse in the event of a strong #earthquake. And #Japan is one of the most earthquake prone countries in the world. 'The city (Tokyo) government’s experts reckon there is a 70% chance of a magnitude 7, or higher, quake hitting the capital within the next 30 years.' (Source: Japan is Preparing for a Massive Earthquake, The Economist, August 31, 2023)

"If exposed to open air, #SpentFuel rods erupt into a sizzling zirconium fire followed by massive radiation bursts of the most toxic material on the planet. It can upend an entire countryside and force evacuation of major cities. According to the widely recognized nuclear expert Paul Blanch: 'Continual storage in spent fuel pools is the most unsafe thing you could do.' Paul Blanch, registered professional engineer, US Navy Reactor Operator & Instructor with 55 years of experience with nuclear engineering and regulatory agencies, is widely recognized as one of America’s leading experts on nuclear power.

"#FukushimaDaichi Nuclear Power Plant will remain a high-risk explosive scenario for decades ahead. After all, a program for future decommissioning is unclear and overall radiation guesstimates are formidable. All the structures where decommissioning will take place are highly radioactive and as such nearly impossible for the dangers to worker exposure."

Read more:
https://www.counterpunch.org/2023/10/13/fukushima-up-close-13-years-later/

#FukushimaWater #WaterIsLife #TEPCOLies
#NuclearPlants #NoNewNukes #ClimateChange #PacificOcean #Pollution
#Bioaccumulation #NoNukes #RethinkNotRestart

Hacker group attacks #Japan #nuclear websites over #Fukushima water release plan

August 18, 2023

"International hacker group #Anonymous has launched cyberattacks against nuclear power-linked groups in Japan in protest at the planned release of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea, a Japanese IT security firm said.

"Anonymous has been intensifying its cyber offensives since last month, shortly after the #IAEA said in its final report that the planned discharge would comply with global safety standards, NTT Security Japan said.

"'Vigilance is needed, as the attacks could further escalate after the discharge,' a representative of the Tokyo-based firm said.

"The organizations targeted by the international hacktivist group are the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Japan Atomic Power Co and the Atomic Energy Society of Japan.

"Anonymous have carried out distributed denial-of-service, or #DDoS attacks, in which networks are overwhelmed by hackers who unleash a flood of data from multiple sources over a short period, with the assault being led by a group based in Italy.

"Activities by a group based in Vietnam have also been confirmed, NTT Security said.

"The Japan Atomic Energy Agency said its website saw about 100 times more than its usual traffic, but users could continue browsing the site as it took countermeasures.

"According to NTT Security, Anonymous released a 'target list' of its attacks after the Japanese government formally decided in 2021 to release treated water from Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.'s #FukushimaDaiichi nuclear power plant.

"In addition to the three nuclear power-related organizations, TEPCO, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Liberal Democratic Party were on the list, NTT Security said.

"A member of Anonymous told Kyodo News recently that the Japanese government's policy to release treated water lacks transparency as citizens were not able to participate in its decision-making process.

"'We must put an end to the senseless act of making the #sea a #dumping ground for economic benefit,' the member said.

"Massive amounts of #contaminated water have been generated in the process of cooling melted reactor fuel after the Fukushima plant was devastated by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

"The water has been kept in tanks after going through the advanced liquid processing system that removes most radionuclides except tritium [AND 62 OTHER RADIONUCLIDES], but the storage vessels are nearing capacity. Tritium is known to be less harmful than other radioactive materials, such as cesium and strontium.

"Local fishermen and some neighboring countries remain opposed to the plan, with China introducing blanket radiation testing on Japanese seafood."

https://japantoday.com/category/crime/hacker-group-attacks-japan-nuclear-websites-over-fukushima-water-plan