#Fukushima I Nuke Plant: TEPCO Is Testing for Plutonium (Press Conference)

It started around 4:40PM JST, March 27, 2011. I tuned in just when they were finishing reporting on plutonium testing. They said they have asked an outside company (missed the name) to do the soil analysis for plutonium, and it takes about one week for the result. The soil sample was taken on March 21 and 22, which TEPCO didn't bother to tell anyone.

USTREAM channel by iwakamiyasumi

Someone just asked the question that have bugged me for the past few days:

Why are you trying to cool the nuclear fuel rods when it is obvious that the pipes and valves may be broken and are leaking radioactive water?

We do not know how the water got there, why the water is still leaking, so we don't know what to do yet. But we cannot stop pumping water because we need to cool the fuel rods. We are pumping the minimum amount of water until we can figure out where and how it is leaking.

Schedule for soil sampling and testing for plutonium

Starting March 28, TEPCO will conduct the test twice a week

No schedule to test plutonium for water?

Sorry we don't know the details yet, we have to come back to you later.

No schedule to test plutonium for air?

Sorry we don't know yet. We have to get back to you later.

How far would plutonium spread?

We don't know. It's a heavy atom, but we don't have detailed information.

Ended 5:10PM JST.

From 5:30PM, VP Muto will hold press conference.

Tweet