#Fukushima I Nuke Plant: Reactor 4 Spent Fuel Pool May Be Leaking

Uh oh. The water level in the Reactor 4 Spent Fuel Pool is not rising enough, and TEPCO suspects a leak.

That's by the way what AREVA said in their presentation in March.

From Mainichi Shinbun (9:57PM JST 4/26/2011; links, emphasis added):

　東京電力は２６日、福島第１原発４号機の使用済み核燃料プールから水が漏れている可能性があることを明らかにした。プールへの放水を続けているが、想定ほど水位が上昇していないという。今後、新たな作業が必要になり、事故収束に向けた工程表に影響する恐れがある。

TEPCO disclosed on April 26 that there was a possibility of water leaking from the Reactor 4 Spent Fuel Pool. TEPCO has been injecting water into the Pool, but the water level hasn't risen to the level that they anticipated. [If there is a leak] it would require additional works to remedy the problem, and that may affect the "roadmap" to wind down the crisis.

　東電によると、プールには、使用済み核燃料集合体が１～３号機より多い１３３１体入っている。コンクリート圧送車での放水は、２４日１６５トン、 ２５日２１０トン、２６日１６０トン。しかし、１日の推定蒸発量約７０トンを差し引いても水量が想定より１２～４８トン少ないという。東電は「格納容器へ 流れ出している可能性もある」と説明している。

According to TEPCO, the Reactor 4 Spent Fuel Pool contains 1,331 spent nuclear fuel rods, more than the Spent Fuel Pools in the Reactors 1 through 3. Using the concrete pump, 165 tons of water was injected on April 24, 210 tons on April 25, and 160 tons on April 26. Subtracting the daily estimated evaporation of 70 tons, the amount of water in the pool is 12 to 48 tons less than expected. TEPCO says it is possible that [the leaked] water is going into the Containment Vessel.

　４号機では今月、原子炉建屋の地下が深さ約５メートルの汚染水でほぼ水没しているのが見つかったほか、タービン建屋地下にたまった汚染水の放射性物質の濃度が１カ月で約２５０倍上昇していることも判明、大量の汚染水の処理が新たな課題となっている。

Earlier this month, the Reactor 4's reactor building's basement was found to be almost completely flooded with 5-meter deep contaminated water. Radioactive materials in the contaminated water in the turbine building was found to be 250 times as much as 1 month ago. The large amount of contaminated water [in the Reactor 4] poses a new challenge.

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