#Fukushima I Nuke Plant Reactor 1: Seawater Injection Halted on March 12 at Prime Minister's Order

Well, since this prime minister claimed to be a "nuclear expert" during the early stage of the Fukushima crisis, he must have good reasons.

Since the fuel was likely to have melted down by the morning of the day the seawater injection started, maybe it wouldn't have mattered anyway.

Kyodo News Japanese (9:28PM JST 5/20/2011):

１号機の海水注入を５５分間中断　再臨界恐れ首相指示

Injection of seawater into the Reactor 1 RPV was interrupted for 55 minutes, at the order from the Prime Minister who feared recriticality

　地震翌朝に燃料が溶け落ちるメルトダウンが起きたとみられる福島第１原発１号機で、政府が公表した３月１２日の海水注入開始時刻の前に東京電力は注入を開始、政府の指示で５５分間注入を停止していたことが２０日、分かった。

It was revealed on May 20 that TEPCO had started the injection of seawater into the Reactor 1 at Fukushima I Nuke Plant sooner than the government had disclosed previously, but the company halted the injection for 55 minutes at the order from the government.

　海水注入の遅れで被害が拡大したとの批判があり、専門家は「海水注入を続けるべきだった」と指摘している。

There are some criticisms that the damage got more grave due to the delay in the seawater injection. Experts say the seawater injection should have been continued.

　政府の対策本部の資料では、海水注入の開始時刻は３月１２日午後８時２０分としていた。だが、東電が５月１６日に公表した資料では、午後７時４分に海水注水を開始し、同２５分に停止、午後８時２０分に海水とホウ酸による注水開始、と記載されている。

The government information identifies the start of seawater injection at 8:20 PM on March 12. However, according to the data released on May 16 by TEPCO, the injection of seawater started at 7:04PM, but was halted at 7:25PM, and resumed at 8:20PM with boric acid mixed in the seawater.

　政府筋によると、午後７時すぎの海水の注入は現場の判断のみで開始。原子力安全委員会への問い合わせで海水注入で再臨界が起こる恐れがあることが判明したとして、菅直人首相がいったん注水を止めさせたという。その後、問題ないことが分かり、ホウ酸を入れた上での注水が再開された。

According to government sources, the seawater injection at 7PM was the decision made by the people at the plant. After inquiring at the Nuclear Safety Commission and [supposedly] finding out that there was a danger of recriticality if seawater was poured into the RPV, Prime Minister Naoto Kan ordered the halt. Afterwards, it turned out that there was no such danger, and the seawater injection restarted with boric acid.

　１号機は地震、津波による全電源喪失のため、３月１２日朝には燃料の大半が溶け落ちていたとの暫定評価を、東電が公表している。

TEPCO has already announced its provisional assessment that due to the power loss resulting from the quake and tsunami, most of the fuel in the Reactor 1 had melted down by the morning of March 12.

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