Tsuruga Nuke Plant to Stop the Reactor No.2 on May 7

After the highly elevated levels of radioactive xenon-133 and iodine-133 were detected in the cooling water from the Reactor Pressure Vessel of the Reactor 2 on May 2 (see my post on May 2), Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC) has decided to shut down the Reactor 2 at Tsuruga Nuclear Power Plant in Fukui Prefecture in order to identify which fuel rods are leaking the radioactive materials.

JAPC's latest press release on May 6 shows that the level of xenon-133 has gone up further since May 2. Though the level of iodine-133 dropped to the pre-May 2 level, the level of iodine-131 has since gone up. The level of iodine-131 didn't show any increase on May 2.

JAPC will shut down the Reactor 2 on May 7 by first reducing the power output at 9:00AM, stopping the power generation at 5:00PM, bringing the reactor to a complete stop at 7:ooPM.

Tsuruga Nuke Plant's Reactor 1 is shut down for maintenance (link in Japanese) since January 26, 2011, and won't be back online until March 2012.

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