TEPCO To Sprinkle Low-Contamination Water from Reactor 5 and 6 Turbine Bldgs in the Fuku I Compound

after they treat the water to remove as much radioactive materials and salt as possible from the water.

TEPCO seems to be running out of storage space for contaminated water, and at the same time is worried that the wood piles may catch fire after the trees were cut down to make room for storage facilities on the west side of the plant.

From Yomiuri Shinbun (9/22/2011):

東京電力は２２日、福島第一原子力発電所５、６号機から移送して仮設タンクなどに貯蔵している低濃度汚染水について、浄化処理をした後、敷地内に散水する計画を明らかにした。

TEPCO disclosed the plan on September 22 to treat the low-contamination water and sprinkle the treated water in the Fukushima I Nuke Plant compound. The low-contamination water came from Reactors 5 and 6, and is currently stored in temporary storage facilities.

　周囲の環境への影響はほとんどないとしているが、地元自治体の反対も予想される。

The company says there will be hardly any effect to the surrounding environment, but there may be objections from the local municipalities.

　５、６号機には津波でタービン建屋などに大量の海水が侵入したほか、雨水や地下水も流入。東電は、これらの低濃度汚染水を仮設タンクと大型の浮島「メガフロート」に移送し、現在計１万６３５０トンたまっている。

In Reactors 5 and 6, a large amount of seawater flowed into the turbine buildings and other buildings when the tsumani hit. In addition, rainwater and the groundwater have seeped in. TEPCO has been transferring this low-contamination water to the temporary storage tanks and to the "Megafloat", and there are currently 16,350 tonnes.

　東電は敷地内の森林を切り開いて仮設タンクなどを設置してきたが、伐採後に山積みした木が自然発火したり、ほこりが飛散したりするのを防ぐため、木の集積場周辺への散水を計画した。低濃度汚染水に含まれる放射性物質濃度を海水浴場の水質基準（放射性セシウムで１リットル当たり５０ベクレル以下）以下に浄化し、塩分を取り除いて利用するという。

Tepco has been clearing the forest inside the compound in order to set up the temporary storage tanks. The company is planning to sprinkle the treated water on the wood piles and the surrounding areas to prevent the wood piles from catching fire and to suppress the dust. The water will be treated to reduce the density of radioactive materials to the level allowed for the ocean bathing (50 becquerels/liter and below for radioactive cesium), and be desalinated.

Asahi Shinbun has the information on how "low" the contamination is in this water, and it is 0.01 becquerel/ milliliter (= cubic centimeter). So, in one liter the density is 10 becquerels/liter. If both newspapers are right, then TEPCO will only have to do the desalination.

Tweet