#Fukushima I Nuke Plant: Has TEPCO Just Dropped 1.5-Tonne Steel Debris in Reactor 3 Spent Fuel Pool?

NHK News says it may have.

From NHK News (2/8/2013; part):

東京電力福島第一原子力発電所３号機の使用済み核燃料の貯蔵プールで、ほぼ水の中につかった状態で見えていた、重さ１．５トンの鋼鉄製の棒がなくなっていることが分かり、東京電力は、プールに落下したとみて、今後、水中カメラを入れて燃料に異常がないか確認するとしています。

A 1.5-tonne steel debris, which had been submerged in the water but visible in the Reactor 3 Spent Fuel Pool at Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, went missing. TEPCO thinks it may have dropped into the Spent Fuel Pool, and will use the underwater camera to make sure the spent fuel rods are unaffected.

福島第一原発３号機では、使用済み核燃料の将来的な取り出しに向けて、貯蔵プール周辺のがれきの撤去作業を続けています。

The work to remove the debris near the Reactor 3 Spent Fuel Pool has been on-going, in order to remove the spent fuel in the future.

東京電力によりますと、６日の作業のあと、遠隔操作のカメラでプールの状況を確認したところ、作業前まで水にほぼつかった状態でプールの中央付近にあった、重さ１．５トンの鋼鉄製の棒が完全に見えなくなっていることが分かりました。

According to TEPCO, when they monitored the condition of the pool using the remote-controlled camera after the work on February 6 they noticed the 1.5-tonne steel debris which had been mostly submerged in the center of the pool but visible was completely invisible.

このため東京電力は、プールの中に落下した可能性があるとみて、準備が整いしだい水中カメラを入れて、水没した棒の状態や、使用済み核燃料に異常がないか確認することになりました。

TEPCO concluded that the debris may have fallen into the pool. The company will use the underwater camera as soon as it is ready to check on the debris and the spent fuel.

From TEPCO's handout for the press in English, 2/8/2013:

Possibility of Debris (Assumed to be the Fuel Handling Machine Mast) Sinking in the
Spent Fuel Pool at Debris Removal from the Upper Part of the Unit 3 Reactor
Building at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

At the steel truss debris removal from the upper part of the spent fuel pool performed on February 6, 2013, the
debris assumed to be the fuel handling machine mast* which was present before the steel truss removal was
found to be missing in the image taken after the removal work. On February 7, we judged that there is a possibility
that the missing debris has sunk into the pool.

*Fuel handling machine mast: Extendable pole used to lift the grip up and down when moving the fuel assemblies (Length: Approx. 5-23m, Weight: Approx. 1.5 tons)

Once the preparation is complete, we will investigate the condition of the sunken debris when we perform
investigation of the inside of the spent fuel pool utilizing an underwater camera.

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