#Radioactive Japan: Iwaki City's Water Department Campaign "Let's Drink City's Tap Water!"

You can't make this up.

I'm pretty sure the city's water department does this every year.

Iwaki City in Fukushima Prefecture says it has selected a drawing by a 4th grader for its "Tap Water Week" campaign. It has been made into postcards to be distributed at the city's public facilities (municipal government branches, public libraries, community halls) and tourist and cultural facilities. They will be given to all elementary school children in Iwaki City.

At the top of the card, it says:

From Water Department of Iwaki City: "Let's Drink Tap Water!"

In recent years, mineral water in PET bottles have been popular. But tap water is gentle on the environment, safe and secure, and delicious water. Water in Iwaki, blessed with nature. Water that you can enjoy right from the tap. Let's drink in big gulps!

All the kanji (Chinese characters) on the postcard have "furigana" (kana, or phonetic Japanese characters over kanji to indicate pronunciation) so that even the 1st graders can read.

(Elementary school children reading the card to their parents at home. I could almost see it now.)

Iwaki City still does the testing of drinking water for radioactive cesium, and it has been ND (not detected). The detection limit is 1 bq/kg.

(I am so sick of the phrase now - "safe and secure" or 安心・安全.)

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Formaldehyde Update (2): Hexamethylenetetramine Leak from Industrial Waste Processing Co. in Takasaki City, Gunma

The company got the job of disposing the waste that contained hexamethylenetetramine from DOWA Hightech, a major chemical company located in Saitama Prefecture. The industrial waste processing company claims DOWA didn't tell them that there was hexamethylenetetramine in the waste. DOWA says yes they did.

From Tokyo Shinbun (part; 5/25/2012):

利根川水系から取水する首都圏の浄水場で処理済み水道水から有害物質ホルムアルデヒドが検出された問題で群馬県高崎市の産業廃棄物処理施設から原因物質とされるヘキサメチレンテトラミンが利根川支流の烏川（からすがわ）に排出された可能性が高いことが二十五日、埼玉県の調べで分かった。

Concerning the detection of formaldehyde in drinking water the water purification plants in the Tokyo Metropolitan areas along the Tone River and its tributaries, Saitama Prefecture has identified the industrial waste processing facilities in Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture as the likely culprit that leaked hexamethylenetetramine into the Karasugawa River, a tributary of the Tone River.

　埼玉県によると同県本庄市の化学製品会社「ＤＯＷＡハイテック」が今月十日、高崎市の烏川沿いにある産廃業者二社にヘキサメチレンテトラミンを含む廃液の処理を委託した。うち一社は十八日までに約六十トンを処理したが、同社の設備ではヘキサメチレンテトラミンを十分に分解することができず、河川に排出されたとみられる。

According to Saitama Prefecture, the company DOWA Hightech in Honjo City in Saitama contracted two industrial waste processing companies along the Karasugawa River in Takasaki City to process waste liquid that contained hexamethylenetetramine on May 10. One of the companies processed about 60 tonnes of waste liquid by May 18, but the company's facility was not able to adequately break up hexamethylenetetramine, and it was discharged into the river.

　埼玉県は十九日に、この産廃業者への立ち入り検査を実施したが、産廃業者は「ハイテック社からは、ヘキサメチレンテトラミンを含む廃液だとは知らされていなかった」と説明したという。

Saitama Prefecture did the on-site inspection of this company on May 19. The company's explanation was that DOWA Hightech didn't tell them the waste liquid contained hexamethylenetetramine.

　一方、ハイテック社は本紙の取材に「廃液の分析値は示しており、業者が適正な処理をしていれば、ヘキサメチレンテトラミンは取り除かれていたはずだ。ほかの業者への委託でも、これまで問題はなかった。不正の認識はなく、県の調査に協力していきたい」としている。

DOWA Hightech told this newspaper, "We showed them the analysis of the waste liquid. If the company had done the proper processing, hexamethylenetetramine would have been removed. There has been no problem when we contracted other companies. We don't think we've done anything wrong, and we will cooperate with the investigation by the prefecture."

　また、もう一つの産廃業者は高崎市の調査に「群馬県外の別の産廃業者に再委託した」と説明したという。

The other waste processing company told Takasaki City that they had subcontracted an industrial waste processing company outside Gunma Prefecture.

Well, Japan cannot even manage chemical substances, let alone nuclear materials. And the prefectural governments withheld the information of their investigation for six days. Life as usual in Japan, nuclear accident or not.

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Formaldehyde Update: It Was Hexamethylenetetramine in the River Water

so the government ministries (Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of the Environment) say.

Somewhere along the Tone River in Saitama Prefecture or Gunma Prefecture, 0.6 to 4 tonnes of hexamethylenetetramine had been dumped, and it reacted with the chlorine used for the sampling tests at the water purification plants, resulting in formaldehyde.

The popular speculation on the net was that some substance was being irradiated by radioactive materials in the water (plutonium, cesium, strontium were the popular candidates) and turning into formaldehyde. (For more, see my previous post.) I think it is still popular among many people, because "the government lies" as far as they are concerned.

From NHK News (5/24/2012):

利根川水系の水道水から、国の基準を超える化学物質のホルムアルデヒドが検出された問題で、原因となった主な物質は、川に排出された「ヘキサメチレンテトラミン」という化学物質だったことが分かりました。

Concerning the detection of formaldehyde in drinking water from the Tone River and its tributaries exceeding the national safety limit, it has been determined that a chemical substance called "hexamethylenetetramine" that was discharged into the river caused the problem.

この物質を扱っている事業所は埼玉県と群馬県に５か所あり、厚生労働省と環境省はそれぞれの県に対し、２５日にも立ち入り調査するよう求めました。

There are 5 factories that use this substance in Saitama and Gunma Prefectures. The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of the Environment have requested the prefectural governments to conduct on-site investigation as early as May 25.

この問題は、利根川水系の千葉、埼玉、東京、群馬の各自治体が管理する浄水場の水道水から、国の基準を超えるホルムアルデヒドが検出され、一時、断水などの影響が広がったものです。

Formaldehyde exceeding the national safety standard was found from the drinking water at the water purification plants in Chiba, Saitama, Tokyo, and Gunma along the Tone River system. The water supply was temporarily cut off, affecting many residents in municipalities that receive water from these plants.

ホルムアルデヒドは河川の原水からは検出されていないことから、厚生労働省は、原因となる別の化学物質が浄水場で塩素と反応して発生したとみて、原因物質の特定を進めていました。

Formaldehyde was not detected from the river water itself. The Ministry of Health concluded that some substance in the water reacted with chlorine at the purification plants, generating formaldehyde, and proceeded to identify the substance.

その結果、流域の浄水場で採取された水から、「ヘキサメチレンテトラミン」と呼ばれる化学物質が検出され、この水に塩素を加えるとホルムアルデヒドが生成されたということです。

The chemical substance called "hexamethylenetetramine" was detected from the water samples taken at the water purification plants along the river system, and when chlorine was added to the water samples formaldehyde was formed.

このため、厚生労働省は原因となった主な物質はヘキサメチレンテトラミンとみています。

The Ministry of Health concluded that hexamethylenetetramine was the cause.

また、これまでに検出された濃度から、利根川水域に流出したヘキサメチレンテトラミンの量は全体で０．６トンから４トン程度と推定されるということです。

Also, judging from the concentration, the total amount of hexamethylenetetramine discharged into the Tone River system is estimated to be between 0.6 to 4 tonnes.

この物質を年間１トン以上扱っている事業所は、埼玉県に２か所、群馬県に３か所の合わせて５か所あり、厚生労働省と環境省はそれぞれの県に対し、２５日にも立ち入り調査するよう求めました。

There are factories that use this substance more than 1 tonne per year, with 2 in Saitama and 3 in Gunma. The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of the Environment have requested the prefectural governments to conduct on-site investigation as early as May 25.

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Source of Formaldehyde in Water Supply in Kanto Still Not Identified, as Water Department Officials Party and "Baseless Rumors" Start to Spread

As the authorities taking ample time acknowledging and identifying the problem of formaldehyde detected at water purification plants along the Tone River that runs through Gunma, Saitama, and Chiba Prefectures, people have started to form their own hypothesis.

First, the timeline of the events: The first detection of formaldehyde may have been on May 15, 4 days before the authorities stopped the water intake. The following timeline is from a popular message board (as quoted by the Portirland blog), so this could also be part of the "baseless rumors". But it has been verified (see Mainichi Shinbun article on 5/19/2012; in Japanese) that the first detection of formaldehyde was on May 15 in Kasukabe City, as this timeline suggests.

• Formaldehyde leaked from a factory sometime, somewhere along the Tone River

• May 15: Formaldehyde detected at the water plant in Kasukabe City in Saitama Prefecture

• May 17: Saitama Prefecture notified the Water Department of Gunma Prefecture of the detection

• May 17 evening: Gunma Water Department had a party (newspaper article copy also at Portirland blog)

• May 18: The news of formaldehyde detection was leaked to the press

• May 19: Some water purification plants stopped water intake, affecting residents and businesses

• May 19 afternoon: Gunma Water Department started investigation

• May 20: Gunma Water Department's partying on May 17 was reported in the press

• May 20: Misato Water Purification Plant in Saitama Prefecture stopped water intake. Gunma Prefecture still cannot identify the source of formaldehyde.

Nature abhors a vacuum, and this information vacuum is being filled by some fantastic stories that circulate on the net in Japan. Here are some I noticed:

• It is an act of sabotage by a foreign element.

• It is not formaldehyde, but it is plutonium.

• It is not formaldehyde, but it is cesium.

• It is not formaldehyde but it is strontium.

• They were using some resin that contains formaldehyde to remove cesium.

• It is not formaldehyde, but something in the water reacted with the reagent (to test the water quality) and turned into formaldehyde.

The last one is supposedly a quote from an unnamed official in a water department of an unnamed city along the Tone River. It looks plausible, but then the blog that quoted this information and people who read the information concluded this "something in the water" must be a radioactive material (plutonium, cesium, strontium, or any other radioactive material of choice).

Sankei Shinbun (5/20/2012) says it will be impossible to identify the source (and therefore it won't be done) because there are hundreds of chemical substances that react and generate formaldehyde. Sankei Shinbun also quotes the partying Gunma Water Department, who says:

「すでに汚染物質の流出は終わった可能性があり、現状では汚染が始まった流域も絞り込めていない」

"It is possible that the flow of the substance that caused contamination has stopped already. At this point, we don't know exactly where the contamination first started."

which is not really true. According the same Sankei article, Saitama Prefecture has narrowed down the source of contamination along the Karasugawa River, a tributary of the Tone River, near Takasaki City in Gunma Prefecture. Instead of partying and hiding the contamination, the Gunma Water Department could have started visiting the factories along the river.

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Formaldehyde in Water Supply in Kanto Region, Water Intake Temporarily Stopped

If it's not radioactive cesium, it's something else like formaldehyde...

Authorities haven't identified the source of formaldehyde, but judging from the density they suspect straight formaldehyde liquid leaking from a plant somewhere in Tochigi Prefecture along the Tone River that runs through Gunma, Saitama, and Chiba Prefectures.

The safety limit for formaldehyde in drinking water is 0.080 milligram/liter.

From Japan Times quoting Kyodo News (5/19/2012):

Formaldehyde found at water plants in Saitama, Chiba

Saitama Prefecture said Friday night it has halted water intake and supply at one of its filtration plants after hazardous formaldehyde exceeding limits was detected in tap water there, while neighboring Chiba Prefecture said it has stopped water intake at two plants after detecting the substance.

The water at the plants was taken from the Tone River and one of its branches, the Edo River, the prefectural governments said.

According to the Saitama prefectural government, more than twice the amount of formaldehyde permitted under national water quality standards was detected in water at its plant in the city of Gyoda.

On Saturday morning, however, the Saitama government said it resumed water intake and supply at the plant after the figures for the substance dropped and remained stably below the standard set by the central government.

The Chiba prefectural government said Friday it has stopped intake at its plants in the cities of Noda and Nagareyama. Early Saturday, it also halted water intake at another plant in the city of Matsudo.

The local governments are now examining the water quality upstream of the Tone River with cooperation from Gunma Prefecture, where the upstream water is located, to identify the source of the contamination, they said.

Formaldehyde could be generated by a combination of organic substances included in the drainage from chemical plants and chlorine, according to the governments.

As with radioactive cesium in food, the Japanese authorities are repeating the mantra that "there is no effect on health" even if you drank the formaldehyde-laced water.

NHK Update: 68,000 households in Nagareyama City in Chiba Prefecture are without water to their homes, as of 2PM on May 19, 2012. 46,000 households in Noda City and 35,000 households in Abiko City in Chiba are also without water. The so-called "tokatsu" region of Chiba (northwestern corner of the prefecture) along the Tone River is hit hard.

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Radioactive Materials in Rivers, Wells Detected in Fukushima Much Higher Than Pre-Nuke Accident Levels

(Clarification: Plutonium was measured by the Ministry, but it was below the detection limit in the 10 locations measured, as described in the article.)

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The Ministry of Education and Science (and the media reporting the news) is spinning it as "good news" that radioactive materials detected in river water and well water in Fukushima Prefecture are "far less than the provisional safety limit".

If you compare the measured level to the provisional safety limit for water which is high as 200 becquerels/liter for radioactive cesium for adults, well yes, it is far less.

If you compare the level to the one before the Fukushima I Nuke Plant accident, it is a different story altogether. The highest strontium-90 level in the Ministry's survey is 5.14 times the highest level measured in 2009, and the highest cesium-137 level is 6,500 times the highest level measured in 2009.

The Ministry's announcement (10/20/2011) is here (in Japanese, PDF).

From Asahi Shinbun (10/20/2011):

東京電力福島第一原発の事故で放出された放射性物質について、文部科学省は２０日、原発から２０キロ圏内を除く福島県内の河川と井戸計１０１カ所での水の汚染状況を公表した。セシウムやストロンチウムなどを調べたが、飲用基準を上回るような高い濃度は認められなかったという。

The Ministry of Education and Science announced the result of the survey of water contamination in rivers and wells in Fukushima Prefecture, except in the 20-kilometer radius from the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant. Nuclides such as cesium and strontium were tested, but according to the Ministry there was no detection of radioactive materials exceeding the standard for drinking water.

　６～８月に２回調査した。事故後の調査で土壌のセシウムの蓄積量が比較的高い場所から、河川５０カ所と井戸５１カ所を選んだ。セシウム、ヨウ素１３１は１０１カ所すべてで調べ、ストロンチウムとプルトニウムは空中の放射線量が高い河川１０カ所で調査。同様に井戸６カ所でストロンチウムだけを調べた。

The Ministry did the survey twice in June and August. It selected the survey locations from the areas that showed relatively high level of cesium deposition in soil in the Ministry's aerial survey after the accident. 50 river locations and 51 wells were selected. Radioactive cesium and iodine-131 were measured in all 101 locations. Strontium and plutonium were measured in 10 river locations where the air radiation was high. Similarly, at 6 wells, only strontium was measured.

　半減期３０年のセシウム１３７は、河川では南相馬市真野地区（第一原発の北北西約３７キロ）の１キロあたり２．０ベクレルが最も高く、平均値０．５８ベクレル。井戸は本宮市糠沢（同西約５４キロ）の１．１ベクレルが最高で、平均値は０．４９ベクレルだった。

The highest cesium-137 (half life 30 years) for the river water was detected in Mano District in Minami Soma City (37 kilometers north by northwest from the nuke plant), at 2.0 becquerels/kg. The average amount of cesium-137 in river water was 0.58 becquerels/kg. The highest cesium-137 for the well water was detected in Nukazawa in Motomiya City (54 kilometers west of the plant), at 1.1 becquerels/kg. The average for well water was 0.49 becquerels/kg.

　文科省は「河川水、井戸水のいずれも飲食制限に関する暫定基準値２００ベクレルより非常に小さい」とする。ただし同省による２００９年の全国調査では、河川の最大値は秋田県の０．０００３７ベクレル（福島県は不検出）で福島の２．０ベクレルはその約５４００倍。井戸の１．１ベクレルは０９年の蛇口水の最高値の約６５００倍になる。

According to the Ministry of Education and Science, "Radioactive materials in both river water and well water are far below the provisional safety limit of 200 becquerels/kg". However, according to the Ministry's national survey in 2009, the highest level in river water was found in Akita Prefecture at 0.00037 becquerels/kg (ND in Fukushima). So, 2.0 becquerels/kg of cesium-137 detected this time in Fukushima is 5,400 times as much as the highest level in 2009 in river water. As to 1.1 becquerels/kg of cesium-137 from the well water, it is 6,500 times as much as the highest level detected in tap water in 2009.

　ストロンチウム９０（半減期約３０年）の最大値はいわき市小名浜の河川で０．０１８ベクレルで、０９年調査の最大値の５．１４倍。井戸水は事故前と変わらなかった。プルトニウム、ヨウ素１３１は検出限界値以下だった。

The largest amount of strontium-90 (half life 30 years) was detected in a river in Onahama in Iwaki City, at 0.018 becquerels/kg, 5.14 times the level detected in the 2009 survey. Strontium-90 in well water was the same level as before the accident. Plutonium and iodine-131 were below the detection limit.

　文科省は各最大値の河川水を１年飲み続けた場合の被曝（ひばく）線量を計算。セシウム１３７は０．０２５ミリシーベルト、ストロンチウム９０は０．０００４９ミリシーベルトになるという。

According to the Ministry's calculation on the internal radiation if one drinks the river water that had the maximum amount of radioactive materials for one year, cesium-137 would result in 0.025 millisievert, and strontium-90 in 0.00049 millisievert.

Hmmm. They tested an alpha emitter (plutonium) and a beta emitter (strontium) in water in locations with high air radiation? What does high air radiation have to do with alpha and beta emitters? And what about other nuclides, like cobalt-60?

The Ministry of Education tested water at these locations twice: first in late June to early July, then in early August. Looking at the result, there are two locations where the amount of radioactive cesium significantly INCREASED during the one month, indicating perhaps the inflow of radioactive materials from the surrounding mountains.

The Ministry's document has very poor resolution, but here's the page that shows charts of cesium-137 detections (page 19 in the document):

The detection limit for the Ministry of Education's survey was meaningfully low. For radioactive cesium and iodine-131, the detection limit was 0.1 becquerel/kg. For plutonium, it was 8 x 10^-6 becquerel/kg (0.000008 becquerel/kg), strontium-89 at 4 x 10^-3 becquerel/kg (0.004 becquerel/kg), and strontium-90 at 6 x 10^-4 becquerel/kg (0.0006 becquerel/kg).

Compare that to the survey by the Ministry of the Environment in May, where the detection limit for radioactive materials in river water was 10 becquerels/kg. The Ministry proudly declared on the announcement that no radioactive cesium or iodine was detected.

The first measurement was at the end of June, so there was no danger of detecting high level of iodine-131 in the water. (How convenient.) I wonder if I can find the data of the measurement that the Ministry did back in March and April in the areas now admitted by the government to have been heavily contaminated, such as Namie-machi and Iitate-mura.

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#Fukushima II's Contaminated Water: Cobalt-60, Cesium-134, Cesium-137

More on the earlier post on 3,000 tons of contaminated water at Fukushima II Nuke Plant.

From Yomiuri Shinbun (1:28PM JST 6/8/2011):

東京電力は８日、福島第二原子力発電所の原子炉建屋などの地下階にたまった低濃度汚染水約３０００トンについて、浄化処理をした後、海へ放出する方針で、関係省庁や地元自治体と相談を始めたことを明らかにした。

TEPCO disclosed on June 8 that it has entered into negotiations with the government agencies and local municipalities to treat the contaminated water in the basements of the buildings at Fukushima II Nuclear Power Plant and release it into the ocean.　

同原発では、津波で流れ込んだ海水に、配管類のさびなどから出たとみられる放射性物質のコバルト６０や、約１０キロ北 の福島第一原発から飛来したと考えられるセシウム１３７、１３４などが混ざった汚染水がたまっている。汚染濃度は、海への放出が認められている濃度限界の １０～３０倍程度。

The water is from the tsunami [on March 11], and it contains radioactive cobalt-60 which probably came from the rusty pipes, and cesium-137 and cesium-134 which are considered to have flown from Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant 10 kilometers north. The level of contamination is 10 to 30 times the limit allowed for the discharge into the ocean.

Mainichi Shinbun Japanese reports the level of radioactive materials is "normal" for a nuclear plant during the normal operation.

Hmmm. So, in a normal operation, radioactive cesium will fly from a nearby nuke plant and somehow land on the basement of the enclosed reactor building. Right.

TEPCO's press release on the subject is not up yet.

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#Fukushima II (Not I) Nuke Plant Wants to Dump 3,000 Tons of Water into the Ocean

Did you even know that there was water in the basement of Fukushima II ("Daini")? And that water needs to be treated to remove the radioactive materials?

TEPCO fears that the power supply equipments in the basements may degrade from the salt water from tsunami, but if they have been sitting in the salt water for nearly 3 months, they are practically worthless, I would assume.

Again, a brilliant design by GE, having the power supply in the basement in a nuclear power plant right by the ocean in an earthquake/tsunami-prone country.

From Japan's TBS News (10:58PM JST 6/7/2011; the link will probably be changed or disappear soon, as is often the case with the TV broadcasters):

東京電力が、福島第二原発の原子炉建屋などに溜まっているおよそ３０００トンの水について、海に放出する計画を立てていることが分かりました。ただ、海産物への影響を懸念する農林水産省が猛反発していて、調整は難航しています。

It has been revealed that TEPCO wants to release about 3,000 tons of water in the reactor buildings [and turbine buildings, according to the news clip at the site] of Fukushima II Nuclear Power Plant. However, fearing the negative effect on marine products, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is strongly against the plan, making the negotiations between TEPCO and the Ministry difficult.

　福島第二原発の原子炉は現在、冷温停止中ですが、震災で津波を被り大量の海水が原子炉建屋やタービン建屋などに溜まったままとなっています。このため東京電力は、大量の水を海に放出する計画を立て、政府関係者とすでに協議していることが分かりました。

The reactors at Fukushima II Nuke Plant are in "cold shutdown". But the tsunami after the March 11 earthquake inundated the reactor buildings and the turbine buildings. TEPCO planned the release of this large amount of water into the ocean, and has been negotiating with the government officials.

　塩分を含んだ水の量はおよそ３０００トンに達すると見られ、溜まっている期間も長引いているため、このままでは建屋の地下にある電源装置が劣化する恐れもあります。

This salt water is estimated to be about 3,000 tons. Since it has been sitting in the basements for long time now, the power supply equipments in the basements may degrade

　この水について東京電力は、法律で認められているより低いレベルにまで放射能の除染を済ませた上で海に放出すると説明していますが、海産物への影響を懸念する農林水産省が猛反発し、調整が難航しています。（07日22:58）

TEPCO says it will remove the radioactive materials in the water to the level lower than allowed by law before releasing it into the ocean. But the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is strongly against the plan, fearing the effect on the marine products.

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720,000 Terabecquerels of Radioactive Materials in 100,000 Tonnes of Contaminated Water

When I posted the news about 100,000 tonnes of highly contaminated water at Fukushima I Nuke Plant, I forgot to mention this. (You can read about it in the Businessweek article here.)

That water is estimated to contain 720,000 terabecquerels of radioactive iodine and cesium.

That's another "Level 7" right there.

That's more than what has been released into the atmosphere, which the Nuclear Safety Commission estimates to be about 630,000 terabecquerels and Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency estimates to be about 370,000 terabecquerels.

I personally think this air radiation numbers underestimate the true numbers, particularly the number from NISA. At that time (mid April), NISA said they calculated the number based on the amount of radioactive materials they estimated to be still inside the RPV. At that time, NISA assured everyone that the fuel rods were only partially damaged and they were all inside the Reactor Pressure Vessels. Now we know (and they should have known) that the RPVs were breached very early in the accident, and the melted core had at least partially escaped out of the RPV by the time they made the estimate.

Now, Fukushima is slowly approaching Chernobyl.

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#Fukushima I Nuke Plant: Water Levels Rising in Trenches from Reactors 2, 3

If the typhoon No.2 dumps a whole lot of rain, they will overflow. Even if it doesn't, it looks just the matter of time.

From the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industries (METI)'s press release (in Japanese) on May 28 on the Fukushima I plant conditions, "Water levels at trenches":

Reactor 2 trench water level:

5/7: 880 millimeters (34.65 inches) from the top of grating of the trench
5/14: 760 millimeters (29.92 inches)
5/21: 760 millimeters (29.92 inches)
5/28: 576 millimeters (22.68 inches)

Reactor 3 trench water level:

5/7: 820 millimeters (32.28 inches) from the top of grating of the trench
5/14: 720 millimeters (28.35 inches)
5/21: 640 millimeters (25.20 inches)
5/28: 431 millimeters (16.97 inches)

The top edge of the trenches is at the Onahama Peil (O.P., average sea level used for the plant) plus 4,000 millimeters. In other words, 4 meters (13.12 feet) above sea level.

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#Fukushima I Nuke Plant: Discharge of "Low" Radioactive Water into Sea Complete, 150 Billion Becquerels of Radioactive Materials Released

And that's only counting Iodine-131, Cesium-134 and Cesium-137.

From TEPCO's press release on April 15, 2011:

As to the low level radioactive wastewater stored at the Central
Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility, we began discharging at 7:03PM,
April 4th to the south of the water discharge channel and finished at
5:40PM, April 10th. After that, at 9:55AM, April 11th, we confirmed that
the wastewater in the building had been discharged sufficiently so that
the preparation work to accept high level radioactive wastewater (such as
water sealing) in the building could be done.

In relation to the low level radioactive subsurface water in sub-drain
pits of Units 5 and 6, we began discharging from 9 PM, April 4th via the
water discharge channel of Units 5 and 6 and finished by 6:52PM, April
9th.

In terms of the discharge of low level radioactive accumulated water to
the sea, as instructed by NISA, we have been conducting ocean monitoring
in a steadfast manner. We have been increasing the number of monitoring
points and the frequency to investigate and confirm the influence of the
dispersion of radioactive substances and have been notifying the result.
The radioactive density monitored at the measurement points including
near the power station did not indicate significant fluctuation in
comparison with the trend one week before the discharge.

The amount of low level radioactive wastewater discharged to the sea
this time was approx 9,070 tons from the Central Radioactive Waste
Disposal Facility and approx 1,323 tons from the sub-drain pits of Units
5 and 6 (Unit 5: approx 950 tons, Unit 6: approx 373 tons). The total
radiation discharged was approx 1.5 x 10^11 Bq.

We evaluate approximately 0.6 mSv of effective radioactive doses per year
for adults as the impact on the discharge of the low radioactive
wastewater to the sea if they eat adjacent fish and seaweeds every day.
The amount (0.6 mSv of effective radioactive doses per year) is one-forth
of annual radioactive dose to which the general public is exposed in
nature. The level is similar to the evaluation we made before the
discharge to the sea.

I suppose TEPCO is only talking about the environmental radiation level, and hasn't heard about "bioconcentration" or "bioaccumulation" (or has chosen to ignore, take your pick).

And "wholehearted apology" from TEPCO at the end:

We wholeheartedly apologize for causing tremendous concern and
inconvenience to all living near the power station and general public for
discharging radioactive water even the nature was an emergency escape.

(Some interesting translation here by TEPCO...) Never mind that TEPCO has irradiated people, plant, animals, fish, all living organisms, which should go beyond concern and inconvenience.

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#Fukushima I Nuke Plant: More on the "Pit That Stopped Leaking"

Here's the picture released by TEPCO, with the statement that the leak from the "crack" stopped at 5:38AM on April 6.

Does this look like a "crack" to you? This is another minor detail that's been bothering me (the other one being "above 1,000 milli-sievert" radiation level). It still looks awfully round. It still looks like a regular drain from the substrate, and I suspect there was a drain hole on the floor of the pit above to drain accidental water in the pit through the substrate (and that's why there was a dirty pool of water in the pit, as the contaminated water coming from the substrate flooding the pit through the drain).

Just my conjecture. No proof.

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#Fukushima I Nuke Plant: TEPCO Says Highly Contaminated Water from the Pit Stopped

OK. So the water is going elsewhere.

It's getting to be like "Whack a Mole". One hole seemingly plugged, and water spews out somewhere else.

However, if any Fukushima I Nuke Plant news was reported in Japan in the past few days, it was either about this hole that was spewing radioactive water, or the dumping of contaminated water into the ocean. Wag the Dog.

The real deal is their sheer inability and impossibility to cool the Reactors on a permanent basis because of way too much radiation in the reactor buildings and turbine buildings. Sure they can use the temporary pumps hooked up to the external power, or concrete pumps to sprinkle water to the Spent Fuel Pools, but these operations simply generate more highly contaminated water.

Unless you get the pumps up and running, they are nowhere near "the stable" condition.

What a better way to hide that fact, than to let people (particularly the so-called journalists) focus on a crack in the pit?

(I still think that "crack", which we now know is on the substrate level below the floor of the pit, is a regular drain.)

Isn't there any Japanese reporter who can ask the most fundamental question? "What is your plan?" Not the piecemeal cutesy little silly "solutions" (like bath salt and sawdust) to plug a figurative hole in the bigger mess all around them, but a systematic, fleshed-out plan for the bigger mess itself. It's been almost 26 days since the earthquake/tsunami that knocked out the plant. Sure they have a plan by now, don't you think?

From Yomiuri (7:19AM JST 5/6/2011):

The contaminated water with high concentration of radioactive materials flowing into the ocean near the water intake of the Reactor 2 in Tokyo Electric Power Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant had stopped, as of April 6 morning.

TEPCO confirmed [that the flow had stopped] at 5:30AM, and announced.

東京電力福島第一原子力発電所２号機の取水口近くから海に流れ込んでいた、高濃度の放射性物質を含む汚染水は、６日朝までに流出が止まった。

　東電が同日午前５時半すぎに確認し、発表した。

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The Japanese Government's Handling of Dumping Contaminated Water: "Ugly, Ugly Japanese"

I am really ashamed to be Japanese.

South Koreans are upset, so are the Russians, over TEPCO dumping contaminated water, no matter they say it's safe.

They are upset, partly because Japan didn't bother to notify them.

Did Japan notify them, or didn't? Chief Cabinet Secretary Edano said his government most assuredly did, but qualified it by saying since it involved multiple countries his government had notified the IAEA [so that the IAEA would in turn notified the countries involved].

Huh?

That Edano's bureaucratic position was confirmed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Takeaki Matsumoto in the press conference on April 5.

According to Yomiuri (in Japanese, link added on the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea; 1:09AM JST 4/6/2011):

　東京電力福島第一原子力発電所の事故を巡り、低濃度の放射性物質を含む汚染水を海に放出したことに韓国やロシアが懸念を表明している問題で、松本外相は５日の記者会見で「健康に有意な影響はない。国際法上の義務との関係で直ちに問題とならない」と述べた。

Asked about South Korea and Russia's concern over the release of low radioactive water in to the ocean during the press conference on April 5, Foreign Minister Matsumoto said that there was "no significant effect on health, and not a problem with Japan's obligation under the international treaty".

　「国際原子力機関（ＩＡＥＡ）に通報し、外交団向けに説明し、ファクスでも連絡している」とも強調、対応に問題はなかったとの立場を示した。

Matsumoto clarified the government position that there was nothing wrong or amiss in the Japanese government's handling, emphasizing that "the Japanese government notified the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), explained to the diplomatic corps, and sent [them] faxes [to notify and explain?]"

　外務省によると、４日午後４時から同省内で外交団向けの説明を行った。

According to Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the explanation to the diplomatic corps was done at the Ministry from 4:00PM on April 4. held an [That's exactly when the TEPCO held an un-televised press conference and told the journalists in the room that it was dumping contaminated water into the sea.]

　国連海洋法条約では、海洋環境の保護や汚染防止のほか、汚染による損害で危険が及ぶ国への通報を求めている。枝野官房長官は５日の記者会見で 「（同条約で）海洋汚染防止の一般的義務を日本も負うが、直ちに差し迫った汚染の影響を周辺各国に及ぼすものではない。近隣国をはじめ関心が高いので、外 交ルートを通じて適切な説明を徹底したい」と語った。

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea requires [the signatories] protect the marine environment from pollution, and notify the countries who would be affected by the pollution. Chief Cabinet Secretary Edano said in the press conference on April 5 that "Japan has a general obligation (under the treaty), but [dumping the contaminated water in the ocean] does not immediately pose a threat of pollution to the neighboring countries. But since the countries, including the neighboring countries, have a lot of interest [in the dumping of contaminated water], we will make sure the appropriate explanation is conveyed through the diplomatic channel."

What arrogance from a group of elementary school boys with wrinkles and gray hairs (or black hairs that are dyed).

Both South Korea and Russia have sent (or tried to send) material and monetary assistance to the relief effort in Japan after the earthquake and tsunami. South Koreans raised a huge amount of money, sent foods and blankets to Tohoku (I'm afraid they are still sitting at the official depots undelivered to people who needed them). Russia has offered help from experts with detailed knowledge of Chernobyl reactor accident (the Japanese government delayed issuing visas for fear that the presence of Chernobyl experts might signal to the world that the Fukushima situation was dire).

They are the closest neighbors of Japan. And what did the Japanese government do? It told the IAEA to notify them. Oh but we sent the fax to their embassies in Tokyo, wasn't that good enough? And we called their diplomats to the Ministry and told them about it at the same time we instructed TEPCO to tell the journalists so that they could write about it for the Japanese people later.

Well, wrinkled elementary school boys of Japan who inhabit the government, let me tell you what you should have done:

1. It was apparent that TEPCO would run out of space to store contaminated water at the plant for quite some time. Instead of telling the foreign diplomats 3 hours before you would start dumping the contaminated water, you would contact them several days before April 4. Maybe a week before. You would send high level Foreign Ministry officials, yes bureaucrats but they know more about proper international protocols than you politicians, to the embassies of the countries that could possibly be affected - Russia, South Korea, China, Taiwan, for a start.

2. These high level officials would meet the ambassadors, and explain the situation. Ask the ambassadors to immediately convey the message to their respective head of state back home.

3. Prime Minister Kan would personally place a call to the ambassadors and then the heads of the states in these countries, asking for their understanding of the dire situation.

4. The government would contact the IAEA at the same time, and solicit their help in convincing and placating the affected countries by making them understand the situation better.

5. At the same time, you would tell the municipalities along the coast, up and down from the plant, that you were planning to release the contaminated water. They would naturally object, but you could have at least explained the situation to them beforehand, instead of what you did, which was to take them by total surprise after the fact.
   

6. After the countries were fully notified and informed of the situation and gave their reluctant consent, Prime Minister Kan would appear on TV, and announce that he instructed TEPCO to release the contaminated water into the ocean, and HE apologize to everyone - fishermen, Japanese, Russians, Koreans, the world, instead of a poor TEPCO manager having to announce, who was choking with tears. (h/t threeggg for vid)
   

Instead, you hid behind a middle manager at TEPCO, hid behind a fax machine.

And TEPCO management hid behind their middle manager, whose looks tell me (I could be wrong) he is actually an engineer in a position that requires hands-on work. If TEPCO had to announce, it should have been announced by the chairman of the company who is responsible for the company. Instead, the top management made this middle manager do it.

I guess it is too late for you to grow up, so why don't you all move out and let adults handle the problems?

If there is any adult left in Japan, it is assuredly not in the government at any level.

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#Fukushima I Nuke Plant: TEPCO Claims Partial Success in Plugging the Highly Radioactive "Pit" Water

I put the pit in parenthesis because now they seem to be claiming that it was not exactly from the pit by the ocean near the water intake for Reactor 2 that the highly contaminated water (5.4 million becquerel/cubic centimeter iodine-131, as I posted yesterday) was coming.

Now they're saying, as the diagram drawn up by Asahi, based on TEPCO's presser, shows, the crack in the concrete is BELOW the floor of the pit, and the contaminated water may be coming from the substrate (crushed stones and concrete bits).

By injecting a solidifier into the substrate to fill the gaps, TEPCO claims the water coming out of the crack is "somewhat less", as reported by Asahi. What a victory.

And where is the contaminated water in the substrate coming from? They think there is a crack in the trench that contains electrical cables and wires (and that trench is connected with the trench that contains pipes to pump in/out the sea water for cooling the condenser in the turbine room).

No kidding.

So, if they ever successfully plug the water at this location, wouldn't the water just go around it and still find the way back to the crack below the pit? It is just normal dirt around the substrate. Even if they completely filled the gaps in the substrate for that particular section, the crack in the trench remains, and no one knows where the other cracks are.

For that matter, if you manage to plug all the cracks in the pipe, then the contaminated water would quickly overflow the storage tanks and trenches and run on the surface down to the ocean, unchecked, wouldn't it?

Even if you send the tiny robots down the trenches to check for cracks, the robots would be fried in an instant from radiation.

Paging adults, paging adults who can see beyond their noses, paging adults... (clearly a short supply in Japan on all fronts)...

Only now TEPCO is studying the blueprint, it seems. But as I said before, the blueprint may not reflect later modifications or last-minute design change. What TEPCO should have been doing was to call up retired engineers who worked at the plant and who probably still remember how things were laid out.

From my experience with a large construction-related engineering company, people who really knows how things work in excruciating details are the field engineers and mechanics, who are often looked down on or ignored by the management. Hands-on people, not the corporate managers or researchers in the lab.

A lot of irate Japanese (increasing in numbers, slowly) are proposing several new lines of jobs for the TEPCO management. The most rewarding job is for the VPs and managing directors to go clean out the Reactor Pressure Vessels without the anti-radiation suits on. The next seems to be the water bucket relay to scoop out the contaminated water from Reactor 2 turbine building. Some suggest a recreational activity of swimming in the ocean near the plant.

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Koreans Are Pissed at Radioactive Water Dumping by TEPCO

Yomiuri's Seoul Correspondent reports (in Japanese; 11:19AM JST 4/5/2011):

(Seoul: Takashi Nakagawa) Regarding the release of radiation contaminated water into the ocean from Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, the South Korean government conveyed its worries to Japan's Foreign Ministry through its Embassy in Japan at night of April 4 [when TEPCO started dumping], that "this may cause problems in international law."

The South Korean government is not pleased that there was no prior, formal notice from the Japanese government concerning the release of the contaminated water.

【ソウル＝仲川高志】韓国政府は４日夜、福島第一原発で汚染水が海に放出された問題で、在日韓国大使館を通じ、日本外務省に「国際法的問題を引き起こす可能性がある」との懸念を伝えた。

　韓国政府は、日本政府から汚染水の放出について、事前に正式な通告がなかったことを問題視している。

The response to that from the Japanese government? Here's what the government's mouthpiece Chief Cabinet Secretary Edano said in the morning presser on April 5 (from Asahi):

Question: This (dumping contaminated water) may be in violation of the international treaty to prevent pollution of the ocean. Have you explained [the situation] to the countries that would be affected?

Edano: The government has notified according to the treaty. However, the affected countries are on the Pacific Ocean, so the government has reported to an international organization [he doesn't say which international organization] instead of each individual countries.

――国際法の海洋汚染防止条約に違反するのではないかと思うが、周辺国には説明をしているのか。

　「条約に基づいての通報はしている。ただこの場合、周辺国というのが太平洋側なので、直接に個別の国というよりも国際機関の方に報告している」

Hmmmm. South Korea is on the Japan Sea side, and it is already been affected by the radioactive materials falling on their country.

(I'd better take a closer look at the French paper on radiation effect on marine environment. It has a simulation on how the radioactive water may travel. It's in French, though, and that's my problem...)

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#Fukushima I Nuke Plant: Extremely High Radiation from the Pit, at the Crack and Seawater (Updated)

TEPCO announced on April 5 the result of analysis of the water samples taken from the pit near the ocean, directly at the crack, and the ocean where the water from the crack is pouring, at the water intake.

The water is supposed to have been coming from the Reactor 2, although the route hasn't been determined.

Detection of iodine-131:

• Water inside the pit: 5.4 million becquerels/cubic centimeter

• Water at the crack, outside the pit: 5.2 million becquerels/cubic centimeter

• Seawater near the crack: 300,000 becquerels/cubic centimeter (7.5 million times the national safety limit)

Sea water samples near the water intakes for the other reactors also show high radiation (iodine-131):

• Water intakes for Reactors 3, 4: 15,000 becquerels/cubic centimeter

• Water intakes for Reactor 1: 19,000 becquerels/cubic centimeter

(Surface water run-off or what?)

Information is from TEPCO's press conference in the afternoon of April 5.

I'm checking for more details from TEPCO's press release when it is released..

Here's the press release, in Japanese. (Sorry no English there yet.)

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#Fukushima I Nuke Plant: More on TEPCO's Dumping Operation

"Low radiation" water that TEPCO already started dumping into the ocean (yes, they started dumping 2 hours after the presser that ended around 5:00PM JST 4/4/2011)

From various sources (here, here and here):

11,500 tons of low radiation water comes from:

• The central waste product processing facility (which they just happened to find out had been flooded with water last week): 10,000 tons

• Basement of the turbine buildings for Reactors 5 and 6: 1,150 tons

WAIT A MINUTE. There was 1,500 tons of water in the turbine building basement for Reactors 5 and 6??? And they tell us now?

And here's the level of radiation measured by Iodine-131 (they don't tell us what else is in the water):

• Water from the central waste product processing facility: 6.3 becquerel/cubic centimeter (156 times the limit);

• Water from Reactor 5 turbine room basement: 1.6 becquerel/cubic centimeters (40 times the limit);

• Water from Reactor 6 turbine room basement: 20 becquerel/cubic centimeters (500 times the limit)

It is considered that the radioactive materials in the water at these locations have come from the air.

Contaminated water from Reactor 2, in comparison, looks deadly at "several million becquerel/cubic centimeter", and "10,000 tons of low radioactive water from the above three facilities is equivalent to 10 liters of high radioactive water from Reactor 2" (Asahi).

Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says the action is regrettably necessary to avert an emergency (of running out of space to store high radiation water).

TEPCO (and NISA) rejected the recommendations that were suggested by Nuclear Safety Commission on March 29 and decided to use the turbine building for Reactor 4 as "storage" for contaminated water, until they realized that "the turbine building for Reactor 4 is connected to the turbine building for Reactor 3" (Sankei). Duh.

Nuclear Safety Commission's recommendations included (according to Sankei):

• Dig a storage pond/well;
• Use tankers currently not in use;
• Ask the US military for help.

And a regular assurance from the bureaucrats and TEPCO that it is safe, eat all fish and seaweeds you want.

So move along, nothing to see here. It's getting rarer and rarer to see the Fukushima I Nuke Plant-related news from the top headlines at major newspapers, at least in their web versions of their newspapers.

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#Fukushima I Nuke Plant: TEPCO Will Dump 11,500 Tons of Low Radioactive Water into the Ocean

from the storage tanks in order to make room for highly radioactive water. Headline only. I'm looking for more info.

A bit more from Asahi (4:23PM JST 4/4/2011) [it's not a literal translation, but you get the gist]:

TEPCO will release about 11,500 tons of water with low radiation (relatively speaking) from the processing facility and Reactors 5 and 6 into the ocean. They will start as soon as they are ready, and will release the water over several days.

Fish and seaweeds in the ocean nearby will be affected, but even if you eat them every day you would only get about 1/4 of radiation that you will naturally get anyway.

Soooo, what's with that idea of a silt curtain, if they are dumping the contaminated water in great quantity?

TEPCO just ended the press conference, which they started early today at 4:00PM JST instead of 5 or 5:30PM. And this was not carried by any TV. Only on the internet. The viewers were furious, twittering as the presser progressed.

The last question was about the safety of fish and seaweed. "Is it safe to eat then?" TEPCO answered "Let us check that and get back to you."

Some of the viewers' comments:

Why isn't TV covering this?

There will be no Christmas or Shogatsu (new year's celebration).

I'm so sorry and I apologize to fish.

Shouldn't the PM apologize?

We're screwed.

I'm crying.

This is a case of the citizens not realizing that the government is a terrorist organization.

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#Fukushima I Nuke Plant: Now A Silt Curtain to the Rescue!

So the "tracer", aka Japanese onsen bath salt, failed to show where the hell the water was going, and it was decidedly not to the pit by the ocean that's been spewing radioactive water into the ocean.

Now, Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) has come up with another brilliant idea: use the silt curtain to contain the radioactive water in the ocean.

Huh?

A silt curtain is used to contain dirty water from polluting the river or the ocean during constructions and dredging operations. The silt curtain acts to prevent silt or silt-like material from spreading uncontrollably.

So what is silt? Silt is a type of mud whose diameter is less than 1/16 millimeter but larger than 1/256 millimeter (clay).

Is NISA's Nishiyama saying this silt curtain, designed to block a particle larger than 1/256 millimeter in diameter, is going to stop radioactive materials - iodine-131, cesium-137, and who knows what else - from spreading?

Somebody, please, an adult who have worked with his own hands, tell him and his colleagues at NISA, and management at TEPCO, to get real and seek real advice from adults.

NISA, TEPCO, they think they are smart. They think they can come up with a clever solution, even if they've never done any hands-on engineering. A crack is found that's leaking. Well let's plug it with concrete! And they use regular concrete and just dump it in, probably by hand, exposing workers to very, very high radiation, when they have a high-pressure concrete pumps on site.

Actually, the radiation inside the pit was so high that the dosimeter couldn't measure. The dosimeter the inspector was carrying only measures up to 1,000 milli-sievert.

Then they thought of tracer after the diaper polymer with sawdust idea went bust. But instead of tracer that adults use, they dumped milky white bath salt. When that failed, they came up with a silt curtain.

They don't know what they're doing. They probably never have mixed concrete themselves in their lives.

All the while they direct the media on all-out campaign to portray a Japan that's strongly recovering from the greatest disaster since World War II, trotting out one nuclear expert after another telling the populace it's all so safe, nothing to worry about, and there is definitely water in the Spent Fuel Pools because US Energy Secretary and Nobel prize winner said so (he didn't).

If any of the so-called leaders of the world cares about Japan, he or she would be extremely politically incorrect and tell the Japanese to shut up, stop pretending, do all that's necessary to safeguard the population from radiation, disclose all the information, get rid of the people like Nishiyama, and start working with people who actually know what and how to do things.

Well, no hope there, I know. Look who Obama has sent to Japan, for example. GE's Immelt, so GE can win some more business from TEPCO, which, it is safe to assume at this point, will be paid for by the Japanese people.

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