March, 2011

On Monday, 28 March 2011, Graham Andrew, Special Adviser to the IAEA Director General on Scientific and Technical Affairs, provided the following briefing on the current status of nuclear safety in Japan: 1. Current Situation An earthquake of magnitude 6.5 occurred at 22:23 UTC on 27 March near the east...

1. Current Situation The situation at the Fukushima Daiichi plant remains very serious. The restoration of off-site power continues and lighting is now available in the central control rooms of Units 1, 2 and 3. Also, fresh water is now being injected into the Reactor Pressure Vessels (RPVs) of all three...

According to the Japanese Prime Minister’s office, TEPCO has begun work to remove water that has accumulated in the turbine buildings at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Workers have started to remove water from the Unit 1 turbine building to its main condenser and are making preparations...

As previously reported, three workers at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant were exposed on 24 March to elevated levels of radiation. The IAEA has received additional information on the incident from the Japanese authorities. For two of the three workers, significant skin contamination over their...

Brief Update on State of Fukushima Daiichi Reactors AC Power-Units 1 to 4 The restoration work of off-site (i.e., grid) power is still in progress. Off-site power is now connected to Units 1 to 4. Power distribution panels in the Power Centres of Units 2 and 4 have been connected to the off-site electricity...

Today, (Saturday, 26 March 2011), Graham Andrew, Special Adviser to the IAEA Director General on Scientific and Technical Affairs, provided the following briefing on the current status of nuclear safety in Japan: 1. Current Situation The situation at the Fukushima Daiichi plant remains very serious....

The IAEA has been informed by Japanese authorities that fresh water is now being used in place of sea water to cool the reactor pressure vessels at Units 1, 2 and 3 at the Fukushima nuclear plant. The switch to fresh water is preferable as it leaves fewer deposits in components and is less corrosive...

IAEA Sends Second and Third Teams to Japan to Aid Response to Nuclear Emergency The IAEA has dispatched additional teams to Japan to assist in the response to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant emergency.  On 24 March, a team of IAEA specialists travelled to Japan, where they will continue efforts...

Brief Update on State of Fukushima Daiichi Reactors Japanese authorities today confirmed a number of developments at the nuclear reactors at Fukushima Daiichi. Unit 1 Workers have restored lighting in the control room and have recovered some instrumentation.  As of 25 March, fresh water is now being...

Radioactive Materials Found in Japanese Seawater Sampling — UPDATED Japanese authorities today reported data on radiation samples collected 30 kilometres off shore of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on 24 March, and the levels of iodine-131 and cesium-137 showed slight variations from...

Japanese authorities have informed the IAEA that on March 24, examinations of the thyroid glands in 66 children (14 of which are infants) were conducted near the evacuation area around the Fukushima nuclear plant. The exams were conducted at the Kawamata Town Health Center (40-50 kilometres from Fukushima...

On Friday, 25 March 2011, Graham Andrew, Special Adviser to the IAEA Director General on Scientific and Technical Affairs, provided the following information on the current status of nuclear safety in Japan. 1. Current Situation There has not been much change at the Fukushima Daiichi plant over the last...

Update on Conditions of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant At Unit 1 workers have advanced the restoration of off-site electricity and lighting in the unit’s main control room was recovered as of 24 March, 11:30 UTC. They are now checking the availability of the cooling system. While the pressure...

As previously reported, three workers at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant were exposed on 24 March to elevated levels of radiation. The IAEA has received additional information on the incident from the Japanese authorities. The three were contracted workers laying cables in the turbine building...

Graham Andrew, Special Adviser to the IAEA Director General on Scientific and Technical Affairs, today (24 March 2011) briefed the IAEA’s Member States on the nuclear emergency in Japan following last week’s devastating earthquake. His opening remarks are provided below alongside a copy of...

Japanese Seawater Samples Show Signs of Radioactive Materials Japanese authorities today provided the IAEA with data on seawater samples they collected on 22 and 23 March, after detecting iodine and cesium in the water near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (see earlier update). A vessel from...

Japanese authorities have informed the IAEA’s Incident and Emergency Centre (IEC) that they have ordered the evacuation of residents within a three-kilometre radius of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, and told people within a 10-kilometre radius to remain indoors. The Japanese authorities...

The IAEA’s Incident and Emergency Centre has received information from Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) that a heightened state of alert has been declared at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. NISA says the plant has been shut down and no release of radiation has been...

The IAEA’s Incident and Emergency Centre received information from the International Seismic Safety Centre (ISSC) at around 07:15 UTC this morning about the earthquake of magnitude 8.9 near the east coast of Honshu, Japan. The Agency is liaising with the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and...