Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant Weekly Review (With Video)

New waste storage for a water treatment system, further studies of airborne contamination and a detailed timeline of the crisis highlight the recent news from Fukushima Daiichi.

Developments over the last week at the damaged Tokyo Electric Power Co. nuclear plant include:

Site Visit and Timeline Shed Light on Accident

For the first time since the earthquake and tsunami blacked out the plant in March, TEPCO granted reporters access to the site on Saturday. This video shows part of the tour of the power station and the work underway to stabilize it.

In another revealing look at the accident, the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations on Nov. 18 released the most detailed public account of the crisis to date. The 97 page report (2 MB .pdf) painstakingly chronicles events and operator actions at each reactor in the days following the earthquake, as well as a range of other topics related to the events at Fukushima.

Mitsubishi Installs Waste Storage

As highly contaminated sludge builds up in the treatment system recycling water from reactor buildings, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries recently installed a tank specifically to store it.

TEPCO announced the work on Monday, the Asahi Shimbun reported. Mitsubishi’s other efforts at the plant include modification of a floating water storage structure and the provision of radiation-shielded heavy equipment to remove rubble.

Fukushima Farmland Contaminated, But Most Cesium Deposited in Ocean

Research publicized Thursday indicated 80 percent of the radioactive cesium released in the accident landed in oceans, Japan Today reported. Previous studies had concluded contaminants from the accident were so dispersed they posed no threat to marine life off shore, and the recent study by Japan’s Meteorological Research Institute also indicated the radioactive isotopes were widely dispersed.

Other reports released in recent days indicated levels of cesium above the government’s 5,000-becquerels-per-kilogram limit have been found in soil in Fukushima Prefecture, particularly northwest of the plant. On Thursday Japanese media reported the first ban on rice sales would likely be put in place in the prefecture after testing found some areas at 630 becquerels per kilo.

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