nuclear-news

Fukushima Daiichi Hit By Tsunami

Japan has lifted all tsunami advisories and warnings.

Japan has reduced one of the tsunami warnings, left one in place, and left the alerts for the entire south and east coasts in force. The Japan Meteorological Agency told people to remain vigilant and not return to low coastal areas. The JMA representative mentioned they do not know the exact mechanism that created the tsunami waves and they don’t know if the danger has passed.

Japan’s nuclear regulator and TEPCO have not released any information about conditions at Daiichi or any of the other coastal nuclear power plants in Japan. Another relevant concern is the large piles of contaminated soil bags that have been stored along the Fukushima coast on beaches and along low-lying areas of river banks near the coast. The inundation levels could put these bags at risk of being swept out to sea.

NHK TV reported that Onahama Port, near Fukushima Daiichi received increasing tsunami waves from the Tonga volcano explosion.
The waves in some areas around the Fukushima coast and Tohoku region reached 1 meter in height while Onahama port were at 70cm and continued to increase.

The existing defenses at Daiichi should have been sufficient to handle the wave inundation but there was equipment in the port that remained unprotected and a few low lying sea front
areas that could have been vulnerable.

TEPCO on January 17 has released some initial reporting on damage at Fukushima Daiichi.

The seafront water intake equipment for units 5 & 6 remained functional as did some equipment related to the sub-drain sump pump system around units 1-4. Visual inspection of silt fences on the port openings indicated they were intact. Certain silt fences are now scheduled to be pulled up and inspected further. TEPCO noted that the MegaFloat that is still housed in the port was undamaged. This was relocated and tethered in a more sheltered portion of the port a few years ago when it was identified as a risk in the event of a tsunami. TEPCO did not mention the condition of a construction rig in the port conducting initial work for the contaminated water discharge pipe.

TEPCO typically releases information from an initial visual walk down after a major event. Subsequent reports may identify more damage as they look further.

TEPCO report in Japanese.
https://www.tepco.co.jp/decommission/information/newsrelease/reference/pdf/2022/1h/rf_20220117_4.pdf

January 19, 2022 - Posted by dunrenard | Fuk 2022 | Fukushima Daiichi, Tsunami