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Japan’s growing problem of radioactive water – to be dumped into ocean?

TEPCO mulls nuclear-contaminated water  Sky News,  December 8, 2011 Japan’s embattled Tokyo Electric Power Co says it is considering dumping more nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima power plant into the sea. If TEPCO goes ahead with the plan it would be the second time it has deliberately released radiation-tainted water into the ocean since reactors began melting down at Fukushima in the wake of the March 11 tsunami.

‘We have stored processed water in tanks, which are expected to become full by March next year,’ said a TEPCO spokesman on Thursday. He said no final details – such as when, how much, or how dirty the water would be – have been established,  but stressed the water would be filtered to reduce levels of radioactivity before it was dumped.

Thousands of tonnes of water have been pumped into reactors at Fukushima in an effort to cool the molten nuclear fuel and bring the plant to a safe shutdown.

‘We are studying a variety of measures to cope with it,’ he said, including the possibility of building more storage tanks. ’The company has consulted with the Japan Fisheries (JF) Cooperatives about the possibility of a water release.’ A group of fishermen immediately lodged a protest with TEPCO and the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry on Thursday, demanding the plan be shelved.

‘Many local fishermen still cannot go out to sea due to regulations or voluntary decisions and the now-poor safety reputation of the area has scared off consumers,’ JF official Shinji Ogawa told AFP. ’We cannot possibly let TEPCO do this again.’ Within weeks of the world’s worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl, TEPCO dumped more than 10,000 tons of low-level radioactive water into the Pacific.

Ogawa said the water release plan was outrageous, especially after the power company had to apologise this week for accidentally leaking highly radioactive waste water into the Pacific….. TEPCO said Monday that it believed 150 litres of waste water including highly harmful strontium, a substance linked to bone cancers, has found its way into the open ocean. …  http://www.skynews.com.au/finance/article.aspx?id=694474&vId=

December 9, 2011 Posted by | - Fukushima 2011, Japan, oceans | Leave a comment

Essential to evacuate children and pregnant women from Japan’s radioactive areas

“At very least pregnant women and children must be evacuated from risky areas until sufficient decontamination is completed…….

“The situation is rapidly spinning out of control, and the Japanese government seems to have abandoned its responsibility to protect its population as it has left local authorities, who lack the necessary knowledge and equipment, to clean up this mess.”

Greenpeace: Relocation of Pregnant Women and Children Exposed to Radiation Vital, December 8, 2011 Tokyo- (PanOrient News) Greenpeace renewed its demand to the Japanese government to urgently relocate pregnant women and children living in contaminated areas of Fukushima City due to the discovery of radioactive hot spots and accused the official decontamination program as being “both uncoordinated and thoroughly inadequate.” Continue reading →

December 9, 2011 Posted by | environment, Japan, women | Leave a comment

Long range threat of Fukushima radiation accumulating on ocean floor

the releases have not ended, so that is of concern.  If the contaminants end up in the marine sediments/muds, then they will remain there for decades to come,

Fukushima ocean radiation could pose sleeper threat, Smart Planet, By  | December 7, 2011 Scientists have determined that the unprecedented release of radioactivity into the Pacific Ocean from the Fukushima nuclear disaster poses no direct exposure threat to people, but caution that the accumulated fallout lying in sediment is a potential danger for decades to come.

The findings were published in a report, Impacts of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plants on Marine Radioactivity, on Wednesday. Levels of cesium and iodine peaked in April, a month after the core meltdowns when seawater used to cool the reactors and spent fuel rods was pumped out of the facility into the nearby ocean.

Levels of radioactive cesium peaked at 50 million times normal levels, becoming the largest accidental release of radiation into the ocean in history, Continue reading →

December 9, 2011 Posted by | Japan, oceans | Leave a comment

Japan’s problem of radioactivity in food – cesium 137 found in baby milk powder

Cesium in Baby Milk Powder Shows Nuclear Risk for Japan Food December 07, 2011 By Kanoko Matsuyama and Yuriy Humber Dec. 7 (Bloomberg) — Radioactive cesium was found in milk powder in Japan made by a Meiji Holdings Co. unit, raising concern that nuclear radiation is contaminating baby food.

Meiji the past week found traces of cesium-137 and cesium- 134 in batches of “Meiji Step” made in March, the Tokyo-based company said yesterday. The probe was triggered by a customer complaint last month. ….

The finding highlights the radiation threat to food in Japan nine months after the Fukushima nuclear plant was wrecked by an earthquake and tsunami. ….
In a nuclear accident, radioactive isotopes including iodine-131 and cesium-137, which are normally contained inside the fuel rods, may be released into the atmosphere as gases or particulates if the rods are damaged. These can be inhaled or ingested through contaminated food or water. Children are especially susceptible to radiation poisoning from iodine, which can accumulate in the thyroid gland, according to the World Health Organization.

Cesium-137 that enters the body is distributed throughout the soft tissues, especially in muscle….

Radiation is more dangerous for infants because their cells are dividing more rapidly and radiation-damaged RNA may be carried in more generations of cells, according to Lincoln. The risk for children depends on the quantity of radioactive cesium they consume or are exposed to,…

December 8, 2011 Posted by | environment, Japan | Leave a comment

Okinawa island, with no nuclear plants, becoming a refuge for Japanese families

Okinawa prefecture is the largest region in Japan without nuclear plants. Okinawa island, the largest in the group, has beautiful beaches, a slow-food subculture and thriving music and arts scenes. It attracts thousands of sea-changers every year, but only recently has this included worried parents who would never have considered a move to Okinawa before the Fukushima disaster……

Escape to Okinawa, SMH, Jane Barraclough, December 6, 2011 As radiation hot spots emerge in Tokyo and nuclear contamination plagues the country, some Japanese are fleeing to the Okinawa island chain to avoid the fallout from Fukushima. But is it too late?

Mari Takenouchi …and her one-year-old son fled to the Okinawa islands – Japan’s southernmost prefecture, 2000 kilometres south of the unfolding crisis.
……….lack of alarm after the explosions kept Takenouchi and Joe in Tokyo half a day too long to dodge the fallout, which gradually dispersed in a cruel lottery of wind, rain and snow that contaminated homes, farms, wilderness, and eventually a schoolyard in Takenouchi’s neighbourhood. Continue reading →

December 6, 2011 Posted by | environment, Japan | Leave a comment

UK’s Ministry of Defence evasive about radiation contamination

Time for MoD to come clean on radiation clear-up, Herald Scotland  4 Dec 2011 The Ministry of Defence is turning prevarication into an art form. There are, it seems, few tricks, evasions and deceits that it won’t deploy to try to avoid responsibility for cleaning up the radioactive mess it has made at Dalgety Bay in Fife.

As we reveal today, its monitoring of the contaminated foreshore in September missed more than 400 radioactive hotspots.Like Admiral Nelson back in 1801, the MoD’s modern-day commanders turned a blind eye in the hope that the problem would disappear….. http://www.heraldscotland.com/comment/herald-view/time-for-mod-to-come-clean-on-radiation-clear-up-1.1138013

December 5, 2011 Posted by | environment, UK | Leave a comment

High radioactive cesium levels in Abukumagawa river, Japan

Cesium levels hit tens of billions of becquerels at river mouth, The Asahi Shimbun November 25, 2011, By EISUKE SASAKI Researchers have sounded the alarm over river water containing cesium levels at tens of billions of becquerels a day flowing into the sea near Fukushima Prefecture, site of the crippled nuclear power plant.

A joint study by Kyoto University and the University of Tsukuba, among other entities, estimated that water at the mouth of the Abukumagawa river running through the prefecture was contaminated with cesium levels of about 50 billion becquerels a day. Continue reading →

December 3, 2011 Posted by | environment, Japan | Leave a comment

Appeal to save Grand Canyon’s sacred lands, biodiversity, water – from uranium mining

Pollution from past uranium mining already plagues the Grand Canyon and surrounding region. Proposals for new mining have prompted protests, litigation and proposed legislation. Scientists, tribal and local governments and businesses have voiced opposition. Additional mining threatens to industrialize iconic and regionally sacred wildlands, destroy wildlife habitat and permanently pollute or deplete aquifers feeding Grand Canyon’s biologically rich springs and creeks.

Appeal Challenges Uranium Mine Threatening Grand Canyon, 1 Dec 11, GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz—Conservation groups and American Indian tribes today filed an appeal  in the 9th Circuit Court challenging a lower court ruling that allowed a uranium mine near Grand Canyon National Park to re-open without updating decades-old environmental reviews. The Arizona 1 uranium mine is located near Kanab Creek immediately north of Grand Canyon National Park.  Continue reading →

December 1, 2011 Posted by | environment, Uranium, USA | Leave a comment

Japanese government underestimates radiation risks

Fukushima Radiation Risks “Severely Underestimated“: Greenpeace, November 29, 2011 Tokyo- (PanOrient News) Greenpeace today renewed its demand for the Japanese government to keep its nuclear reactors offline as simulation maps of potential accidents at Japan’s nuclear plants – used in the development of nuclear emergency response efforts – “are completely inadequate, and have not been updated since the Fukushima disaster.” Continue reading →

November 30, 2011 Posted by | environment, Japan | 1 Comment

Radiation lingering in homes in Fukushima district

Decontamination work at homes in Fukushima not going well as radiation lingers Mainichi Daily News, 25 Nov 11 FUKUSHIMA — Work to decontaminate homes and yards in a district here is not proceeding as hoped, as radiation levels persist and decontamination workers worried about their health stay away.

The city began decontamination work in the Onami district on Oct. 18. Located in the mountains in the eastern part of the city, it has been heavily affected by the Fukushima nuclear disaster, with radiation in rice over the nation’s provisional limit of 500 becquerels per kilogram detected, leading to a ban on rice shipments.

Although monitoring of six homes where decontamination was carried out found an average drop of 70 percent in radiation in front of entrances and on gravel parking spots, there was only a 30 percent drop for roofs and a 25 percent drop for asphalt in the yard. Furthermore, there was only a 22 percent drop for second floor interiors.

The city has suggested that the low effect on the roofs may be due to radiation from the surrounding forests, where decontamination has not been carried out. As for the asphalt, radioactive material tends to stick to it and remain even after being washed, so the city has decided to try removing the top layer of the asphalt.

Originally, there was a plan to complete decontamination work on all 367 households in the district by the end of the year, but decontamination work is now expected to take much longer. Thirty-three companies were originally planned to take part, but due to fears about worker safety, most canceled and only two companies joined the work when it started in October. Since then contracts have been planned for 19 new companies, but the number is still 12 short of the original figure….

“Estimated costs for the decontamination work per home by companies differ from 800,000 yen to 1.7 million yen, so it has taken time to sort out contracts. Some companies have also shifted to reconstruction work,” explained a city official. http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20111124p2a00m0na014000c.html

November 25, 2011 Posted by | environment, Japan | Leave a comment

Independent report on water concerns in uranium mining and milling

“The most powerful influences in any decision on uranium mining and processing are likely to be financial and political,”
“Thus, it is imperative that the public evaluate the long-term ‘big picture’ because the actual impacts will be paid for by numerous future generations.”..

Uranium mining, milling threatens water, report claims, By TIM DAVIS/Star-Tribune, November 22, 2011 A report funded by the Roanoke River Basin Association warns that a proposed uranium mining and milling project in Pittsylvania County could be a serious threat to water quality and may increase competition for water in the future.

 

The 39-page report, “Site-Specific Assessment of the Proposed Uranium Mining and Milling Project at Coles Hill, Pittsylvania County, Va.,” was released Thursday.

It was written by Colorado scientist Robert E. Moran, PhD., who has 40 years of experience and served as a hydrogeological and water quality consultant to Marline Uranium and Union Carbide on the Coles Hill project in the early 1980s. Continue reading →

November 24, 2011 Posted by | Uranium, USA, water | Leave a comment

A site specific report on uranium mining, milling, in Pittsylvania County,

Uranium mining, milling threatens water, report claims, By TIM DAVIS/Star-Tribune , November 22, 2011 “………Moran’s study is one of the few reports on the potential impact of uranium mining not funded by the mining industry,…

Moran’s site-specific findings include:

Virginia Uranium has failed to present any sort of detailed project proposal in writing.

The verbally described plans have changed constantly, depending on the audience.

Hence, the public has no way of reliably knowing the details of the proposed mining and mineral processing methods or the related impacts.

The project as proposed may generate at least 28 million tons of solid uranium mill tailings and roughly the same amount of liquid waste.

The solid wastes would remain on site forever, requiring maintenance forever.

Uranium mill tailings would contain radionuclides, heavy metals, and other toxic elements.

Undiluted tailings liquids may contain 1,160 to 1,460 times the existing Safe Drinking Water Act standard for uranium.

The confirmed presence of sulfides in the Coles Hill rock raises the possibility that long-term, active water treatment may be required, in perpetuity.

Numerous factors combine to provide long-term pathways for the migration of contaminants into local waters.

As proposed, the Coles Hill project would require over 5 billion gallons of water. During the start-up period, the project would use at least 525.6 million gallons per year.

It has been estimated that at least 136 million gallons of groundwater would flow into the open pit per year.

This water would become contaminated with numerous radioactive and non-radioactive contaminants.

To allow mining, this contaminated water must be pumped out of the open pit and discharged to some undefined location.

The Coles Hill project may use over 2,030 tons of explosives per year, releasing potentially toxic concentrations of nitrate, ammonia, and other organic compounds into the environment.

Such a project would cause long-term, chronic degradation of water quality and increase wate competition in the region.

Statistically adequate baseline data (water quality, quantity, etc.) have never been collected, compiled, and interpreted, or released to the public.

Thus, the public has no reliable “yardstick” against which to demonstrate that changes have occurred or not.

There is no credible evidence to indicate that either the federal or state regulatory agencies have sufficient staff, budgets, or political clout to adequately oversee and enforce the appropriate regulations….  http://www.wpcva.com/articles/2011/11/23/chatham/news/news43.txt

November 24, 2011 Posted by | environment, Uranium, USA | Leave a comment

Radioactive caesium on nearly 10% of Japan’s land

Nearly a tenth of Japan contaminated  Almost eight per cent of Japan’s land area has been covered by radioactive caesium from the disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. ABC Nes  22 Nov 2011  Mark Willacy, North Asia correspondent Japan’s Science Ministry says nearly 10 per cent of the country’s land has been contaminated by radiation from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant.

It says more than 30,000km², or eight per cent of the country’s land area, has been blanketed by radioactive caesium.
The Ministry says most of the contamination was caused by four large plumes of radiation spewed out by the Fukushima nuclear plant in the first two weeks after meltdowns after the March earthquake and tsunami.

The Japanese Government says some of the radioactive material fell with rain and snow, leaving the affected areas with accumulations of more than 10,000 becquerels of caesium per square metre. http://abcasiapacificnews.com/stories/201111/3373127.htm

November 23, 2011 Posted by | environment, Japan | Leave a comment

Continuing crisis of Fukushima, and of the global nuclear industry

In particular, scientists believe the accident resulted in the atmospheric release of over 35,000 terabecquerels’ worth of caesium-137 – or some 42 percent of what was released during the 1986 catastrophe at Chernobyl. Caesium-137 is a radioactive isotope that has a half-life decay period of around 30 years and is capable of causing gene damage after prolonged exposure…..

Also contrary to government claims, researchers believe that a great amount of caesium-137 was discharged from the spent nuclear fuel storage ponds, which were in significant distress during the crisis as the cooling systems failed to supply water to the ponds, leading to heat accumulation and exposure of the fuel rods.

A chronicle of nuclear decay: Over half a year later, what have we learnt from Fukushima? MOSCOW – Eight months since the fateful March of 2011, one of the world’s worst nuclear catastrophes that enflamed Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant has ceased to be the stuff of front-page frenzy. We will likely still see radioactive goods and food products popping up on the store shelves around the world, reminding us of the terrors of nuclear energy, but for many, the panic caused by the threat of contamination spreading silently in a far-off country has become yesterday’s news. But does it mean that the problems of Fukushima – and, indeed, of the global nuclear power industry – are soon to be over? Not by a long shot.
Bellona, Vladimir Slivyak, 22/11-2011 – Translated by Maria Kaminskaya
Clearly, even a cursory look at the latest developments will tell us it will be a very long time before the tragedy in Japan is safely forgotten. Continue reading →

November 23, 2011 Posted by | environment, Japan | Leave a comment

Fukushima radioactive fallout circling around the world’s oceans

Fukushima nuclear fallout spread through oceans, researchers say, :Herald Sun, AFP, November 17, 2011 MOST of the radioactive fallout from the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant dropped into the ocean and began circling the planet, Japanese researchers say. Continue reading →

November 19, 2011 Posted by | 2 WORLD, oceans | Leave a comment

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