Magnitude 5 earthquake jolts Fukushima; ‘no issues’ at nearby nuclear plants
‘No issues’ at nearby nuclear plants…. So they claim as usual, everything is always fine in Fukushima Daiichi….
Oct 21, 2022
A strong earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 5 jolted northeastern Japan on Friday afternoon.
The quake, which was revised downward from magnitude 5.1, occurred at a depth of about 30 kilometers off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture around 3:19 p.m., according to the Meteorological Agency.
The quake measured a lower 5 on Japan’s seismic intensity scale to 7 in the town of Naraha and 4 in the towns of Hirono, Tomioka, Okuma and Futaba.
According to the Secretariat of the Nuclear Regulation Authority, no issues have been reported at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings’s Fukushima No. 1 and No. 2 nuclear plants in the prefecture.
The No. 2 plant straddles Naraha and Tomioka, while the No. 1 plant, the site of the 2011 meltdowns following the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, straddles Okuma and Futaba.
In a location close to the epicenter of Friday’s quake, a 7.4-magnitude temblor occurred at the depth of about 12 kilometers on Nov. 22, 2016, causing tsunami that reached up to 144 centimeters high at Sendai Port in the neighboring prefecture of Miyagi.
Unlike the 2016 temblor, which also registered up to lower 5 on the Japanese scale, Friday’s quake did not cause tsunami because it occurred at a greater depth and was smaller in scale.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/10/21/national/earthquake-jolts-fukushima/
Fukushima reactor sitting on shaky base raises quake concerns
May 28, 2022
Alarm bells are sounding over signs the heavily damaged structure of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant may be too flimsy to withstand another major earthquake.
Photos taken by a remote-controlled robotic device sent into the No. 1 reactor found that a large portion of the concrete base supporting the pressure vessel appears to have melted, leaving only a metal framework holding up the pressure vessel.
Experts are now saying the remaining structure may not be strong enough to withstand a big earthquake, a troubling prediction given that the region has been hit by a number of strong temblors in recent months.
An official with the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy who is handling decommissioning work said at a May 26 news conference the remaining structure could not be described as safe, noting that a large portion of the concrete base only had the metal framework remaining.
At a news conference the previous day, Toyoshi Fuketa, chairman of the Nuclear Regulation Authority, said, “We remain concerned about whether it will withstand a strong quake.”
The Fukushima plant went into triple meltdown after the magnitude-9.0 Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 that generated devastating tsunami.
The No. 1 reactor bore the brunt of the damage at the nuclear complex. Photos taken by the remote-controlled robot showed not only the exposed metal framework but what looked like a pile of melted fuel on top of the framework.
Officials believe the meltdown at the No. 1 reactor caused most of the fuel to melt through the bottom of the pressure vessel. The plant’s operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co., suspects the tremendous heat from the nuclear fuel may have melted the concrete of the base supporting the pressure vessel.
The cylindrical base is 1.2 meters thick with a diameter of about 6 meters. It supports the pressure vessel, which weighs about 440 tons.
A fiscal 2016 estimate by the International Research Institute for Nuclear Decommissioning said that the seismic resistance of the structure would not be an issue even if one-quarter of the base was structurally compromised, along with other damage to the interior of the pressure vessel.
But the latest photos captured only about 25 percent of the base, prompting the agency official to speculate the concrete around the entire base had melted.
TEPCO officials plan to send in another robot to take photos of the interior of the base to better grasp the seismic resistance of the structure.
Fumiya Tanabe, a former senior researcher at what is now the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, offered an even scarier possibility.
Noting that the interior of the base lies directly under the reactor core there, he said it was possible that piping hot nuclear fuel flowed into the interior.
“The metal framework in the interior of the base may even have melted,” Tanabe said.
That is a particularly worrisome thought in light of the fact that quakes with a seismic intensity of upper 6 on Japan’s maximum scale of 7 hit off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture in February 2021 and March 2022.
Tanabe said that in a worst-case scenario, another strong quake could cause the pressure vessel to topple over, making work to remove the melted fuel that much more difficult.
He recommended that work start quickly to assess the extent of damage.
Magnitude 6.0 quake shakes Japan’s east and northeast
May 22, 2022
TOKYO (Kyodo) — An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.0 struck Fukushima and other prefectures in Japan’s east and northeast on Sunday, but there was no threat of a tsunami, the country’s weather agency said.
There were no immediate reports of injuries or serious property damage following the quake, which occurred around 12:24 p.m.
The quake’s magnitude was later revised upward from the initial estimate of 5.8, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
The quake registered a lower 5 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in Fukushima’s Iwaki city, according to the agency. Its focus was at a depth of about 30 kilometers in the Pacific off Ibaraki Prefecture.
The quake registered 4 in some other parts of Fukushima and 3 in the neighboring prefectures of Miyagi, Yamagata, Ibaraki, Niigata and Tochigi.
No abnormalities were found at the Tokai No. 2 nuclear power plant on the coast of Ibaraki or at the Fukushima Daiichi and Daini nuclear power plants, their operators said.
There were also no major transport disruptions. JR East said it briefly suspended services on a section of the Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train line between Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/05/22/national/earthquake-ibaraki-fukushima/
Seismic intensity of 5 on the Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan; operation suspended between Takahagi and Tomioka on Joban Line
May 22, 2022
At around 0:24 p.m. on March 22, an earthquake centered off the coast of Ibaraki Prefecture hit Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, with an intensity of just under 5 on the Japanese seismic scale, while Koriyama City, Hirono Town, Tomioka Town, Namie Town, and other areas in Fukushima Prefecture registered an intensity of 4 on the Japanese scale. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the epicenter was about 5 km deep, and the magnitude of the quake was estimated at 6.0. There is no concern of a tsunami from this quake.
According to East Japan Railway Company, the earthquake caused a temporary power outage on the Tohoku Shinkansen Line between Shin-Shirakawa and Shiroishi Zao, suspending operations, which resumed at 0:32 pm. The line was reportedly delayed by up to 10 minutes.
Also, due to the earthquake, operation is suspended on the Joban Line between Takahagi (Takahagi City, Ibaraki Prefecture) and Tomioka (Tomioka Town, Fukushima Prefecture) on the up and down lines.
https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASQ5Q44YWQ5QUTIL00F.html?fbclid=IwAR23WM3gBJHdz7AUbi7pmI1lkOKNgpPyNpvK_TRmjrqeTGOk52FCnPCen8w
Container containing radioactive waste collapses, Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, storage method issues come to light
March 20, 2022
A series of radioactive waste containers stored outdoors at TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant were toppled and tilted by an earthquake late at night on March 16. Similar damage occurred during the Fukushima earthquake in February of last year, highlighting once again the challenges of storage methods. TEPCO is continuing to take stopgap measures until the waste is transferred to an indoor storage facility, but the Nuclear Regulation Authority is ready to request that more aggressive measures be taken.
Four units damaged, contents outside
As of January 19, there were a total of eight 1 meter square containers known to have toppled over. Four of them were damaged and their contents were exposed. All of them contained low-dose used protective clothing. Several other containers in two other groups of containers covered with sheets also toppled over.
Seventy-seven containers were tilted by the earthquake last February, and a total of 12 units toppled over at two locations. Some of the containers were four-tiered, and the shaking of the earthquake broke the connecting fittings, etc. Although the containers were re-stacked two or three-tiered and the bottom foundations were reinforced, the damage could not be prevented this time either.
In March of last year, one corroded waste container leaked a high dose of radioactive material onto the ground, which flowed into the port through a drainage channel. In July of the same year, rainwater that had entered a container for contaminated soil overflowed from inside the container.
A total of 85,500 outdoor waste containers are now in use. TEPCO inspected a total of 5,338 containers with a certain amount of surface radiation, and found that a total of 646 containers had corrosion or damage. Damage was found and emergency repairs were made. The risks associated with emergency evacuation-like waste management after the accident have become apparent.
Reduce risk outside the building.
The Regulatory Commission is becoming increasingly aware of the problem. At a regular meeting on February 2, Chairman Toyoshi Sarada mentioned the option of temporarily storing outdoor waste underground by covering it with soil. He stated that it would be difficult to gain the understanding of the local community, but considering the risk of leakage, it would be undesirable to leave the waste above ground.
TEPCO has announced a policy to remove all the contents of the containers to the storage facility by FY2028 to eliminate the outdoor storage, but there is no guarantee that an earthquake, typhoon, or other large-scale natural disaster will occur before the work is completed. There is no guarantee that this will not happen. If trouble occurs, it will lead to reputational damage to the local community.
Shinsuke Yamanaka, a member of the Regulatory Commission who inspected a group of containers at the No. 1 nuclear power plant on March 17, touched on the issue of outdoor waste in an interview after the visit and stressed, “It is important to talk about the inside of the reactor buildings, but right now I want you to prioritize risk reduction outside the buildings. He also expressed his desire to ask TEPCO to come up with concrete measures.
Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, risk of earthquakes revealed… Failure of seismometers, building deterioration, tanks shifting….
March 20, 2021
The earthquake that struck the Tohoku and Kanto regions on the evening of February 13, 2011, which had a maximum intensity of 6 on the Japanese seismic scale, revealed that seismometers at TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi plant had been removed more than four months earlier, highlighting the dangers posed by the plant, which was damaged in an accident 10 years ago, and the sloppy system in place at TEPCO. The earthquake was strong. With high radiation levels in the buildings making normal maintenance and inspections impossible, how can we ensure the safety of the ongoing work toward the “decommissioning” of the reactors, which has no end in sight?
◆Still removed after failure
Akira Ono, chief executive officer of the Fukushima Daiichi Decommissioning Promotion Company, was forced to apologize at a press conference on February 25 because a seismograph that was supposed to have been installed in the Unit 3 reactor building had failed and had been removed.
One of the two seismometers installed in the reactor building failed in July of last year when it got stuck in a pool of water, and three months later the other seismometer was out of commission. The top management was unaware of this fact for seven and a half months.
The seismometers originally installed in Units 1 through 4 to determine the emergency shutdown of the reactors were rendered unusable by the tsunami and accident 10 years ago. In April of last year, TEPCO installed two of the earlier seismometers to monitor the shaking of the Unit 3 reactor building, which had been damaged by a hydrogen explosion, but in the end, none of the “valuable data” that Ono emphasizes was obtained.
After the February earthquake, the water level in the containment vessels of Units 1 and 3, where melted-down nuclear fuel (debris) remains, dropped. It is believed that the damaged areas created during the accident have spread. The positions of 53 tanks that store contaminated water and other materials in the process of being cleaned up have also shifted by up to 19 centimeters. If the pipes connecting the tanks were to come loose, a large amount of contaminated water could leak out.
The extent of the damage is unknown.
Making earthquake preparedness difficult is the high level of radiation in the building. One worker said, “I can’t see inside, so I don’t know how the damage is spreading.
Katsumi Takiguchi, a professor emeritus at Tokyo Institute of Technology who specializes in reinforced concrete buildings, compiled a performance assessment of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant buildings at a subcommittee of the Atomic Energy Society of Japan in 2019. He said, “Reactor buildings have walls that are 1.5 or 2 meters thick,” and pointed out that there is little fear of collapse.
What concerns Takiguchi is the localized deterioration of the buildings. If the reinforcing steel in the walls rusts and swells, exposing the concrete, the rusting will accelerate, so cracks and other abnormalities must be noticed quickly. Although seismograph observations are valuable in detecting deterioration trends, he asserts, “They are not a substitute for visual inspections.
◆ “TEPCO is losing its nerve.
According to TEPCO, the exterior of the Unit 1-3 buildings has been visually inspected about once a year since FY19. Little is known about the inside of the buildings beyond a robotic survey conducted immediately after the accident. The company aims to conduct inspections with people inside the buildings after April of this year, which, if realized, will help strengthen countermeasures.
However, it is essential to minimize the radiation exposure of the workers, and the method and frequency of inspections are still under consideration. Inspections of the reactor equipment in Units 1 through 3, where debris remains and the tops of the containment vessels are contaminated with extremely high concentrations of radioactive materials, will be extremely difficult.
The safety of the site is also a top priority for the removal of spent nuclear fuel and debris from the pools. The number of veteran employees with knowledge of the accident has been reduced, and some workers are heard to say, “TEPCO is losing its sense of urgency. Mr. Ono, who is in charge of decommissioning the plant, said, “I think the plant was highly sensitive to the tsunami. We also have to think about earthquakes,” he stresses, “but will we be prepared in time? The next earthquake could come at any time.
https://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/92694?fbclid=IwAR3Y8kYYXRoDAh8DPDAodsD6p5itoAJufNvcRDJoK_jiSux5HrPv5f-rd98
Containers toppled over, tanks shifted sideways Increasing radioactive waste poses risk due to earthquake at TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
March 18, 2022
The water level in the spent nuclear fuel pool in Unit 2 of TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (Okuma and Futaba, Fukushima Prefecture) dropped on March 17 after an earthquake measuring 6 on the Japanese seismic scale struck off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture, causing TEPCO to temporarily halt cooling of the pool. The number of waste materials continues to increase, and there is a risk that these materials could interfere with the work in the event of an earthquake.
According to TEPCO, 615 pieces of nuclear fuel are stored in the Unit 2 pool.
In the Unit 5 pool, where 1,542 pieces of nuclear fuel are stored, cooling automatically stopped and was restored in four and a half hours. Fire alarms were activated at three locations on the second floor of the turbine building of the same unit, but no abnormalities were found.
In Unit 4, a steel frame (approximately 5.6 meters long and weighing approximately 200 kg), believed to be part of a beam, fell from a large cover placed over the top of the building to remove spent nuclear fuel. No one was injured, but a bolt securing the steel frame was broken.
Of the approximately 1,000 tanks that store treated water, 85 were found to have shifted sideways, and some of them contained water in the process of purification, which has a relatively high level of radioactivity. The tanks are not secured to the ground to prevent damage, and while the displacement is to be expected, there is a risk of leakage if the piping connecting the tanks is damaged. Many of the tanks shifted during the earthquake in February of last year, and leaks were found at several locations this time.
Containers containing radioactive waste stacked in the open on the site also toppled over one after another. At least six of them toppled over, exposing used protective clothing and scrap iron. There are approximately 85,000 containers, many of which were stacked without a plan. The workers were also exposed to radiation during inspections of these containers and the recovery of their contents.
In Unit 1, a remote-controlled robot has entered the containment vessel to inspect the condition of debris, including melted-down nuclear fuel. The concentration of radioactive materials in the reactor buildings temporarily increased after the earthquake. Although the level did not reach the level that would have set off an alarm, the investigation was suspended.
Work was also halted on removing highly contaminated pipes between Units 1 and 2. The site was the highest radiation level outdoors and inaccessible to humans. The crane that hoists the remote-controlled cutting device weighs 800 tons and reaches a height of more than 100 meters. There are a total of three such cranes in the vicinity. Although the effects of the earthquake have not been confirmed, heavy machinery and temporary structures are crammed into the harsh environment under high radiation doses, and if they were to collapse, they would cause extensive damage.
The earthquake also caused the cooling of the pool at the decommissioned Onagawa Unit 1 of Tohoku Electric Power Company’s Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant (Miyagi Prefecture) to stop, but it was restored around midnight on March 17. No abnormalities were found at Tohoku Electric’s Higashidori Nuclear Power Plant (Aomori Prefecture) and the Tokai No. 2 Nuclear Power Plant of the Japan Atomic Power Company (Ibaraki Prefecture), both of which are not in operation. (Kenta Onozawa)
Powerful Japan earthquake strikes off coast of Fukushima, killing four
Tsunami warning cancelled after quake cut power to 2m homes and damaged some buildings
March 17, 2022
A powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Fukushima in north-east Japan on Wednesday evening, leaving four dead, and plunging more than 2m homes in the Tokyo area into darkness.
The region was devastated by a deadly 9.0 quake and tsunami 11 years ago that also triggered nuclear plant meltdowns, spewing massive radiation that still makes some parts uninhabitable.
The Japan Meteorological Agency later lifted its low risk tsunami advisory issued along the coasts of Fukushima and Miyagi early Thursday. Tsunami waves of 30cm (11in) reached shore in Ishinomaki, which lies about 390km (242 miles) north-east of Tokyo. The agency upgraded the magnitude of the quake to 7.4 from the initial 7.3.
Japan’s prime minister, Fumio Kishida, said four people had died and that the government would be on high alert for the possibility of further strong tremors over the next two to three days.
At least 107 people were reported injured, several of them seriously, with 4,300 households still without water by mid-morning. Residents of one Fukushima city formed a long queue in a car park to fill up plastic tanks with water for use at home.
NHK footage showed broken walls of a department store building fell to the ground and shards of windows scattered on the street near the main train station in Fukushima city, about 60km (36 miles) from the coastline. Roads were cracked and water poured out from pipes underground. Footage also showed furniture and appliances smashed to the floor at apartments in Fukushima.
The Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, which operates the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant where the cooling systems failed after the 2011 disaster, said workers found no abnormalities at the site, which was in the process of being decommissioned.
Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority said a fire alarm went off at the turbine building of No 5 reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi but there was no actual fire. Water pumps for the spent fuel cooling pool at two of the four reactors at Fukushima Daini briefly stopped, but later resumed operation. Fukushima Daini, which survived the 2011 tsunami, is also set for decommissioning.
Manufacturers, including global chipmaker Renesas Electronics and automaker Toyota, said they were trying to gauge the potential damage to their facilities in the region.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake hit at 11.36pm at a depth of 60km (36 miles) below the sea.
Japan’s Air Self-Defence Force said it sent fighter jets from the Hyakuri base in Ibaraki prefecture, just south of Fukushima, for information gathering and damage assessment.
More than 2.2m homes were temporarily without electricity in 14 prefectures, including the Tokyo region, but power was restored at most places by the morning, except for some homes in the hardest hit Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures, according to the Tohoku Electric Power Co which services the region.
The quake shook large parts of eastern Japan, including Tokyo, where buildings swayed violently.
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East Japan Railway Co said most of its train services were suspended for safety checks. Some local trains later resumed service.
Many people formed long lines outside of major stations while waiting for trains to resume operation late Wednesday, but trains in Tokyo operated normally Thursday morning.
A Tohoku Shinkansen express train partially derailed between Fukushima and Miyagi due to the quake, but nobody was injured, Kishida said.
He told reporters that the government was assessing the extent of damage and promised to do its utmost for rescue and relief operations.
Chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said authorities were scrambling to assess damage. “We are doing our utmost in rescue operations and putting people’s lives first,” he said.
Tsunami advisory lifted for northeastern Japan
March 16, 2022,
Japan’s meteorological agency has lifted a tsunami advisory it issued for the northeastern parts of the country following an earthquake off the Pacific coast.
The magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck at around 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
It had a maximum intensity of 6-plus on Japan’s seismic scale of zero to 7. The depth of the focus was estimated at 57 kilometers. Tremors were felt across much of eastern Japan.
Waves up to 30 centimeters were reported at Ishinomaki Port in Miyagi Prefecture.
Hundreds of people living along the coast in Fukushima and Miyagi evacuated to shelters.
Two deaths were reported, and more than 120 people were injured across the affected area.
There were also reports of structural damage and fires. The quake triggered blackouts for more than 2 million households and disrupted train services.
East Japan Railway says a Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train derailed between Fukushima and Shiroishizao stations.
None of the 75 passengers and three crewmembers aboard were injured. The company says 16 of the 17 cars are off the track.
Tokyo Electric Power Company says there have been no major problems or abnormalities at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which was crippled by the 2011 disaster.
The utility says water pumps in spent fuel storage pools at two reactor buildings at the Fukushima Daini plant temporarily stopped working. No change was reported in radiation levels.
TEPCO neglected seismograph failure for more than six months, failed to record the earthquake of March 13 at Fukushima Daiichi Unit 3
February 22, 2021
The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) announced on Wednesday that two seismographs installed in the reactor building of the Unit 3 reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant had failed but had been left unrepaired for more than half a year, so they were unable to record data from a seismic intensity 6-weak earthquake that occurred late at night on the 13th of this month.
The water level in the reactor containment vessel dropped by more than 30 centimeters at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Units 1 and 3, possibly due to the magnitude 6-weak earthquake.
The explanation was given by TEPCO when it reported on the effects of the earthquake at a Nuclear Regulation Authority meeting. TEPCO made no mention of the seismograph failure in its press conference after the quake or in its public documents, and had not announced it before that.
Akira Ono, chief executive officer of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Decommissioning Promotion Company, apologized at the review meeting, saying, “We missed a chance to get valuable data and we regret it.
According to TEPCO, seismographs were installed in March 2020, one on the operation floor and one on the first floor, both on the top five floors of the Unit 3 reactor building, and the one on the first floor broke down in July, four months after it was installed, when it was submerged in water due to rain, and the other broke down in October of the same year due to another cause.
At a press conference on the evening of the 22nd, a TEPCO spokesperson said, “We had planned to install seismographs with countermeasures. The seismograph in the Unit 3 reactor was “installed on a trial basis” to study the earthquake resistance of the building where a hydrogen explosion occurred during the accident, he explained.
At the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, seismographs were installed on the basement floor of the reactor buildings of Units 1-6, but the equipment in Units 1-4, which were flooded by the tsunami, is not working. (Kenta Onozawa) https://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/87498?fbclid=IwAR10pYQZCCKlLhFL8juxyOLZMvOCVTaiP7kQt1C0B46KSxj91KtREIEezP8
Water level drops at Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Units 1 and 3
February 19, 2021
The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) has announced that the water level inside the containment vessels of the Unit 1 and Unit 3 reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, which are filled with water to cool down the melted down nuclear fuel, is dropping.
There is a possibility that a broken part of the containment vessel expanded after the earthquake on the 13th of this month, increasing the amount of water leaking out, but there has been no noticeable change in the values of monitoring posts, etc., and there is no impact on the outside.
According to the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), at around 11:00 p.m. on the 18th, it was confirmed that the water level in the containment vessel of the Unit 1 reactor, which is used to cool down the melted down nuclear fuel, had dropped.
TEPCO confirmed the data and found that the water level has been declining since the 15th of this month in the Unit 1 reactor and since the 17th in the Unit 3 reactor.
The water level in the Unit 1 reactor is estimated to have dropped by 40 to 70 centimeters, and in the Unit 3 reactor by about 30 centimeters.
However, the thermometers installed at the bottom of the reactors do not show any rise in temperature, there is no noticeable change in the radiation level inside the containment vessel, and there is no abnormality in the values of the monitoring posts installed at the site boundary. There is no problem with the cooling of the nuclear fuel and no external impact.
The containment vessel was broken during the accident at the nuclear power plant, and a certain amount of cooling water that is poured into the vessel usually leaks out, but the earthquake on the 13th of this month may have widened the damaged area and increased the amount that leaked out.
In the towns of Okuma and Futaba, where the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant is located, a tremor of lower 6 on the Japanese intensity scale was observed.
If the water level continues to drop, TEPCO is considering increasing the water injection rate, which is currently set at 3 cubic meters per hour.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/lnews/fukushima/20210219/6050013511.html?fbclid=IwAR0CjCLPZXz2hBtGGcV4DghnfenN5vssaY4zj-XGsOh7SeX_gFqtiVuaEqc
At the nuclear power plant in Fukushima found a leak of radioactive water
February 14, 2021
A radioactive water leak was discovered at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. It is reported by RIA Novosti citing a press release from TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Company).
TEPCO specialists found out that due to the earthquake in northeast Japan, a small amount of water poured out of the pools for storing spent nuclear fuel at various units of the Fukushima-1 and Fukushima-2 nuclear power plants.
Representatives of the company said that about 160 milliliters of water were spilled at the first power unit of the Fukushima-2 nuclear power plant, and another 1.4 liters spilled from another pool. They assured that this incident should not affect the cooling of the spent fuel. Local media also reported that about 600 milliliters of water spilled out at the fifth power unit of the emergency nuclear power plant “Fukushima-1”, and 1.6 liters of liquid at the sixth. Another 600 milliliters were missing in the common pool for the two power units.
It is noted that the spilled water does not pose a threat to the environment, since its volumes are too small, and the content of radioactive substances in it is insignificant.
Earlier it was reported that in northeast Japan happened powerful earthquake. The magnitude of the earthquake was 7.1, the epicenter was recorded in the area of Fukushima prefecture. The number of victims of the disaster exceeded 100 people.
Tremors continue in northeast Japan
February 14, 2021
People in northeastern Japan remain vigilant as several tremors have followed the magnitude 7.3 earthquake that struck late on Saturday night.
The Meteorological Agency warns that jolts as strong as the initial one could occur over the next week or so.
The initial quake registered six-plus on the Japanese scale of zero to seven in Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures.
The agency estimates that the focus was off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture, at a depth of 55 kilometers. The quake did not trigger any tsunami.
Jolts are continuing off the coast of the prefecture.
As of 6 p.m. on Sunday, the agency had reported one quake with an intensity of four, two with an intensity of three, 10 with an intensity of two, and 22 with an intensity of one.
There are reports of landslides and damaged buildings.
The agency says people in Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures should be on the alert for more landslides, as an approaching low-pressure system off the coast may bring strong winds and heavy rain.
Powerful magnitude 7.3 earthquake jolts Fukushima area
(Slight) leak from the spent fuel pool of the reactor #1 of Fukushima Daini, nothing said about Fukushima Daiichi yet. But as usual Tepco is never very trustworthy to forward vital information.
February 13, 2021
A powerful magnitude 7.3 earthquake, which measured a strong 6 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale — the second-highest level — jolted Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures in the Tohoku region late Saturday night. No tsunami warning was issued.
Local authorities in Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures reported a total of at least 20 people injured.
Nationwide, at least 950,000 homes were without power as of midnight, top government spokesman Katsunobu Kato said at a news conference. Kato added later that several power plants were offline.
The quake, which was also felt in Tokyo, where it registered a 4 on the Japanese scale, struck at around 11:08 p.m., according to the Meteorological Agency. The epicenter was off the coast of Fukushima, about 220 kilometers (135 miles) north of Tokyo. Its focus was estimated to be at a depth of about 60 kilometers.
At a news conference early Sunday morning, a Meteorological Agency official said aftershocks of up to a strong 6 on the Japanese scale could occur for at least a week. The official said Saturday’s quake was believed to be an aftershock of the Great East Japan Earthquake that struck the same region on March 11, 2011.
“Because (the 2011 quake) was an enormous one with a magnitude of 9.0, it’s not surprising to have an aftershock of this scale 10 years later,” said Kenji Satake, a professor at the University of Tokyo’s Earthquake Research Institute.
The quake registered a strong 6 in the southern part of Miyagi, and in the Nakadori central and Hamadori coastal regions of Fukushima, the agency said.
Power outages were reported in parts of Fukushima, Miyagi, Iwate, and Tochigi prefectures, according to media reports. Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings reported blackouts across several prefectures as of early Sunday morning.
No abnormalities have been found at the Fukushima Nos. 1 and 2 nuclear power plants, according to Tokyo Electric Power. The same was true for Japan Atomic Power Co.’s inactive Tokai No. 2 nuclear power plant in the village of Tokai in Ibaraki Prefecture and Tohoku Electric Power Co.’s Onagawa nuclear plant in Miyagi Prefecture, according to their operators.
Following the quake, JR East temporarily halted operations of its Tohoku, Joetsu and Hokuriku shinkansen lines. Power outages occurred on some sections. A landslide had covered a section of the Joban Expressway in Soma, Fukushima Prefecture, officials said, but no vehicles were found to be trapped.
Horizontal shaking lasted for a few minutes inside a traditional inn in Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture, with plates for food scattered in its dining room.
“The initial jolt felt more powerful than the one I experienced in the Great East Japan Earthquake,” said Tomoko Kobayashi, 68, who works at the inn. “I wondered if it would end.”
After the 7.1 quake, many smaller earthquakes with magnitudes between 3 and 5 occurred off Fukushima.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga immediately directed government agencies to assess damage, rescue any potential victims, work with municipalities and provide necessary information about any evacuation plans and damage as soon as possible. The government was setting up a task force to examine the quake.
Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi directed the Self-Defense Forces to gather information on the scope of the damage and be prepared to respond immediately.
The quake, which comes less than a month before the 10th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, registered a 4 on the Japanese scale as far north as Aomori Prefecture and as far west as Shizuoka Prefecture. It was the strongest quake in the region since April 7 that year, the meteorology agency said.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/02/14/national/earthquake-fukushima/
No Damages to Nuclear Plants after 6.8 Magnitude Earthquake ‘according’ to TEPCO and Trade Ministry
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