Posted on 01/12/2014 5:08:37 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster
Fukushima failure: Decontamination system stops functioning
The operator of the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Company) has stopped using its systems to decontaminate radioactive water at the facility, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported.
The Advanced Liquid Processing System, or ALPS, has been utilized to liquidate radioactive substances from contaminated water stored at the plant.
The crane to get rid of the container from the ALPS ceased working on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, TEPCO stopped operating all 3 ALPS systems at the facility. The company officials say the system may take a long time to restart.
The container where the radioactive substances are stored has to be replaced when it fills up.
TEPCO, the operator of the Fukushima Daiichi plant, crippled in the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, said that the company plans to decontaminate all radioactive water stored in the tanks by March 2015, NHK reported.
That’s despite the company officials telling The Japan Times a month ago that the radioactive water will be decontaminated by the end of fiscal 2014.
It’s not the first time that the ALPS system has experienced trouble: at the beginning of December, the system was reported to have broken down during trial operations.
The Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) consists of 14 steel cylinders, through which the contaminated water is filtered. After the filtering, waste materials like the absorbent and remaining sludge are transferred to high-integrity containers (HICs) that are transported to a temporary storage facility.
The ALPS can remove 62 different types of radionuclides, including strontium and cobalt from contaminated water.
The year has started off badly for the Fukushima Daiichi plant: a few days ago, a Japanese worker, who participated in the mending of the plant to avoid further radiation leaks, has revealed that adhesive tape had been used to deal with the issue of sealing in radioactive water.
The 48 year-old, Yoshitatsu Uechi, an auto mechanic and tour-bus driver, was one of the 17 workers to be sent to the crippled facility to make more containers to store the contaminated water.
On New Year’s Day, plumes of strange steam rose from the Fukushima Daiichi plant, with TEPCO failing to provide details on the emissions of steam – in all probability radioactive.
On the international scene, the picture hasn’t been very bright, either.
At the end of 2013, a video emerged showing a beach in California, displaying seemingly high radiation levels on the coast. However, local health officials told residents not to worry, after they had carried out an investigation into the matter.
Plus, over the last year, around 130 Japanese cars have been denied access to the Russian border over radiation concerns. The consumer watchdog agency, Rospotrebnadzor, has pointed out that the strict control of all cargo arriving from Japan will continue in 2014.
P!
In before the if a little radiation is good for you then a lot would be even better crowd.
http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20140104p2a00m0na008000c.html
January 04, 2014
TEPCO worker frustrated over company’s treatment of employees
An employee of Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), who was asked by the utility to return evacuation compensation payments he received for the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant disaster, lamented the company’s frosty attitude toward workers like him who had devoted themselves to bringing the crippled plant under control.
The employee was among those who worked on the front lines immediately after the onset of the nuclear disaster in March 2011, under the leadership of then plant manager Masao Yoshida. Amid high levels of radiation, the employee and his colleagues trembled with fear as they worked to contain the unprecedented nuclear plant disaster.
Faced with TEPCO’s unsympathetic treatment of them, however, young employees are leaving the company in despair. Declining morale among workers is casting a shadow on ongoing efforts to decommission the plant’s reactors.
LOL.
Unit 731 Karma.
Just when we could use an ally ... Japan is SO caught in it’s own mess.
Well maybe if the sky is falling crowed posted articles that made even a little sense, from a technical perspective, there wouldn't be such naysayers.
Ain’t that tbe truth. I love Rush but comparing a nuclear plant meltdown to bananas... well it’s like those who say global warming is causing ice storms. It doesn’t pass common sense test.
It’s difficult to find technical data on Fukushima due to translation issues and TEPCO’s continual abuse of fair share information.
We do know that the tanks on property are not scrubbed and will remain radioactive to varying degrees for decades to come. The issue is the storage tanks are not welded and have a lifespan of less that 5yrs.
We do know now that multiple reactors on site suffered meltdown. Reactor two and three most likely suffering complete containment breech.
Farmers and locals continue to report adverse effects in the general area around the plant.
Now I have seen many in the KNOW freepers condemn report after report since the quake/tsunami and quite frankly setting a side a few outlandish claims that we all knew were bs.....those KNOWS were quite wrong and continue to be so.
Fukushima poses a significant problem and will challenge many people in the years to come. I wish them all well but with the complete knowledge that this area is prone to natural events and wishing is truly there only hope.
“adhesive tape had been used to deal with the issue of sealing in radioactive water.”
It’s going to be all right. Don’t worry, Red Green is on
the gob.
And the following statements make technical sense ?
Do not worry about the explosions, the outer reactor building was designed to explode like that.
The reactor cores did not melt down at all due to the lack of cooling.
The reactor cores only partially melted due to the lack of cooling.
The reactor core melts did not breach the RPV due to the lack of cooling.
There have been no radiation related illnesses even though the goverment has policies in place to coverup radiation illness.
Drinking the water coming out of the Fukushima plant is as safe as eating a bannana.
If you smile, radiation wont harm you.
All contaminants are confined to the harbor.
Nuclear power is safe Its safe safe safe safe safe
There, I said it. It’s safe
It’s just safe. It has to be. Rush hangs up on people who point out the dangers of meltdown. They’re tree huggers. Rush says so
Nuclear power is safe
All of those Long Island housewves who succeeded in keeping out the nuke plant there on the grounds that an evac would make a ft lee traffic jam look like a broken traffic signal in Mayberry were wrong. They were successful but they were wrong
Nuclear meltdowns don’t happen. Well rarely and when they do they’re safe. Well, except for whe exposure happens but oh except the the region becomes uninhabitable, but only for like ten thousand years.
But nuclear power is safe
Pink Salmon Turning Yellow Inside and Out
LOL !
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.