Wednesday Update

From NEI’s Safety First web site:

Contaminated Water Leaks Into Ocean Near Fukushima

December 7, 2011

Industry/Regulatory/Political

• Tokyo Electric Power Co., operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear energy facility, said about 40 gallons of water containing radioactive strontium drained into the ocean following a leak in desalination equipment. TEPCO said it is likely to have little effect on the environment.
• More rice shipments have been banned from a district of Fukushima City after discovery of contamination. Inspections found radioactive cesium above the government-set safety limit in rice from the Watari district and blocked shipments from farms located there. Bans were previously imposed on another district of Fukushima City and two districts of Date City.
• Fukushima Prefecture will spray radiation-absorbing agents onto farmland and scrape off the topsoil in an effort to remove low levels of contamination. Workers also will remove tree bark in orchards and clean the trees with jets of water.
• The lower house of Japan’s legislature has voted approval for nuclear cooperation agreements with Jordan, Russia, Vietnam and South Korea. The legislation, which is expected to clear the upper house, would permit Japan to export nuclear energy facilities and transfer related technology.

Media Highlights

• The accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear energy facility may have startled some in the U.S. industry, but no one in the industry was surprised the operator regained control of the reactors, Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Gregory Jaczko said in a meeting with the media on Tuesday. New York Times writer Matt Wald reports in the Green blog.
• The cost of nuclear energy in Japan is predicted to double, including government subsidies, the Mainichi Daily News reports. That would put it on a par with other thermal energy sources.
• A producer of milk powder in Japan has recalled product manufactured shortly after the nuclear accident after traces of radioactive cesium were detected, Bloomberg News reports. The level of cesium in the powdered milk, used in baby formula, is within government safety limits and would not result in health effects.

Upcoming Events

• Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff and stakeholders will discuss the post-Fukushima task force recommendations on protection of equipment during an extreme event and adding equipment to accommodate a multi-unit event in a public meeting Dec. 8.

This is the last of the thrice weekly Fukushima Updates. A weekly edition will be published each Monday starting December 12. Of course, we’ll resume more frequent updates if events warrant.