NEWS IN RELATION TO JAPAN such as the QUAKE AND ENSUING TSUNAMI ON 11 MARCH 2011 but also other natu

[nancyk58]

NEWS IN RELATION TO JAPAN ON 9 APRIL 2013

 

 

STILL LEAK AT THE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IN FUKUSHIMA, JAPAN

 

 

The problem increases at the crippled nuclear power plant in Fukushima that was destroyed on 11 March 2010 by the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami.

 

The operator Tepco said today - Tuesday - that a new leak has been detected in one of the underground tanks for storage of radio-active / contaminated cooling water - according to Reuters.

 

2 days ago - on Sunday 7 April - a similar leak was reported.

 

Tepco also announced that there is no longer much hope of the tanks being able to function - but that it is not known where else to store the contaminated water.

 

Source: Swedish SVT Text

[nancyk58]

NEWS IN RELATION TO JAPAN ON 13 APRIL 2013

 

 

MAGNITUDE 6.3 EARTHQUAKE IN JAPAN RESULTING IN AT LEAST 24 INJURED OF WHICH 7 SERIOUSLY INJURED AND SEVERAL DESTROYED HOUSES

 

At least 24 people were injured - of which 7 seriously - in connection with a magnitude 6.3 earthquake close to the port city of Kobe in Japan. The quake occurred early Saturday morning at 5:33 local time.

 

Several houses were destroyed.

 

There was no risk of any tsunami. The Japanese weather service reported that the sea level had been slightly higher in some areas.

 

The epicentre was at a depth of 5-10 km / 15 km in the Seto Inland Sea (ARDtext) / on the island of Awaji about 6 miles from the city of Osaka (info from USGS) - SVT Text.

 

No damage reported from the nuclear power plant Oi which is the only nuclear power plant in operation in Japan for the time being.

 

Train / Air traffic was disrupted for some hours.

 

Sources: Danish TV2 news / German ARDtext / Swedish SVT Text

[nancyk58]

NEWS IN RELATION TO JAPAN ON 18/19 APRIL 2013

 

 

REPORTS OF A MAGNITUDE 6.3 EARTHQUAKE IN JAPAN CLOSE TO THE RUSSIAN GROUP OF ISLANDS - KURIL ISLANDS.

 

The tremors could be felt in the Russian town of Kurilsk.

 

No report of any casualties or material damage. No tsunami alert issued.

 

Source: German text-TV + Danish TV2 News + Swedish SVT Text

[nancyk58]

POWERFUL EARTHQUAKE OFF JAPAN - MAGNITUDE 6.1

 

A magnitude 6.1 earthquake shook the southern parts of Japan (Sunday 21.4.13).

 

The quake had its epicentre in the sea around 600 km south of Tokyo at a depth of 424 km - so earthquake experts in the USA report.

 

There is no risk of any tsunami according to Japan's meteorological institute.

 

There are no reports of damage as a consequence of the quake.

 

Source: Norwegian NRK Nyheder (N. News)

[nancyk58]

NEWS IN RELATION TO JAPAN ON 18 MAY 2013

 

 

MAGNITUDE 6.1 EARTHQUAKE IN NORTH JAPAN

 

The northern coast of Japan has been shaken by a magnitude 6.1 earthquake.

 

The quake occurred in the Pacific about 50 km from the town of Namie and thus close to the nuclear power plant Fukushima Daiichi that was crippled by the tsunami on 11 March 2011. All this according to the US Geological Survey centre USGS. The Japanese weather service stated that the magnitude of the quake was 5.9.

 

The tremor occurred at a depth of 50 km.

 

There was no tsunami warning issued. And there are no reports of any damage.

 

Source: German ARDtext

[nancyk58]

NEWS IN RELATION TO JAPAN ON 20 MAY 2013

 

NORTH-EASTERN JAPAN HIT BY MAGNITUDE 5.9 EARTHQUAKE

 

 

According to news agency Reuters, the north-eastern Japan was struck by a magnitude 5.9 earthquake. No tsunami warning was issued - according to Japan Meteorological Agency.

 

After the quake 2 nuclear power plants in Fukushima and a nuclear power plant further north in Miyagi have experienced tremors and irregularities - so the news agency Kyodo. But there are no reports of damage to persons.

 

Initially US Geological Survey centre had stated that the quake had magnitude 6.2 and occurred at 30 km depth.

The epicentre was off the coast of the Fukushima prefecture more than 200 km north-east of Tokyo where the quake also makde buildings sway.

 

On 11 March 2011, a magnitude 9.0 quake inn north-eastern Japan triggered a tsunami that killed more than 16,000 people, and 5,000 remain missing. The disaster also caused melt-downs and crippled the nuclear power plant Fukushima Daiichi.

 

Source: Danish newspaper Berlingske Tidende on 20 May 2013 - citing BNB / Reuters

[nancyk58]

NEWS IN RELATION TO JAPAN ON 6 JUNE 2013

 

 

JAPANESE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT LEAKING - AGAIN

 

TEPCO - the operator of the tsunami-hit nuclear power plant Daiichi in Fukushima in Japan - has found one more leak, and the operator now applies for permission to conduct large amounts of water into the sea!

 

The nuclear power plant has leaked contaminated (= radio-active) water several times over the past months.

 

The leak was detected a little before noon Wednesday when a worker detected water dripping between some tanks.

 

Tepco has had a series of problems controlling the ground water and at the same time maintaining the enormous cooling system that is to keep the reactors stable.

 

The plant was crippled in connection with the magnitude 9.0 earthquake that triggered a gigantic tsunami. The result was melt-down and explosions on 11.3.11.

 

Sources: Danish dr.dk/nyheder (= news) + TV2 News

[nancyk58]

NEWS IN RELATION TO JAPAN ON 19 JUNE 2013

 

 

STRONTIUM FOUND IN GROUND WATER CLOSE TO FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

 

Ground water contains cancer-generating / carcinogenic radio-active / contaminated substances close to the crippled nuclear power plant in north-east Japanese Fukushima. Highly toxic strontium has been detected according to Tepco, the operator of the crippled power plant. The concentration of elements in the ground water is 30 times over the maximum allowable value.

 

Radio-active / Contaminated tritium 8 times the allowable concentration has been found.

 

The power plant in Fukushima was damaged massively by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and the ensuing gigantic tsunami on 11 March 2011.

 

The situation in the power plant is regarded as stable since December 2011.

 

It was the worst nuclear accident since the accident in Tchernobyl in 1986.

 

Source: German ARDtext + ZDFtext

[nancyk58]

NEWS IN RELATION TO JAPAN ON 13 JULY 2013

 

 

FUKUSHIMA HAS BEEN LEAKING FOR MORE THAN 2 YEARS !!

 

The Japanese nuclear power plant in Fukushima has probably leaked contaminated water in the sea since Fukushima was destroyed by a powerful earthquake and ensuing tsunami on 11 March 2011. This is the conclusion reached by the Japanese nuclear authorities after having found evidence of high contamination / radio-activity in the see off Fukushima.

 

"It is a fact that the sea water contains a high level of radio-activity (contamination) and that the contamination continues. In my opinion noone can deny this", says Shunichi Tanaka who is suppreme head within the nuclear authorities - so New York Times reports.

 

One of the most critical problems following the 2011 accident is the groundwater running into the cellars of the buildings housing the crippled reactors of the nuclear power plant.

 

It has been possible to pump the contaminated water out of the cellars and down into containers, but Tokyo Electric Power Company aka. Tepco that owns and operates the plant is no longer sure whether the contaminated water ends up in the sea or not.

 

Article posted in the Danish newspaper Berlingske Tidende on 12 July 2013 signed BNB

 

 

I think so, because 2-3 days ago I read the following when reading German ARDtext:

 

The level of contamination in the sea water closest to the nuclear power plant is extremely high.

 

 

2

[nancyk58]

NEWS IN RELATION TO JAPAN ON 18 JULY 2013

 

 

CLOUD OF STEAM ABOVE ONE OF THE REACTORS OF CRIPPLED NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IN FUKUSHIMA IN JAPAN

 

Steam has risen from a destroyed building of the Japanese nuclear power plant in Fukushima. No increased radio-activity / contamination has been measured in the immediate surroundings - according to TEPCO, the operator of the crippled plant. The reason for the development of steam is being examined.

 

Possibly, rainwater has penetrated the reactor building and has fallen on the first (outer) reactor shell (wall) of steal - so a Tepco spokeswoman said. As this shell (wall) is hot, the water has evaporated.

 

The nuclear power plant was destroyed on 11 March 2011 by a very strong/powerful earthquake (magnitude 9.0) and an ensuing gigantic tsunami.

 

Source: German ARDtext

[nancyk58]

http://www.ard-text.de/index.php?page=143

 

Fukushima: doch höheres Krebsrisiko

 

Knapp 2000 Arbeiter in dem havarierten japanischen Atomkraftwerk Fukushima haben ein erhöhtes Risiko, an Schilddrüsenkrebs zu erkranken. Bei den Arbeitern überschritt die Strahlungsdosis

einer Untersuchung zufolge einen Grenzwert von 100 Millisievert, teilte die Betreiberfirma Tepco mit. Über diesem Grenzwert gilt ein erhöhtes Risiko.

 

Laut Zeitung "Asahi Shimbun" ist die Zahl der Betroffenen zehnmal höher als von Tepco ursprünglich zugegeben. Noch im Dezember hatte das Unternehmen mitgeteilt, dass nur für 178 Arbeiter ein erhöhtes Risiko besteht.

 

http://www.ard-text.de/index.php?page=143

 

Translation hereof:

 

Fukushima: Higher risk of cancer

 

Almosst 2,000 workers in the crippled Japanese nuclear power plant in Fukushima have an increased risk of getting thyroid cancer. According to an examination of the workers, the radiation dose exceeded a limit of 100 millisievert . according to Tepco, the operator of the crippled nuclear power plant. If this limit is exceeded, then there exists an increased risk.

 

According to the newspaper "Asahi Shimbun" the number of affected people are ten times higher than originally admitted by Tepco. As late as in december, Tepco had said that only 178 workers had an increased risk of getting thyroid cancer.

[nancyk58]

NEWS IN RELATION TO JAPAN

 

 

ARTICLE FROM DANISH NEWSPAPER BERLINGSKE TIDENDE ON 23.7.13

 

LEAK

 

JAPAN WILL MAKE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IN FUKUSHIMA SAFE

 

Now, the Japanese authorities are taking a series of measures to ensure that potentially contaminated (radio-active) waste water from the crippled nuclear power plant in Fukushima does not leak into the water.

 

Recently, Tepco, the operator of the plant, admitted that contaminated water continues to leak into the sea.

 

According to a spokesman for the government the authorities interfered quickly when steam rose from one of the reactor buildings for the second time within a week. A team of workers were immediately deployed to stop the leak.

 

The presence of steam is worrying because it indicates that there must be boiling water somewhere inside the reactor building. But the damaged reactors should have undergone a so-called "cold shutdown" which i.a. implies that all cooling water inside the reactor should have a temperature well below the boiling point.

 

BBC's correspondent in Japan regards this as one more indication of Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) not quite being in control of what is going on inside the reactor buildings.

 

kvist

[Matter-Eater Lad]

Radioactive Water Leaking From Fukushima

 

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-08-17/radioactive-water-leaking-fukushima-what-we-know

[nancyk58]

NEWS IN RELATION TO JAPAN END OF AUGUST AND START OF SEPTEMBER 2013

 

LEAK IN CONTAINER AT FUKUSHIMA / 300 TONS OF WATER PER DAY LEAKING INTO THE SEA

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23918882

 

1 September 2013 Last updated at 09:09 GMT

 

 

Fukushima radiation levels '18 times higher' than thought

 

Radiation levels around Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant are 18 times higher than previously thought, Japanese authorities have warned.

 

Last week the plant's operator reported radioactive water had leaked from a storage tank into the ground.

 

It now says readings taken near the leaking tank on Saturday showed radiation was high enough to prove lethal within four hours of exposure.

 

The plant was crippled by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

 

The Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) had originally said the radiation emitted by the leaking water was around 100 milliseverts an hour.

 

However, the company said the equipment used to make that recording could only read measurements of up to 100 milliseverts. !!

 

The new recording, using a more sensitive device, showed a level of 1,800 milliseverts an hour.

 

The new reading will have direct implications for radiation doses received by workers who spent several days trying to stop the leak last week, the BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes reports from Tokyo.

 

In addition, Tepco says it has discovered a leak on another pipe emitting radiation levels of 230 milliseverts an hour.

 

The plant has seen a series of water leaks and power failures.

 

The 2011 tsunami knocked out cooling systems to the reactors, three of which melted down.

 

The damage from the tsunami has necessitated the constant pumping of water to cool the reactors.

 

This is believed to be the fourth major leak from storage tanks at Fukushima since 2011 and the worst so far in terms of volume.

 

After the latest leak, Japan's nuclear-energy watchdog raised the incident level from one to three on the international scale measuring the severity of atomic accidents, which has a maximum of seven.

 

Experts have said the scale of water leakage may be worse than officials have admitted.

 

 

Guardian.co.uk Fukushima radiation levels 18 times higher than thought 53 mins ago

Yahoo! UK and Ireland Radiation readings spike at water tank 2 hrs ago

ITV.com Fukushima levels spike '18-fold' 3 hrs ago

Reuters UK UPDATE 1-Radiation readings spike at water tank at Japan's ruined nuclear plant 4 hrs ago

South China Morning Post* New 'hotspots' of high radiation readings found at Fukushima tanks 7 hrs ago

 

 

 

Related Stories on http://www.bbc.co.uk/news earlier in August 2013

 

At the source of Fukushima's water Watch / 23 AUGUST 2013, ASIA

 

Fukushima 'much worse' than reported / 22 AUGUST 2013, SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT

 

Q&A: Fukushima leak problems / 21 AUGUST 2013, SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT

 

Fukushima water leak 'emergency' / 05 AUGUST 2013, ASIA

 

 

Similar articles brought in international media in Germany, Sweden, Norway and Denmark (and many more)

[nancyk58]

News on Japan disaster

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23940214

 

3 September 2013 Last updated at 13:06 GMT

 

Fukushima leaks: Japan pledges $470m for 'ice wall'

 

Japan is to invest hundreds of millions of dollars into building a frozen wall around the Fukushima nuclear plant to stop leaks of radioactive water.

 

Government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said an estimated 47bn yen ($473m, £304m) would be allocated.

 

The leaks were getting worse and the government "felt it was essential to become involved to the greatest extent possible", Mr Suga said.

 

The plant was crippled by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

 

The disaster knocked out cooling systems to the reactors, three of which melted down.

 

Water is now being pumped in to cool the reactors, but storing the resultant large quantities of radioactive water has proved a challenge for plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco).

 

'Closely watching'

 

Under the government plan, a wall of frozen earth will be created around the reactors using pipes filled with coolant to prevent groundwater coming into contact with contaminated water being used to cool fuel rods.

 

Water treatment systems will also be upgraded to tackle the build-up of contaminated water, officials said.

 

Dr Tatsujiro Suzuki, vice chairman of the Japan Atomic Energy Commission, told the BBC that the situation at the nuclear power plant was an "unprecedented crisis" and that it was "getting worse".

 

He said the plan to freeze the ground around the site was "challenging", and a permanent solution was needed.

 

The technique has only been used on a small scale to control pollution before but not with radioactive contamination, he added.

 

The damage to the plant has necessitated the constant pumping of water to cool the reactors - a process which creates an extra 400 tonnes of contaminated water every day.

 

That water is being stored in temporary tanks at the site. Last month Tepco said that 300 tonnes of highly radioactive water had leaked from one of the tanks, in the most serious incident to date.

 

But in recent months there have also been leaks from pipes and there are concerns that water is seeping from damaged reactor buildings into the ground.

 

Last month, Japan's nuclear regulator classified the severity level of radioactive water leak issues at Fukushima as a three on the seven-point International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (Ines).

 

The triple meltdown at Fukushima two years ago was classed as a level seven incident, one of only two nuclear events ever rated that highly - along with the 1986 Chernobyl disaster in the former Soviet Union.

 

"The world is closely watching whether we can dismantle the (Fukushima) plant, including the issue of contaminated water," said Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

 

"The government is determined to work hard to resolve the issue."

 

The funding pledge comes days before a decision is due on the host nation for the 2020 summer Olympic Games, for which Tokyo is a candidate.

 

Meanwhile, one of Japan's only two nuclear reactors still online was shut down on Tuesday for mandatory inspections.

 

The shutdown of Kansai Electric's Oi Unit 3 reactor will leave the plant's Unit 4 reactor the only one still functioning in Japan. Unit 4 must also be taken offline later this month for routine assessment.

 

Restarting Japan's other nuclear reactors remains a highly controversial issue, but the government is working to get this done to fill an energy gap.

 

For more - use the link above

[nancyk58]

6 WORKERS AT JAPAN'S CRIPPLED NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IN FUKUSHIMA EXPOSED TO RADIO-ACTIVITY / CONTAMINATION

 

6 workers from Japan's crippled nuclear power plant in Fukushima was exposed to radio-active / contaminated water from one of the plants - Wednesday 10.10.13.

 

The liquid splashed out on the men as they - by mistake - removed a tube that was still connected to the system - so Tokyo Electric Power aka. Tepco, the plant's operator, reported.

 

- "Their faces did not get in connection with the water so the likelihood of the workers swallowing it is very small/little", says a Tepco spokeswoman. She adds that there were 5 other workers present during the incident.

 

Source: Danish DR1

[nancyk58]

AT LEAST 17 DEATHS FOLLOWING TYPHOON WIPHA IN JAPAN

 

At least 17 people are reported / confirmed dead and 45-50 are missing after typhoon Wipha (the strongest / most powerful for 10 years) hit Japan's Pacific coast early Wednesday morning.

 

The typhoon had weakened and was a tropical depression.

 

Landslides swept across the island of Izu Oshima 12 miles south of Tokyo. Houses were destroyed.

 

It was feared that the nuclear power plant in Fukushima would be damaged further, but luckily not as it is attempted to prevent flooding in tanks/containers with radio-active/contaminated water.

 

Schools were closed, hundreds of flights and trains were cancelled, and thousands of people had been evacuated.

 

The typhoon hit Tokyo early Wednesday morning local time. The capital avoided major damage.

 

Source: Norwegian NRK News / international + Swedish SVT Text

[nancyk58]

JAPAN WILL CONTAIN THE FUKUSHIMA POWER PLANT

 

The Japanese plan to build a "frozen wall" around the crippled nuclear power plant in Fukushima in order to reduce the leak of contaminated (radio-active) water.

 

The 2011 accident destroyed the plant's cooking system for the reactors, and 3 of these melted down.

 

So far water has been pumped in - this in order to cool the reactors, but in the long run it is difficult to store / keep the contaminated water. Therefore, the authorities will build / construct a wall of frozen earth around the reactors to prevent groundwater from getting in contact with the cooling water.

 

The tripple melt-down 2 year ago has been classified as a Level 7 accident - the only other Level 7 accident was the Chernobyl disaster in 1986.

 

Source: Kvist from Danish newspaper Berlingske Tidende end of September 2013

[nancyk58]

JAPAN IN CLEAN-UP OPERATION AFTER THE TYPHOON WIPHA THAT CLAIMED 18 HUMAN LIVES

 

Typhoon WIPHA ravaged Japan in the course of Wednesday killing at least 18 people, mainly on a small island off the coast. Half hundred people remained missing yesterday after the huge storm that experts had characterized as "storm of the century".

 

Rescue teams were looking for survivors after the typhoon named WIPHA.

 

On the island of Izu Oshima alone 39 people were missing.

 

The storm was a hurricane and brought huge amounts of rain that poured down over the 30 million people in the TOKYO region.

 

Tepco - the operator of the crippled nuclear power plant in Fukushima - cancelled all not-necessary repair work.

 

Source: Danish newspaper Berlingske Tidende on Friday, 18 October 2013

[nancyk58]

CONTAMINATED GROUNDWATER IN FUKUSHIMA

 

Very high levels of radiation have been recorded at the crippled nuclear power plant in Fukushima in Japan.

 

Tests from a well near a tank (container) that leaked 300 tons of contaminated water in August show the highest levels of contamination since the nuclear accident in March 2011 - so Tepco - the owner / operator of the plant - reports.

 

Other wells do not show just as high levels of radiation, says a Tepco spokesman.

 

Heavy rain in the last couple of weeks may have contributed to spreading the radio-active/contaminated water and contaminated soil down into the layers of soil. So news agency AFP writes.

 

Sources: Swedish SVT Text and Danish TV2 News

[nancyk58]

A few days ago (around 25.10) a magnitude 7.1 earthquake occurred in Japan that generated a minor - around ½ m high - tsunami that did not cause any damage.

 

No reports of casualties.

[nancyk58]

RISKY REMOVAL TO TAKE PLACE AT FUKUSHIMA PLANT

 

Ingenieurs at the Japanese nuclear power plant in Fukushima are preparing the most dangerous operation so far since they brought the reactors under control 2 years ago when a tsunami hit.

 

The fuel rods with uran and plutonium are to be removed from a tank belonging to the plant's 4th reactor later this month, and the experts consider this operation to be very risky.

 

More than 1,500 fuel rods, well over 200 new and unused ones, are to be removed from a tank inside a reactor building. The rods were placed in the tank as the tsunami hit the plant.

 

Tepco, the operator of the plant, says that the tank with the fuel rods is not damaged. The rods are not damaged, but must be removed so that they are not at risk of being damaged by future earthquakes or storms. The removal is to take place in the course of November.

 

Sources: Danish dr.dk/news on 7.11.13 at 9:01 + Swedish TV4 Text, page 128 on 7.11.13 at 12:44