*** Fukushima *** and other nuclear-----updates and links

SURVEY: 76% don't believe Fukushima situation 'under control'; Abe support rate steady at 56%
About 76 percent of Japanese do not believe Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s contention that the radioactive water problem at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant is “under control,” an Asahi Shimbun survey showed.

Only 11 percent agree with Abe’s assertion made in a speech in September before the International Olympic Committee to promote Tokyo’s bid to host the 2020 Summer Games, according to the survey conducted on Oct. 5-6.

Even among those who support the Abe Cabinet, only 18 percent believe Abe’s contaminated-water statement, compared with 71 percent who do not.

Disbelief was even greater in the Tohoku region, which was hit hard by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami that caused the Fukushima nuclear crisis. Only 10 percent think Abe’s assessment is accurate, while 81 percent said the Fukushima situation is not under control.
[link to ajw.asahi.com]

S. Korea spy agency confirms N. Korea nuclear reactor restarted

South Korea's spy agency confirmed Tuesday that North Korea has reactivated a reactor at its Yongbyon nuclear complex shut down in 2007 under an agreement reached in the six-party talks on the North's denuclearization, Yonhap News Agency reported.

It said the National Intelligence Service informed National Assembly lawmakers that the 5-megawatt, graphite-moderated reactor, which can produce weapons-grade plutonium for the North's nuclear weapons program, has been in operation since around August.

It comes after the 38 North website published by Johns Hopkins University in Washington revealed commercial satellite imagery showing that the reactor, which Pyongyang promised to scrap in a 2005 agreement, may have been operating since early last month.
[link to english.kyodonews.jp]
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Taiwan emerges as transit hub for illegal nuclear equipment

On Aug. 2, 20 customs officials from Taiwan's southern port of Kaohsiung were charged with taking bribes in return for facilitating the inspection of what documents stated were second-hand auto and machinery parts but were in fact components needed to operate nuclear reactors.

These components are banned by the Taiwan government from export to Iran and North Korea -- countries subject to U.N. sanctions on such equipment thought to be used in developing nuclear weapons.

It was not the first such violation, nor will it be the last as Taiwan battles both internal corruption in the customs service and a growing diversity of smuggling networks that have targeted the country as a convenient transit point for high-tech materials and technologies restricted by international sanctions.
[link to english.kyodonews.jp]
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Vice minister suggests making TEPCO’s Fukushima sites hold waste since it’s uninhabitable

The Vice Minister for Education has said that since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant and its surrounding areas will be uninhabitable for years, the government should consider turning it into a receptacle for radiation-contaminated waste. He also said that the plant’s operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), should take charge of the disposal of this waste.
[link to japandailypress.com]
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U.S. officials demand Ontario clarify plan for nuclear waste

Plans by Ontario Power Generation to bury its low- and intermediate-level nuclear waste underground may be a Trojan horse.

On Monday, state Sen. Hoon-Yung Hopgood, D-Taylor, and state Rep. Sarah Roberts, D-Taylor, traveled to a public hearing in Ontario to voice their concerns before a Joint Review Panel on the matter of the Deep Geologic Repository (DGR) on the shore of Lake Huron. Today, Hopgood and Roberts joined other prominent officials in submitting a formal written Request for Ruling regarding the plan, which appears to have a much larger scope than what is detailed in the project report.

“As if the proposal of this radioactive waste repository less than a mile from the shores of Lake Huron wasn’t threatening enough, it is now becoming clear that those fears are just the beginning,” said Sen. Hopgood. “With the hearings underway, information is coming out regarding the actual scope of the project and the potential to include highly radioactive wastes. This isn’t just for the mops and rags that OPG often speaks of, and could include everything short of spent nuclear fuel. If that is the intent, it is absolutely essential that we go back to the drawing board or, better yet, scrap the idea altogether.”
[link to www.macombdaily.com]
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Corroded tank plates caused Fukushima leakage

The operator of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant says they've discovered the reason that radioactive water leaked from a storage tank in August. The cause was gaps created on steel plates that had corroded at the bottom of the tank.

In the accident, more than 300 tons of contaminated water leaked from the tank. Some of the water is believed to have flowed into the nearby Pacific Ocean.
[link to www3.nhk.or.jp]
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Nuclear regulator says worker morale is declining

The head of Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority says a decline in worker morale at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is one of the causes behind radioactive water leaks and other problems.

NRA Chairman Shunichi Tanaka made the remark at a news conference on Wednesday in answer to questions regarding a series of troubles at the plant.

Tanaka said some problems can be prevented only in a positive work environment where each employee has strong morale.
[link to www3.nhk.or.jp]
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Suga, Iitate head discuss waste reduction facility

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary says the government will take full responsibility to ensure the safety of residents living near a facility that is designed to burn waste produced during nuclear decontamination work.

The Environment Ministry plans to build the facility in Iitate Village near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
[link to www3.nhk.or.jp]
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Beta ray but still a bad incident...

Fukushima plant workers exposed to radiation

The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant says 6 of its workers were exposed to radiation on Wednesday morning due to a contaminated water leak caused by human error.

Tokyo Electric Power Company said on Wednesday evening that the workers had been decontaminated and that it will step up efforts to prevent a recurrence.

It says the workers mistakenly detached a water pipe from a joint near a desalination device at around 9:30 AM.

The accident caused about 7 tons of contaminated water to leak for about an hour. TEPCO says the water is contained inside a 60-meter-long, 12-meter-wide barrier that surrounds the device.

The water is highly radioactive, containing 34 million becquerels of beta ray-emitting material per liter.

Six of 11 workers at the site were sprayed with the radioactive water.
[link to www3.nhk.or.jp]
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Fugutive reactor operator Michael Burhman reportedly arrested in Venezuela

According to reports, fugitive Michael Buhrman – the former senior reactor operator at the Dresden nuclear power plant in Illinois described by a State Attorney as “dangerous and evil”, was arrested last Tuesday by the Venezuelan intelligence service. He is reportedly under investigation for a number of criminal acts including illegal arms trade, illegal substances, and steroids.

At the time of arrest, Buhrman was reported to have fought with several officers, wounding at least three. According to a witness with knowledge of the police report, two of the injured had fractures, one in the forearm – the other in the foot. Buhrman is a former United States Navy veteran and martial arts student.
[link to enformable.com]
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The way this is worded, it sounds like there are only 11 workers at the site at this time. Not that it would surprise us if that was the case.

US, Vietnam sign nuclear trade agreement

The United States and Vietnam have signed a deal allowing the transfer of nuclear technology to the Asian nation.

The US government and the private sector are now trying to sell technology to Vietnam's nuclear industry, which is expected to grow to 50 billion dollars by 2030.
[link to www3.nhk.or.jp]
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Radioactive cesium detected in seawater

Radioactive cesium has been detected in seawater outside the port of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

One-point-four becquerels per liter of cesium-137 was found in the sample. This is the first time that the radioactive material has been detected in seawater taken at that spot.

TEPCO officials say the radiation level is lower than the safety standard for drinking water set by the World Health Organization, which is 10 becquerels per liter.
[link to www3.nhk.or.jp]
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Radiation levels in seawater near Fukushima reactor hit 2-year high

TOKYO — Radiation levels in seawater just outside one of the damaged Fukushima reactors spiked this week to the highest level in two years, the operator of the crippled Japanese nuclear plant said on Thursday.

Radiation levels on Wednesday, the day six workers were exposed to highly radioactive water, jumped 13 times the previous day’s reading, the highest levels since late 2011.

TEPCO said combined cesium-134 and cesium-137 readings just outside the damaged No. 2 reactor spiked to 1,200 becquerels per liter on Wednesday, more than 13 times the level on Tuesday.

Cesium-134 readings were 370 becquerels per liter while cesium-137 was 830/liter within a silt fence right outside the reactor building. Regulatory limits for cesium, which emits a strong gamma radiation and is harmful to the human body, is 90 bq/liter for cesium-137 and 60 bq/liter for cesium-134.
[link to www.japantoday.com]
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Indictments for South Korea forgery scandal

One hundred people have been indicted for their part in falsifying safety documents affecting South Korean nuclear power plants, the country's government has announced.

A statement released through the South Korean prime minister's Office confirmed that a former chief executive at Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP) and a vice president at Korea Electric Power Company (Kepco) are amongst those indicted. The statement did not identify those concerned by name.

According to the government's policy coordination ministry, 277 out of 22,000 documents of tests on components at 20 reactors were found to be forged. Of 218,000 documents examined for a further eight units, including five under construction, a total of 2010 were found to be falsified.
[link to www.world-nuclear-news.org]
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NRC forced to shut down

America's budgetary crisis has hit the country's nuclear safety regulator, which will cease non-essential work from today until its industry-collected funding is allowed to flow from federal budgets.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is 90% funded by fees collected from nuclear operators, but this is held by the US Treasury and has to be appropriated back to the NRC by Congress. With political deadlock over the federal budget in Congress, there has been a progressive shutdown of US government departments.

All but about 300 of the NRC's 3900 employees will be idle during the shutdown. Inspectors stationed at nuclear power plants will continue working, as will those staff that would be required in case of emergency, while more staff are available for recall should such a situation occur.
[link to www.world-nuclear-news.org]

More news on the NRC blog:
[link to public-blog.nrc-gateway.gov]
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Russian warhead fallout keeps America warm

Uranium fuel from 20,000 disarmed Russian warheads is generating about half of US nuclear power in a spinoff from a landmark disarmament accord, a top US official said Wednesday.

But the deal under which 500 tonnes of Russian weapons-grade uranium has been used to light and heat American homes will end next month because Russia believes its former Cold War rival has been getting energy on the cheap.

The United States tried to extend the accord, but Russia refused saying the price was too low, diplomats said.

The United States has paid about $8 billion dollars for the uranium already supplied, according to USEC, the US government corporation set up to provide uranium fuel to American power producers.

USEC and Russian concern Technsabexport, which provides the uranium, have signed a new deal under which the fuel will now be sold under a contract "based on market prices," Derryberry added.

The new contract will only provide about half of what the United States gets now from Russia however.

The new uranium will also come from commercially produced fuel rather than Russia's warheads, Derryberry said.
[link to www.nuclearpowerdaily.com]
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Whitebait catches resume in disaster-hit Fukushima

Fishermen have resumed catching whitebait in waters off Fukushima Prefecture for the first time since the nuclear accident in March 2011.

Thirty-four fishing boats set out early Friday from Matsukawaura Port in the city of Soma. They began arriving back to unload the catches around 9AM.

A local fisheries cooperative decided to resume catching whitebait on the grounds that hardly any radioactive substances have been detected in a series of tests conducted since the nuclear accident.

Cooperative officials say they tested the fish for radiation before and after boiling and processing, and found no trace of radioactive materials.

Now that the whitebait has been found safe, it will be distributed to local supermarkets and fish stores on Monday. The fish will be shipped to Tokyo's Tsukiji market as well.
[link to www3.nhk.or.jp]
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FWIW...

TEPCO to reinforce monitoring activities at Fukushima plant's port

The operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant said Friday that it will reinforce radiation monitoring inside the plant's port where the concentration of radioactive cesium is rising.

For a week from Friday, Tokyo Electric Power Co. plans to check every day the radiation level of the sea water at five points, including at the entrance to the port, TEPCO officials said.

The utility has detected that the concentration of cesium is rising near the water intake of the plant's No. 2 reactor, one of three units that suffered meltdowns during the 2011 nuclear crisis. An undersea curtain called a "silt fence" is placed around the intake to prevent the spread of contamination.
[link to english.kyodonews.jp]
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US design certification sought for APR-1400

As South Korea seeks new export markets for its nuclear technology, an application for design certification of its Advanced Pressurised Reactor-1400 (APR-1400) has been submitted to the US nuclear regulator.

Four APR-1400 units are under construction in Korea: two at Shin Kori and two at Shin Hanul. Four further APR-1400 units are planned for Shin Kori and another two at Shin Hanul.

The APR-1400 was selected as the basis of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) nuclear power program, with the first four reactors to be operating at Barakah by 2020 under a $20.4 billion contract. Construction of the first two units is underway.
[link to www.world-nuclear-news.org]
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Re my post above... bl00dy insane...

S. Korea finds forged reactor safety documents

South Korean nuclear reactors have been abruptly shut down 128 times over the past decade because of faulty parts, officials said Thursday, amid a scandal over forged safety certificates.

Government officials who inspected 22,000 certificates for parts used in 20 working reactors found that 277 or 1.2 percent of the documents had been forged, the Prime Minister's Office said.

South Korea has 23 reactors which are meant to meet more than 30 percent of electricity needs, and it also hopes to export its expertise.

In 2009 it won a $20.4 billion contract to build four nuclear plants in the United Arab Emirates.

But the govenment's inspection revealed widespread corruption in the nuclear industry, which is undergoing a crisis of confidence following a series of shutdowns.

Public prosecutors have charged about 100 people over the scandal involving fake safety certificates.

In a separate case of document forgery eight suppliers last year were found to have faked warranties covering thousands of items used in several reactors.

Despite concern over how the nuclear sector is run, the government has vowed to push ahead with plans to build an additional 16 reactors by 2030.
[link to www.nuclearpowerdaily.com]
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5.0 earthquake strikes not far from Fukushima

[link to rt.com]

A 5.0 one isn't enough to cause final doom... sit back, relax, have a beer and wait for the BIG one... lol...
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WTF is going on?... irradiated brains?... lol...

Four Exelon employees arrested in the last 18 months

In 2012, two licensed senior reactor operators from the Dresden nuclear power plant – which is owned and operated by Exelon, hijacked a young woman’s car at gun point and attempted to flee the scene. One of the operators, Michael Buhrman, had concocted the plan, held the gun, and been caught at the scene with both the weapon and a mask. The other operator, Landon Brittain, was later incriminated by statements he made to the police. After criminal charges had been filed against Buhrman, both operators ran from the law to Venezuela in an attempt to flee. Brittain was captured in Venezuela on May 15th of this year. Buhrman was not apprehended until October 1st.

Two weeks ago, police in Joliet, Illinois were called to a party after receiving a complaint of loud music When the police broke the party up and told attendees it was over, Nery Fajardo, 40, threw a beer can at one of the officers, which hit him in the leg, then resisted arrest as the officer attempted to arrest him. Another partier, Blake Speckman, 24, tackled another officer to the ground and continued to struggle with him before being handcuffed and arrested. Both men were arrested and charged with aggravated battery, aggravated assault and resisting/obstructing a peace officer.

What was not immediately known at the time was that both Fajardo and Speckman were also employees at the Dresden nuclear power plant. Speckman was a relatively new hire and was still in training to be a non-licensed operator – which is the first step towards becoming a licensed reactor operator. Fajardo had been a non-licensed operator for a decade and had started taking classes and enlisted in the licensing process to become a reactor operator.
[link to enformable.com]

Mugshots at link... don't they look trustworthy?... lol... if I were living near Dresden NPP (Joliet, Illinois), I would move out of town...
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The stupid...it burns (literally). They will probably keep doing the same thing over and over.

Tepco creditors agree to roll over loan: Nikkei
... have agreed to roll over a roughly 77 billion yen ($783 million) syndicated loan for Tokyo Electric Power Co. ...Tepco has lost $27 billion since the 2011 disaster...

[link to uk.finance.yahoo.com]

Government holds nuclear disaster drill

The Japanese government held a nuclear disaster drill on Saturday, the first since the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in 2011.

The second day of the drill was based on a scenario in which a major earthquake hits the Sendai nuclear plant in Kagoshima Prefecture, causing a loss of cooling functions for the number 2 reactor.
[link to www3.nhk.or.jp]
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Japan slow to realize nuclear plant export to Vietnam

Japan lacks the administrative system it requires to export nuclear technology to Vietnam despite agreements to export and finance two reactors in the country, after it scrapped the agency in charge last year following the 2011 Fukushima disaster, government officials said Saturday.

Although Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sees the export of nuclear technology as one of the pillars of his economic growth strategy, the Japan-Vietnam nuclear cooperation may not proceed as scheduled, they said.
[link to english.kyodonews.jp]
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Ontario backs away from plans to buy new nuclear reactors

Ontario’s government will shelve plans for a major new investment in nuclear power, according to industry and government sources.

Kathleen Wynne’s Liberals have decided against spending upwards of $10-billion to buy two new nuclear reactors as had been planned when Dalton McGuinty was premier, and will commit only to refurbishing existing ones, the sources told The Globe and Mail.

The decision appears to be the latest blow to the nuclear industry, which is already facing a decline in international demand, safety concerns after 2011’s earthquake-induced meltdown at Japan’s Fukushima plant, and the emergence of comparatively cheap natural gas. As the most nuclear-reliant province in Canada and the only one with plans to acquire new reactors, Ontario had been held up as a source of hope for prospective builders, including Candu Energy Inc., the once-mighty division of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited that is now a subsidiary of SNC-Lavalin.
[link to www.theglobeandmail.com]
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