Fukushima nuclear power plant operator says cooling water level has dropped in two of its reactors since a strong earthquake hit the area last weekend, indicating possible additional damage
TOKYO – The cooling water level has dropped in two reactors at the Fukushima nuclear power plant since a strong earthquake hit the area last weekend, indicating possible additional damage, its operator said on Friday.
The new damage could further complicate the already difficult process of decommissioning the plant, which is expected to take decades.
Tokyo Electric Power Co. spokesman Keisuke Matsuo said the drop in water levels in Unit 1 and 3 reactors indicates that damage to their primary isolation chambers was exacerbated by Saturday’s magnitude 7.3 quake. draining more water.
It is believed that the drained water remained inside the reactor buildings and there are no signs of external impact, he said.
In 2011, a strong earthquake with a magnitude of 9.1 and a tsunami affected the cooling systems of the Fukushima plant, causing the melting of three reactor cores and the fall of nuclear fuel on the bottom of their main isolation vessels.
TEPCO will monitor the water and temperatures at the base of the insulation vessels, Matsuo said.
Since the 2011 disaster, cooling water has steadily escaped from damaged primary insulation vessels in the basements of reactor buildings. To compensate for the loss, additional cooling water was pumped into the reactors to cool the molten fuel remaining inside them. The recent drop in water levels indicates that more water is leaking than before, TEPCO said.
More than 180 people were injured, mostly due to Saturday’s quake, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. The quake also caused landslides, damage to homes and a high-speed train line and caused widespread power and water disruptions.
TEPCO initially reported that there were no factory anomalies since Saturday’s quake.
Matsuo said the cooling water level dropped by up to 70 centimeters (27 inches) in the primary isolation chamber of Unit 1 reactor and about 30 centimeters (11 inches) in Unit 3. TEPCO could not cause any decline in Unit 2 because indicators have been removed to prepare for the removal of molten debris, it is said.
Increased runoff could require more cooling water to be pumped into the reactors, which would lead to more contaminated water being treated and stored in huge tanks at the plant. TEPCO says its 1.37 million tonne storage capacity will be full next summer. The recommendation of a government group to be gradually released into the sea has met with fierce opposition from locals and a decision is still pending.
Meanwhile, the Tokyo High Court on Friday fired the government and TEPCO for the 2011 nuclear disaster, ordering both to pay about 280 million yen ($ 2.6 million) in compensation for more than 40 plaintiffs forced to evacuate. in Chiba, near Tokyo, for their livelihoods and lost homes.
Friday’s decision overturns a previous ruling by the Chiba district court, which excluded the government from liability. Judge Yukio Shirai said the government could have predicted the risk of a massive tsunami and would take action after a long-term assessment of seismic activity in 2002.
The lawyers representing the applicants welcomed the decision and said that it would affect other cases pending.
“The case raises the question of whether we should tolerate a society that gives priority to economic activities over people’s lives and health,” said Izutaro Mangi, a lawyer representing the applicants.