Monthly Report of the Watchers’ Team (Summary) Aug., 2012

 

(A. Summary of TEPCO Home Page article/B. Comment by Watchers’ Team)

1. Reactor Cooling

A. (TEPCO):

Refrigerating equipment started operation on July 18, to prevent cooling water from temperature increase caused by high ambient temperature. But temperatures in the primary containment vessels tend to increase because the volume of injected cooling water decreases.

B. (Watchers’ Team):

The reactor condition needs to be watched because filters are partially blocked by foreign material such as rust in the tubes.  The cause of injection volume decrease is unknown.

2. Accumulated Water

A. (TEPCO):

The investigation for setting up a groundwater bypass system has started.  The water accumulation still increases.  The total capacity of tanks for water accumulation is planned 394 kilo cubic meters, including 58 kilo cubic meters in underground tanks (augmented by 54 kilo cubic meters).

B. (Watchers’ Team):

The underground water tanks are sealed by bentonite and double layers of polyethylene sheet.  The tanks’ ability to withstand ground deformation by earthquake is not clear.

3. Seabed Soil

A. (TEPCO):

The seabed soil has been covered in the harbor to prevent the seawater from pollution.

B. (Watchers’ Team):

No description about measures to prevent the re-pollution of seawater by dredging in harbor is found.

4. Spent Fuel Removal

A. (TEPCO):

The top of Unit 4 building was removed completely, and the reinforcement of the building was completed. The top of Unit 3 building is being removed, and the removal will be completed at the end of March, 2013.  No work other than surveillance has started in the buildings of Unit 1 and 2.

B. (Watchers’ Team):

The removal of the buildings started in Unit 4 and 3 because the radioactive contamination level is relatively low.  Measures for disposing Unit 1 and 2 are under investigation.