Fukushima News 3/20/15: Our Worst Fears Realized! Melted Fuel Is GONE From Fukushima Reactor

• published: 21 Mar 2015
• views: 34

Images show no fuel inside No.1 reactor core Nuclear & Energy Mar. 19, 2015 - Updated 06:47 UTC-4 Researchers say X-ray-like photos of a crippled reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi plant have confirmed that no nuclear fuel remains in the reactor core. The finding supports the result of a simulation suggesting most of the molten fuel penetrated the core's base. Nuclear fuel in 3 of the plant's 6 reactors melted down in the March 2011 nuclear accident at the plant. But extremely high radiation levels have prevented experts from locating and determining the state of the molten fuel. Experts from the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization and other institutions have succeeded in taking X-ray-like photos of the plant's No.1 reactor. Since February, they have been using a type of elementary particle called the muon to get a peek inside the reactor, instead of using X-ray technology. The particles are created when cosmic rays collide with the Earth's atmosphere. The experts found nuclear fuel inside a storage pool located beside the No.1 reactor. But they did not find fuel inside the core of the reactor where the meltdown took place. The finding confirms the result from an earlier computer simulation that suggested most of the fuel in the reactor core likely melted and fell through the bottom into the containment vessel housing the core. Experts say the finding that most of the fuel had leaked out of the reactor core underlines the difficulties faced in scrapping the reactor. New images show all melted fuel is “gone” from Fukushima reactor — Experts: Molten core may have reached outer environment, can’t tell if fuel is still contained — Official: “We presume fuel still in containment vessel… but we need to check one day” (PHOTOS & VIDEO) http://enenews.com/images-show-fuel-gone-fukushima-reactor-presume-fuel-containment-vessel-need-check-one-day-photos-video Gov’t model shows Fukushima radioactive gas near Tokyo skyrocketed to 10,000,000,000 times normal levels soon after 3/11 – “Very high concentrations” recorded at all monitoring posts in northern hemisphere (VIDEO) http://enenews.com/noaa-model-shows-fukushima-radioactive-gas-tokyo-skyrocketed-10-billion-times-normal-levels-after-311-very-high-concentrations-recorded-all-monitoring-posts-northern-hemisphere-video Utility applies for reactor check for July restart Nuclear & Energy Mar. 19, 2015 - Updated 08:30 UTC-4 A utility has applied for onsite inspection of a reactor at a power plant in southwestern Japan for a possible restart in July. Kyushu Electric Power Company filed the application with the Nuclear Regulation Authority on Thursday. The step came one day after the regulator approved the utility's equipment design documents for the No.1 reactor at the Sendai plant in Satsuma-Sendai city. Last September, the reactor, along with another at the same plant, became the first to clear new, tougher regulations introduced after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis. The inspection involves performance checks of new equipment installed under the regulations. Inspectors are to check whether coolant pumps and other new facilities are built as designed and whether they function as planned. Kyushu Electric's plan calls for the inspection to start on March 30th. Officials hope to start loading nuclear fuel into the reactor in early June. Japan utilities to scrap 2 more nuclear reactors Nuclear & Energy Mar. 18, 2015 - Updated 01:25 UTC-4 Two Japanese utilities plan to scrap one nuclear reactor each, as they are near the government recommended 40-year age limit. This brings the number of reactors in the country slated for decommissioning after the 2011 nuclear disaster to 5, in addition to those at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi plant. Board members of the Kyushu Electric Power Company decided on Wednesday to decommission the No.1 reactor at their Genkai plant in Saga Prefecture. The board of Chugoku Electric Power Company decided the same day to scrap the No.1 reactor at their plant in Shimane Prefecture. Both reactors are relatively smaller in capacity and considered not worth the costs of upgrading. Government regulations introduced after the accident at Fukushima Daiichi 4 years ago require costly safety improvements before utilities can restart reactors. All nuclear reactors in Japan remain offline. Cs-134/137 density of Reactor 1 basement water continues to increase since last July / 1,790,000,000Bq/m3 http://fukushima-diary.com/2015/03/cs-134137-density-of-reactor-1-basement-water-continues-to-increase-since-last-july-1790000000bqm3/ POINT OF VIEW/ Yuko Endo: 4 years from nuclear disaster, Fukushima needs to reverse depopulation http://ajw.asahi.com/article/views/opinion/AJ201503190009f Valve leak shuts down Limerick nuclear plant http://www.mainlinemedianews.com/articles/2015/03/02/region/doc54ecb0d6ece6d213402569.txt