Illustration of post-accident state of 1-4 reactors, all but 2 display obvious damage to secondary containment (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
This is getting silly. TEPCO and the Japanese government really need to stop stalling and get serious about this 40+ year problem.
Yes, 40+ years…by TEPCO’s own estimate on how long it will take to decommission the plant.
Estimate, mind you. It COULD take until the end of the century if things really get fouled up.
Right now there are areas that are not scheduled for starting PLANNING for decontamination for at least another 4 years. Add another year or two for planning and another 2-4 years for completion and you have close to another DECADE before residents can think about returning.
TEPCO and the Japanese government need to bite the bullet on these areas and purchase ALL land, businesses, and the contents that the residents have to leave and allow them to get on with their lives instead of being held in limbo waiting for news and decisions.
About the groundwater problem…again, TEPCO and the Japanese government need to stop looking for a ‘high tech’ answer and use what is already proven technology: BUILD A DAM/WALL COMPLETELY AROUND THE FACILITY 0.5KM FROM THE PROPERTY LINE. From bedrock to 20m above ground. All four sides, including out to sea 0.5km from shore, completely enclosing the facility and it’s port.
If you need to stop a flowing river of water, you use a dam. The Japanese already know how to build earthquake resistant dams and walls. Remember this is going to be a contaminated area well past 2054. This also provides a place to store contaminated material while a permanent facility is chosen.
Why 20m above ground? 3/11/11…that’s why. The plant is at risk from both, future earthquakes and tsunamis. The dam/wall provides added defense against another tsunami flooding the plant and washing the debris and contaminated water out to sea.
Yes…both suggestions are extremely costly, but so is leaving things as they are. More leaking tanks. More failed pipe joints. The possibility of another long term loss of power.
They won’t prevent another 3/11/11, but they CAN help to lessen the future effects of one.
Related articles
- Why We Can’t Trust Anything TEPCO Says About Fukushima (thesurvivalplaceblog.com)
- Fukushima Nuclear Crisis Update for October 23rd to October 28th, 2013 (greenpeace.org)
- Japan nuke worker turns off coolers by mistake (worldnews.nbcnews.com)
- Ministry mulls exempting TEPCO from decontamination costs (english.kyodonews.jp)
- Radioactive ground water under Fukushima nears sea (bigstory.ap.org)
- Where is to money to clean up Fukushima? (vernonradiationsafety.wordpress.com)
- Fukushima Failure: Radioactive Water Bursts from Tank (commondreams.org)
- Ground Collapses At Fukushima (aworldchaos.wordpress.com)
- Fukushima water reaches new radiation high (japandailypress.com)
- Japan ruling party’s Fukushima panel proposal to include massive TEPCO reorganization (japandailypress.com)
Sidelined Buddah 