*Updates are underlined
All 6 units of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station have been shut down.
Unit 1 (Shut down)
-Explosive sound and white smoke were confirmed after the big quake
occurred at 3:36 pm on March 12th. It was assumed to be hydrogen
explosion.
-At approximately 2:30 am on March 23rd, seawater injection to the
nuclear reactor through the feed water system was initiated.
-We had been injecting seawater into the reactor, but from 3:37 pm on
March 25th, we started injecting freshwater.
-Some of turbine building lights were turned on April 2nd.
-We injected fresh water to the reactor by a temporary motor driven pump,
but, from 10:42am to 11:52am on April 3rd we temporarily switched the
pump to the fire fighting pump to inject fresh water to use power
through off-site transmission line. We're now injecting fresh water to
the reactor by a motor driven pump powered by off-site transmission line.
-As it is suspected that hydrogen gas is accumulated inside reactor
containment vessel, we are considering injection of nitrogen gas inside
the vessel.
Unit 2 (Shut down)
-At approximately 6:00 am on March 15th, an abnormal noise began
emanating from nearby Pressure Suppression Chamber and the pressure
within the chamber decreased.
-We have been injecting seawater into the reactor, but from 10:10 am on
March 26th, we started injecting freshwater (with boric acid).
-Some of turbine building lights were turned on April 2nd.
-We injected fresh water to the reactor by a temporary motor driven
pump, but, from 10:22am to 0:06pm on April 3rd, we temporarily switched
the pump to the fire fighting pump to inject fresh water to use power
through off-site transmission line. We're now injecting fresh water to
the reactor by a motor driven pump powered by off-site transmission line.
Unit 3 (Shut down)
-Explosive sound and white smoke were confirmed at 11:01am March 14th.
It was assumed to be hydrogen explosion.
-We had been injecting seawater into the reactor pressure vessel, but
from 6:02 pm on March 25th, we started injecting freshwater.
-Some of turbine building lights were turned on April 2nd.
-We injected fresh water to the reactor by a temporary motor driven
pump, but, from 10:03am to 0:16pm on April 3rd, we temporarily switched
the pump to the fire fighting pump to inject fresh water to use power
through off-site transmission line. We're now injecting fresh water to
the reactor by a motor driven pump powered by off-site transmission line.
Unit 4 (outage due to regular inspection)
-At approximately 6 am on March 15th, we confirmed the explosive sound
and the sustained damage around the 5th floor rooftop area of the
Nuclear Reactor Building.
-Some of turbine building lights were turned on March 31st.
-At this moment, we do not consider any reactor coolant leakage inside
the reactor happened.
Unit 5 (outage due to regular inspection)
-Sufficient level of reactor coolant to ensure safety is maintained.
-At 5 am, March 19th, we started the Residual Heat Removal System Pump
(C) in order to cool the spent fuel pool.
-At 2:30 pm, March 20th, the reactor achieved reactor cold shutdown. At
around 5:24 pm on March 23rd, when we switched the temporary Residual
Heat Removal System Seawater Pump, it has stopped automatically. At
around 4:14 pm, March 24th we replaced the pump, and restarted cooling
of reactor at around 4:35 pm.
-At this moment, we do not consider any reactor coolant leakage inside
the reactor happened.
Unit 6 (outage due to regular inspection)
-Sufficient level of reactor coolant to ensure safety is maintained.
-At 10:14 pm, March 19th, we started the Residual Heat Removal System
Pump (B) of Unit 6 in order to cool the spent fuel pool.
-At 7:27 pm, March 20th, the reactor achieved reactor cold shutdown.
-In relation to the two seawater side pumps of the Residual Heat Removal
System, we switched the power source from temporary to permanent at
3:38 PM and 3:42PM, Mar 25 respectively.
-At this moment, we do not consider any reactor coolant leakage inside
the reactor happened.
Operation for cooling the spent fuel pools
-We will conduct further water spray depending on the conditions of
spent fuel pools.
Draining water from underground floor of turbine buildings
-At 1:55 pm April 3rd, in Unit 1, water transfer from a condensate
storage tank to a suppression pool water surge-tank was initiated.
-At 5:10 pm, April 2nd, in Unit 2, water transfer from a condensate
storage tank was to a suppression pool water surge-tank was initiated.
Others
-We measured radioactive materials (iodine etc.) inside of the nuclear
power station area (outdoor) by monitoring car and confirmed that
radioactive materials level is getting higher than ordinary level. As
listed below, we have determined that specific incidents stipulated in
article 15, clause 1 of Act on Special Measures Concerning Nuclear
Emergency Preparedness (Abnormal increase in radiation dose measured at
site boundary) have occurred.
· Determined at 4:17 pm Mar 12th (Around Monitoring Post 4 )
· Determined at 8:56 am Mar 13th (Around Monitoring Post 4 )
· Determined at 2:15 pm Mar 13th (Around Monitoring Post 4 )
· Determined at 3:50 am Mar 14th (Around Monitoring Post 6 )
· Determined at 4:15 am Mar 14th (Around Monitoring Post 2 )
· Determined at 9:27 am Mar 14th (Around Monitoring Post 3 )
· Determined at 9:37 pm Mar 14th (Around main entrance )
· Determined at 6:51 am Mar 15th (Around main entrance )
· Determined at 8:11 am Mar 15th (Around main entrance )
· Determined at 4:17 pm Mar 15th (Around main entrance )
· Determined at 11:05 pm Mar 15th (Around main entrance )
· Determined at 8:58 am Mar 19th (Around MP5)
From now on, if the measured figure fluctuates and goes above and below
500 micro Sv/h, we deem that as the continuous same event and will not
regard that as a new specific incidents stipulated in article 15,
clause 1 of the Act on Special Measures Concerning Nuclear Emergency
Preparedness (Abnormal increase in radiation dose measured at site
boundary) has occurred. In the interim, if we measure a manifestly
abnormal figure and it is evident that the event is not the continuous
same event, we will determine and notify.
-The national government has instructed evacuation for those local
residents within 20km radius of the periphery and evacuation to inside
for those residents from 20km to 30km radius of the periphery, because
it is possible that radioactive materials are discharged.
-In total 12 fire engines are lent for the water spraying to the spent
fuel pools and water injection to the nuclear reactors by various
regional fire departments* as well as Tokyo Fire Department. Also,
instruction regarding the setting and operation of large scale
decontamination system was provided by Niigata City Fire Headquarter
and Hamamatsu City Fire Headquarter.
*: Koriyama Fire Department, Iwaki Fire Brigade Headquarters, Fire
Headquarters of Sukagawa District Wide Area Fire-fighting Association,
Yonezawa City Fire Headquarters, Utsunomiya City Fire Headquarters,
Fire Headquarters of Aizu-Wakamatsu wide area municipal association,
Saitama City Fire Bureau, and Niigata City Fire Bureau.
-By March 22nd, Units 1 through 6 started to be energized from the
external power source.
-At around 11:35 am April 1st, a worker fell into the sea when he got
into a barge of the U.S. Forces to repair a hose of the ship. The
worker was rescued immediately, and was not injured and not
contaminated. The worker will be checked using the whole-body counter
to ensure his health.
-From April 2nd, we began to transfer the radioactive water we collected
from the Central Environmental Facility to the Unit 4 turbine building.
On April 4th, water level of the pit in the trench of Unit 3 increased
by 15cm from previous day. Pathway of water flow is unknown. We can not
deny the possibility that water in the turbine building of Unit 4 flows
into the trench of Unit 3. So, we stopped transferring water to the
Unit 4 turbine building to make assurance. Present water level of the
pit in the trench of Unit 3 is not changed from the time we stopped
transferring, and is being stable.
-As a countermeasure against outflow of radioactive water into the sea
near the cooling water intake at unit 2 of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear
Power Station, we have injected coagulant into the pit from April 5th
and we have observed stoppage of spilling of water from the crack on
the concrete lateral of the pit at 5:38 am, April 6th.
-Continued work from yesterday, we have put 6,000 litters of coagulant
into the breakage and surrounding ground after investigation of the
leakage route by putting tracer into the 9 holes drilled around
electrical conduit and the pit. As at 9:30 am, we have been observing
there is no leakage of water into the sea from the pit.
-For the sake of completeness, we put further reinforcement for the
stoppage of leakage and consider countermeasure including continuous
injection of coagulant. We will also note the water level of turbine
building of unit 2 remain unchanged. We will further investigate if
there is any other leakage.
(Previously announced on April 6th)
On April 6th, we installed rubber boards as a countermeasure
against outflow from the intake. We will further investigate if there
is any other leakage.
-There is plenty of radioactive wastewater in the turbine buildings.
Especially, Unit 2's wastewater is very highly radioactive. To store
this stably, it was decided that this needed to be transferred to the
Central Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility. However, within that
facility, we are storing ten thousand tons of low level radioactive
wastewater. In order to transfer more wastewater, we need to discharge
the low level radioactive wastewater. In addition, as low radioactive
subsurface water is piling up in sub-drain pits of Units 5 and 6 and a
part of subsurface water is running into buildings. We are concerned
that important equipment to secure the safety of reactors may be
submerged. Based on the Section 1 of the Article 64 of the Nuclear
Reactor Regulation Law, we have decided to discharge to the sea
approximately ten thousand tons of the accumulated low level radioactive
water and a total of fifteen hundred tons of the low level radioactive
subsurface water stored in the sub drain pits of Unit 5 and 6 as soon
as we get ready.
-We evaluate the impact on the discharge of the low radioactive
wastewater to the sea as approximately 0.6 mSv per year per an adult if
an adult eats adjacent fish and seaweeds everyday. The amount (0.6mSv of
effective radioactive doses per year) is one-forth of annual radioactive
dose to which the general public is exposed from nature.
(Previously announced on April 4th)
-At 7:03 pm, April 4th, discharge of low radioactive wastewater
(approximately 10,000 ton in total) from Central Radioactive Waste
Disposal Facility to the sea was initiated.
-At 9:00 pm, April 4th, discharge of low radioactive subsurface water
(1,500 ton in total) from sub-drain pits of Units 5 and 6 to the sea
was initiated.
-From 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm, April 5th, in order to prevent diffusion of
radioactive contaminated water out from the site port facility to
breakwater area which is south to the power station, we began repair of
breakwater by founding the large sandbag around it to replace damaged
steel water bar. We will continue the operation to prevent diffusion.
-We will continue to take all measures to ensure the safety and to
continue monitoring the surrounding environment around the Power Station.
