Press Releases 2013

Due to the Tohoku-Chihou-Taiheiyou-Oki Earthquake which occurred on March 11, 2011, TEPCO's facilities including our nuclear power stations have been severely damaged. We deeply apologize for the anxiety and inconvenience caused.
With regard to the accident at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, on April 17, 2011, we have compiled the roadmap towards restoration from the accident and on July 19 we accomplished the Step1 target "Radiation dose is in steady decline". Then on December 16 we confirmed the accomplishment of the Step 2 target "Release of radioactive materials is under control and radiation doses are being significantly held down".
In addition, on December 21, 2011, we have compiled the "Mid-to-long-Term Roadmap toward the Decommissioning of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Units 1-4, TEPCO".
In addition to the maintenance of the plant's stable condition, we will implement Mid-to-Long Term countermeasures towards the decommissioning of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Units 1-4 to enable evacuees to return to their homes as soon as possible and reduce the anxiety of the people in Fukushima and the whole nation as soon as possible.

Below is the status of TEPCO's nuclear power stations (Fukushima Daiichi and Fukushima Daini).

* The updates are underlined.

[Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station]
·Unit 1 to 4: Abolishment (April 19, 2012)
·Unit 5 to 6: Outage due to regular inspections before the earthquake

- At around 2:30 PM on June 6, 2012, during an investigation of the tanks installed in the additionally established Unit 2 Waste Underground Storage Facility Building, accumulated water was found around the spent sludge storage tank and the spent resin storage tank. The amount of the accumulated water was estimated to be approx. 830m³. The accumulated water had remained in the building and there was no possibility for it to flow outside. The atmosphere dose rate was 0.03mSv/h in the upper part of the tank. Since the dose rate was equivalent with that of the background, the accumulated water was assumed to be the groundwater or rainwater which flowed into the building by way of the penetration hole. Water stop work was performed on December 15, and its effectiveness was confirmed (no water flowing into the building and no water level increase found) on January 8, 2013. On January 9, the water stop work was judged to have been completed.

- At around 1:30 PM on July 12, accumulated water was found around the spent sludge storage tank and the spent resin storage tank of (the newly built) Unit 3 Underground Radiation Waste Storage Facility Building as a result of investigation on water flowing into the building. Also, accumulated sand was found under the penetration area on the ceiling of the spent sludge storage tank room. The accumulated water amount in the entire building was estimated to be approx. 155m³. The accumulated water remained in the building and there is no possibility of water leaking out of the building. The atmosphere dose rate in the upper part of the tank was 0.06mSv/h, and sampling result (conducted in the spent resin storage tank room) was 3.8×10¹Bq/cm³ (total of γ nuclides). Since (the newly built) Unit 3 Radiation Waste Underground Storage Building interferes with the debris removal from the upper part of Unit 3 Reactor Building, the ground portion of the Radiation Waste Underground Storage Building was removed. Due to this, it was assumed that rainwater may have flowed into the building through the penetration areas of the ceiling contributing to the water accumulation^*. Water stop work was performed from December 12 to 14, 2012, and its effectiveness was confirmed (no water flowing into the building and no water level increase found) on January 8, 2013. On January 9, the water stop work was judged to have been completed.

- At around 2:30 PM on January 10, in the material and equipment transshipment yard of Naraha industrial complex outside of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, a cooperative company worker engaged in steel pipe curing hurt his right hand fingers after getting his hand caught between steel pipes. Upon clinical examination at J-Village Medical Center, his right hand third and fourth fingers were confirmed to be injured. An ambulance was called at 3:00 PM on the same day, and the worker was transported to Iwaki Kyouritsu Hospital at 3:14 PM.

- At 10:00 AM on January 10, we started transferring the accumulated water in Unit 6 Turbine Building basement to the temporary tank. At 3:00 PM on the same day, the transfer was stopped.

 [Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Station]
·Unit 1 to 4: Shutdown due to the earthquake.

* As for the accumulated water near the spent sludge storage tank in Unit 3 Underground Radioactive Waste Storage Facility Building found on May 24, 2012, it said in the daily report previously announced that "Water stop work was performed from December 12 to 14, 2012, and its effectiveness was confirmed (no water flowing into the building and no water level increase found) on January 8, 2013. On January 9, the water stop work was judged to have been completed". However, the building for which water stop work was judged to be completed is the newly built Unit 3 Underground Radioactive Waste Storage Facility Building where accumulated water was found on July 12, 2012. We apologize for the mistake. (Corrected on January 11, 2013)

* Revised past progress

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