Update # 35: July 21, 2011
News on radioactive contamination continues to worsen. As readers may remember, Dr. Chris Busby (who is in Japan at the moment) recommended at the onset of this disaster that a 200 km evacuation area around Fukushima be established. You can see from the map published with the story below that everyone is breathing radioactive contaminated air at distances of 150 km from Fukushima.
High levels of radioactivity found extensively
"Japan's science ministry says air above the ground about 150 kilometers from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant is as radioactive as areas 50 kilometers from the source of radioactivity.
The ministry on Wednesday released a map showing radiation levels at locations one meter above the ground in Miyagi Prefecture, north of Fukushima, based on the results of an aerial survey from June 22nd through 30th.
Radioactivity levels are highlighted in different colors.
Some parts of Kurihara City, about 150 kilometers north of the plant are light blue, indicating that the air there was 0.2 to 0.5 microsieverts per hour.
That's similar to areas close to the crippled plant, such as Iwaki City in Fukushima Prefecture, about 50 kilometers from the radioactive source.
Radioactive cesium far above the government standard was detected in rice straw for cattle feed collected by a supplier in Kurihara City." Thursday, July 21, 2011 07:31 +0900 (JST)
Energy News carried a similar story yesterday regarding radiation levels in Toyko.
These new (by official government sources) radiation levels at large distances from the plant site go right along with the next story on the increase in the number of prefectures reporting radioactive hay.
Contaminated rice straw found in 10 prefectures
"The Japanese government says rice straw used for cattle feed contaminated with radioactive cesium has been found in 10 prefectures across the country. Beef produced from cattle fed the contaminated straw and shipped out from farms has already been distributed to almost all prefectures.
Inspectors on Wednesday detected 7 times the government-set maximum standard level of radioactive cesium in rice straw used by a farm in Shizuoka Prefecture. This pushes the number of prefectures where cattle were fed with contaminated straw to 10.
Most of the rice straw in question was shipped from companies in Miyagi Prefecture, north of Fukushima, where the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, responsible for the contamination, is located.
On Tuesday, the government suspended shipments of beef cattle from Fukushima Prefecture after high levels of radioactive cesium were detected in beef shipped from the prefecture. One beef sample contained radioactive cesium in amounts 9 times the government standard." Thursday, July 21, 2011 07:31 +0900 (JST)
And also the increase in the number of beef cattle who have been fed with that hay.
1400 cattle fed contaminated hay shipped
"NHK has learned that at least 1,400 beef cattle were shipped from 76 farms in 11 prefectures after being fed rice straw contaminated with radioactive cesium at levels higher than the government safety limit…." Thursday, July 21, 2011 21:20 +0900 (JST)
You will note that Arnie Gunderson of Fairewinds Associates is discussing less than 200 head in his latest video released on Tuesday: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFjdEWMccuw
I have been in contact with the Federal NDP and am told they will be issuing a press release on the contaminated beef issue and the possibility contaminated Japanese beef may have been imported into Canada following the lifting of the import ban by the Harper Government in late June.
And finally on the contaminated beef story, the government is being forced to consider buying up and incinerating all contaminated beef. Systems will be put in place for this action the story tells us.
Govt considers contaminated beef buy up
The Japanese government is considering buying up all beef contaminated with radioactive cesium…
Senior Agriculture Vice-Minister Nobutaka Tsutsui told reporters on Thursday that the government is considering buying all the contaminated beef and incinerating it so that it cannot reach consumers…." Thursday, July 21, 2011 18:01 +0900 (JST)
The situation at the reactors also continues to worsen as the following two stories report.
First, rain from the typhoon is increasing contaminated water levels. Unit 1 basement levels increased 13 centimeters (5 inches) on Wednesday and 44 centimeters (17 inches) more on Thursday.
Second, the decontamination system is still limping along at an ever decreasing rate. The rate of the volume of water being processed continues to drop. It is now reported at 53% of expected volume.
Furthermore, there is a new admission from TEPCO that the system is not reducing the level of radioactivity in the contaminated water as much as expected as well. There are still no reports as to what is being done with the contaminated sludge that the system is producing as it precipitates out the radioactivity from the contaminated water. See related story at SFK below which suggests that some sludge is remaining in the pipes.
Rain increases contaminated water at plant
"Officials at the utility say that there is no immediate danger of the contaminated water spilling out. But it is likely that the level of water will continue to rise for the time being. TEPCO says they are monitoring the situation." Thursday, July 21, 2011 16:17 +0900 (JST)"
Cleanup rate at Fukushima plant remains low
"A system to decontaminate radioactive water at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant continues to work below its target capacity….
The utility says the system's low performance rate is due to water leaks as well as the fact that its capacity to remove radioactive materials is 30 percent lower than the catalog states.
TEPCO says the system's performance has not improved even after its piping was changed, and that the cause of the problem is still unknown.
…At the Number 1 reactor building, the level of polluted water in the basement at 7 AM on Wednesday was 13 centimeters higher than the previous day. TEPCO says a tropical storm has raised the water levels." Wednesday, July 20, 2011 21:14 +0900 (JST)
There is a far more complete report on this at SFK which includes the information that what may be slowing the operating rate of the system is radioactive sludge in the pipes . . .uh, huh. Similar to what I speculated was the problem earlier in the week.
Contaminated Water Treatment System: 53% Operating Rate for the Week
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
"It's the lowest operating rate ever, since the system went into full operation with highly contaminated water about a month ago.
The news was released one day after the announcement of the successful completion of the "step 1" in TEPCO/Japanese government's "roadmap" to somewhere (over the rainbow, way up high… it is not reality-based any more, if ever)."
I will take some time this weekend and do a more complete report on the Step 1 TEPCO plan the government trumpeted success on earlier in the week. And more on the details and implications of the Step 2 plan for controlling Fukushima. Suffice it say right now that the spent fuel pool (SFP) temperatures are rising according to the JAIF daily reports as is the temperature in Unit 3 at the bottom of the RPV.