Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire: FEPC Update to Information Sheet Regarding the Tohoku Earthquake

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Update to Information Sheet Regarding the Tohoku Earthquake

The Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan (FEPC) Washington DC Office

As of 11:00AM (EST), March 31, 2011

At 8:51AM (JST) on March 31, it was announced that radioactive nuclide I-131 was detected from the seawater sampled near the seawater discharge point (south side) of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Station at 1:55PM on March 30. The level of concentration was approximately 4,385 times higher than the maximum permissible water concentration set by the government.
At 2:00PM on March 31, radiation level at main gate (approximately 3,281 feet from Unit 2 reactor building) of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station: 157 micro Sv/hour.
At 2:00PM on March 31, radiation level at west gate (approximately 3,609 feet from Unit 2 reactor building) of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station: 99.9 micro Sv/hour.
Measurement results of environmental radioactivity level around Fukushima Nuclear Power Station announced at 7:00PM on March 31 are shown in the attached PDF file. English version is available at: http://www.mext.go.jp/english/radioactivity_level/detail/1304082.htm
For comparison, a human receives 2,400 micro Sv per year from natural radiation in the form of sunlight, radon, and other sources. One chest CT scan generates 6,900 micro Sv per scan.

At 8:00AM on March 31, pressure inside the reactor core: 0.329MPa.
At 8:00AM on March 31, water level inside the reactor core: 1.65 meters below the top of the fuel rods.
At 8:00AM on March 31, pressure inside the primary containment vessel: 0.21MPaabs.
At 8:00AM on March 31, the temperature of the reactor vessel measured at the water supply nozzle: 480.9 degrees Fahrenheit
At 9:20AM on March 31, transferring of the accumulated water at the trench (concrete tunnel which houses pipes and cables) outside the turbine building commenced, until 11:25AM. As a result, the water level at the trench was reduced from 0.14 meters to 1.14 meters below the top of the trench.
At 1:03PM on March 31, TEPCO began to shoot freshwater aimed at the spent fuel pool, with a specialized vehicle normally used for pumping concrete.
As of 3:00PM on March 31, the injection of freshwater into the reactor core continues.
As of 3:00PM on March 31, preparation to recover and transfer the accumulated water at the turbine building continues.

As of 3:00PM on March 29, the water level at the trench was 1.04 meters below the top of the trench.
At 8:00AM on March 31, the temperature of the spent fuel pool: 131 degrees Fahrenheit.
At 8:00AM on March 31, pressure inside the reactor core: -0.016MPa.
At 8:00AM on March 31, water level inside the reactor core: 1.5 meters below the top of the fuel rods.
At 8:00AM on March 31, pressure inside the primary containment vessel: 0.11MPaabs.
As of 3:00PM on March 31, the injection of freshwater into the reactor core continues.
As of 3:00PM on March 31, approximately 96 tons of water in total has been injected into the spent fuel storage pool.
As of 3:00PM on March 31, preparation to recover and transfer the accumulated water at the turbine building continues.

As of 3:00PM on March 29, the water level at the trench was 1.55 meters below the top of the trench.
At 9:40AM on March 31, pressure inside the reactor core: 0.016MPa.
At 9:40AM on March 31, water level inside the reactor core: 1.85 meters below the top of the fuel rods.
At 9:40AM on March 31, pressure inside the primary containment vessel: 0.1066MPaabs.
As of 3:00PM on March 31, the injection of freshwater into the reactor core continues.
As of 3:00PM on March 31, approximately 4,697 tons of water in total has been shot to the spent fuel storage pool.
As of 3:00PM on March 31, preparation to recover and transfer the accumulated water at the turbine building continues.

As of 3:00PM on March 31, approximately 1,098 tons of water in total has been shot to the spent fuel storage pool.

At 11:00AM on March 31, the temperature of the spent fuel pool: 86 degrees Fahrenheit.

At 11:00AM on March 31, the temperature of the spent fuel pool: 78.8 degrees Fahrenheit.

At 8:20AM on March 30, the temperature of the spent fuel pool: 89.6 degrees Fahrenheit.
As of 3:00PM on March 31, approximately 130 tons of water in total has been injected to the spent fuel storage pool.

From: Taro Ishida [ishida@denjiren.com]
Sent: 03/31/2011 11:22 AM AST
To: Taro Ishida <ishida@denjiren.com>
Cc: Samuel Lederer <lederer@denjiren.com>
Subject:

Information Sheet Regarding the Tohoku Earthquake (from FEPC Washington Office)

Dear Friends,

Please find the updated information sheet below and attached that summarizes the events from Update-15 at 10:00AM on 3/30.

For your reference, JAIF (Japan Atomic Industrial Forum) has been posting the translation of news reports on their website.

Please direct any questions regarding this document to me, Ishida@denjiren.com or Samuel Lederer, Researcher of FEPC at lederer@denjiren.com.

Our official sources are:

Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire