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September 30, 2011: CNSC Update - 3:35 p.m. EDT

On-site activities

TEPCO, the operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, announced mid-week that the temperatures of reactor units 1, 2 and 3 had dropped below 100° C. This is an important step towards achieving cold shutdown.

High hydrogen levels have been detected in the pipes of reactor unit 1. TEPCO has begun injecting nitrogen to prevent ignition and says the risk of an explosion is low, since there is no oxygen in the pipes. The Japanese nuclear regulator has ordered safety checks to determine if similar conditions are occurring in reactor units 2 and 3.

Decontamination efforts

Japanese authorities have lifted the evacuation preparedness advisory for five municipalities located in areas between 20 and 30 km from the Daiichi nuclear power plant. The five municipalities have already begun to decontaminate major infrastructures, such as schools and hospitals.

Japan’s environment ministry announced plans to build several temporary facilities to store contaminated soil, in order to speed up decontamination efforts. The ministry estimates that approximately 29 million cubic metres of soil will be removed and disposed of.

September 23, 2011: CNSC Update - 4:45 p.m. EDT

On-site activities

Typhoon Roke passed over the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant late on Wednesday. As a precautionary measure, some of the recovery operations were stopped temporarily. The storm only had a small impact on the site. Some rain water accumulated in the basements of the buildings housing reactors No. 1, 2, 3 and 4. The strong winds also damaged a number of cameras installed to monitor the facility. No further damage has been noted and recovery efforts have since resumed.

According to the updated timetable, both the Japanese government and TEPCO expect cold shutdown to be achieved before year end. The operator plans on starting to install new air filtration systems at reactors No. 1, 2 and 3 to treat contaminated gases contained in the vessels. Improvements to the three reactors’ cooling systems and completion of the structure above reactor building No. 1 are also slated for the near future. Emissions at the plant now represent about one-four millionths of the levels observed at the beginning of the incident.

Green light for IAEA Action Plan

During the IAEA General Conference this week in Vienna, its 151 Member States unanimously endorsed the Action Plan on Nuclear Safety that Ministers in their Declaration at the IAEA's June Ministerial Conference requested. The agency’s Director General, Yukiya Amano, said the Action Plan “is both a rallying point and a blueprint for strengthening nuclear safety worldwide. It contains concrete and achievable actions to make nuclear safety post-Fukushima more robust and effective than before.”

President Binder along with Ramzi Jammal, Executive VP and Chief Regulatory Operations Officer attended the Conference where Mr. Jammal delivered a presentation on the safety and security aspects of the management of high-level waste and spent fuel.

UN Secretary General convenes High Level Meeting on Nuclear Safety

The Secretary General of the United Nations chaired a High Level Meeting on Nuclear Safety involving heads of state and ministers from around the world on the margins of the continuing meeting of the UN General Assembly in New York. Along with the system-wide UN study released last week, the IAEA Action Plan and its implementation were the prominent aspects of the discussion. Jason Cameron, Director General Strategic Planning, was part of the Canadian delegation attending the meeting that was held on Thursday Sept 22nd.

No radiation detected in B.C. fish

Testing carried out by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) showed no abnormal levels of radionuclide in fish caught on the West Coast. Conducted in response to worries arising from the release of radioactive substances at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, the tests confirmed that the nuclear incident in Japan has had no measurable impact on the quality of food products in Canada. The CFIA previously conducted similar checks on domestically produced milk as well as on 165 products imported from Japan.

September 16, 2011: CNSC Update - 4:00 p.m. EDT

UN report on Fukushima

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon released a report on Wednesday, September 14, in preparation for the High-level Meeting on Nuclear Security and Safety scheduled to take place in New York next week.

This report examines the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant and integrates the findings of 16 UN-related entities, such as the World Health Organization and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Poor plant design – based on inadequate assessments of the threats posed by extreme natural phenomena – is identified as the main contributing factor that led to the accident.

The report also makes several recommendations, including strengthening nuclear power plant safety standards and establishing an international emergency response framework.

On Thursday, September 14, Ki-moon asked Japan’s Prime Minister to explain in more details the incident and the path that lies ahead, as well as to share the country’s hard-learned safety lessons with the rest of the international community.

IAEA Action Plan

Earlier this week, the IAEA Board of Governors approved the Agency’s Action Plan on Nuclear Safety (PDF). The purpose of the Action Plan is to define the work needed to strengthen the global nuclear safety framework based on lessons learned to date from the events at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. It will be presented for approval to the IAEA General Conference being held next week in Vienna, Austria. CNSC President Michael Binder and Executive Vice-President Ramzi Jammal will be part of the Canadian delegation at the event.

Site progress

TEPCO announced that it had completed the frame of the structure to cover reactor building No. 1. The installation should be finished at the end of October. Efforts to lower the temperature of reactor vessels have continued this week, with further water injections.

September 9, 2011: CNSC Update - 4:00 p.m. EDT

Progress towards cold shutdown

Making progress towards achieving cold shutdown, TEPCO announced Monday that the temperature at the bottom of the vessel of reactor No. 3 fell below 100°C. The progress is partly attributed to the use of an additional cooling technique, which the operator is now contemplating to attain similar results at reactor No. 2. The temperature of reactor No. 1 is already below 90°C. Cooling of the three reactors’ pressure vessels is only one of the conditions that the government has set before it will consider the plant as having achieved cold shutdown.

Estimates of radioactive releases to the sea

A team of researchers from the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Kyoto University and other institutions has published new estimates for the amount of radioactive materials released into the sea between March and May. The researchers calculated that about 15,000 terabecquerels of materials were released, a figure which includes the effect of the plume carried over water. Obtaining accurate estimates is important in order to assess the impact of the incident on the marine environment.

Japan’s Prime Minister inspects site and maintains phase-out

Japan’s newly elected Prime Minister, Yoshihiko Noda, visited the site of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on Thursday. He thanked employees for their efforts and reaffirmed his government’s commitment to resolving the situation. During his first speech last Friday, Noda also stated he would keep Japan on the path of phasing out nuclear energy by not allowing the building of new nuclear power plants or the continued operations of existing facilities beyond their established lifespans.

September 2, 2011: CNSC Update - 4:45 p.m. EDT

Seismic activity near nuclear facilities in Japan

Following a government ordered review on seismic risk, TEPCO and two other utilities identified 14 active fault lines near their nuclear facilities, five near the Fukushima Daiichi power plant. Previously thought inactive, the recent discovery of geological deformations suggests they are in fact active. The operators confirmed their facilities are designed to withstand potential earthquakes that could occur near the fault lines.

Recovery efforts

TEPCO announced a nine-stage plan to extract melted rods from reactor vessels. The first three stages involve removing debris to repair containment vessels and stop water leaks. Meanwhile, the health ministry announced that the acceptable radiation dose limit for emergency staff working on site would be lowered to its original level, from 250 to 100 millisieverts in the fall 2011.

TEPCO announced compensation package

The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant made public its new standards to compensate the public for evacuation cost, mental suffering, medical costs and income lost due to the evacuation. Farmers will also receive additional compensation according to the plan. Also this week, Japan’s agriculture ministry released a map of radiation levels in agricultural lands, identifying areas with cesium contamination above government standards.

Advisory for Canadians travelling to Japan

Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada advises against all travel within 30 km of the Fukushima nuclear power plant, as well as to the districts and towns that have a recommended or pending evacuation order. To maintain the lowest possible exposure to radiation, Canadians in the affected areas should actively seek out and follow the advice of local Japanese authorities regarding protective measures, including advisories on the consumption of water and food. For more information on health issues in Japan, visit the Public Health Agency of Canada Web site.

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August 26, 2011: CNSC Update - 4:30 p.m. EDT

Japanese Prime Minister Resigns

CNN reports that Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan has announced his resignation.  Kan, whose approval rating tumbled in the wake of the March earthquake and tsunami, had promised to step down once the Japanese parliament approved two pieces of legislation – the deficit-financing bond bill and the new energy promotion bill.  Those bills were passed Friday. The ruling Democratic Party of Japan will elect a new leader next week, who will take over as prime minister.

Large Zone Near Reactors To Be Off Limits

The New York Times reports information from several major news outlets that a Japanese survey has found radioactive contamination that far exceeds safe levels in broad areas around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. As a result, the areas could soon be declared uninhabitable, possibly for decades, as has been the case for areas around the Chernobyl plant in Ukraine since the 1986 accident. A formal announcement is expected from the Japanese government in coming days.  It would be the first official recognition that the March accident at the plant would result in the long-term depopulation of communities near Fukushima Daiichi; an eventuality scientists and some officials have been warning about for months.

Japanese Prime Minister Naota Kan is reportedly planning to visit Fukushima Prefecture later this week to inform affected residents directly. The affected communities are all within 12 miles of the plant, an area evacuated immediately after the accident. The government is expected to inform residents that they will not be able to return home for an indefinite period and will draw up plans to compensate them by renting their now uninhabitable land, among other things.

All Bans on Cattle Shipments to be Lifted

The Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF) reports the Japanese government has decided to lift all remaining bans on shipments of beef from Fukushima, Iwate and Tochigi prefectures after ensuring that adequate radiation testing will be conducted.  The bans have been in effect since July 19, when radioactive cesium above government limits was detected in beef from cattle that had been fed contaminated straw.

Radiation Limits to be Tightened at Schools

The Japanese government plans to tighten radiation exposure limits for school children in Fukushima Prefecture.  The Education Ministry says it will lower the threshold for cumulative external radiation permitted at schools and kindergartens to a maximum annual exposure of one millisievert. That is less that one microsievert per hour.  The previous standard of a maximum of 20 millisieverts per year, or 3.8 microsieverts per hour, was set in April after the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

Three-Quarters of Japan’s Nuclear Plants to Halt this Month

JAIF reports that Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) plans to shut down the No. 7 reactor of the Kashiwazaki-kariwa nuclear plant in Niigata Prefecture for regular inspection this month.  If TEPCO does so, 40 of Japan’s 54 nuclear reactors will be out of service.  Eleven reactors are scheduled to complete their regular check-up later this month, but it is unlikely utility operators will be able to restart them immediately.  They must first conduct stress tests and obtain the necessary approvals from local communities to restart.

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August 19, 2011: CNSC Update - 3:20 p.m. EDT

Japanese Cabinet Endorses Planned New Nuclear Watchdog

The Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF) reports that on Monday, the Japanese Cabinet endorsed a plan to set up a new nuclear safety agency under the Environment Ministry. The new agency will take over the functions of the current Japanese nuclear regulator, the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency.  It will be responsible for the advisory functions of the Cabinet Office’s Nuclear Safety Commission and take over radiation monitoring now done by the science ministry. The new agency will oversee safety management at Japanese nuclear plants, ensure regular inspections are conducted appropriately, and be in charge of initial responses in the event of a nuclear accident. The Japanese government plans to launch the new agency in April 2012.

Radioactive Sludge Piling Up

NHK News says local governments in 17 prefectures in northeastern and central Japan reported that contaminated sludge from sewage facilities now totals over 54,400 tons. About 75 percent of the sludge contains less than 8,000 becquerals per kilogram of radioactive cesium.  That is the government-set limit for disposal by burial.  Some 27,700 tons of radioactive sludge remains in storage at water treatment plant despite government plans to bury it.

New Fukushima Decontamination Plan

JAIF report the Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) have said they will try to reduce radioactive releases from the Fukushima Daiichi plant by directly treating contaminated gas in the reactors. The plan calls for the gas to be extracted from the reactor through existing pipes and then filtered to remove cesium and other radioactive substances.  The plan would be added to the current plan to cover the Unit 1 reactor building with polyester sheets, which is currently underway.  The government and TEPCO’s timetable aims for steep cuts in radioactive releases by January 2012.

NHK reports that the government and TEPCO have said that radiation levels around the Fukushima plant over the past two weeks were 200 million becquerals per hour, about one-fifth the levels detected in July and one-10 millionth the levels detected in mid march, shortly after the earthquake and tsunami damaged the plant.

Fukushima Cold Shutdown Behind Schedule

Nikkei reports that TEPCO had only processed about 42,000 tons of highly contaminated water by the end of last week, leaving roughly 120,000 tons still in the basements of the turbine buildings and elsewhere at the Fukushima Daiichi plant.  TEPCO had set itself a goal of processing 200,000 tons by the end of the year, because more water would be contaminated while bringing the damaged reactors under control. Earlier this week TEPCO its projection was too optimistic.

To realize cold shutdown more water needs to be injected into the Fukushima reactors, but that would increase the amount of contaminated water leaking from the damaged pressure and containment vessels.

Presently nearly 4 tons of water are being pumped in the Unit 1 and 2 reactors every hour, while over 9 tons an hour are being pumped into the hotter Unit 3.  Temperatures at the bottom of those reactors haven’t fallen much from around 100 degrees Celsius. And because the conditions inside the damaged reactors remain unknown, there is no way of telling how hot the melted-down nuclear fuel actually is. Even if temperatures at the bottom of the pressure vessels drop, it may not necessarily mean that a proper cold shutdown has been achieved, because the reactor’s fuel may have melted completely through and reached the containment vessels.

TEPCO has been able to bring the spent nuclear fuel storage pools under control and has installed a circulatory cooling system in the pools at Units 1, 2, 3 and 4.  The next steps involves desalinating the water in the storage pools, after which TEPCO will examine the best ways to remove the fuel rods, some of which may be damaged, from the pools.

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August 12, 2011: CNSC Update - 3:15 p.m. EDT

Circulatory Cooling of Unit 1 Pool Begins

On Wednesday, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) switched to a circulatory cooling system from a water injection system at the Fukushima Daiichi Unit 1 spent reactor fuel storage pool. With the start-up of this new system, all four damaged units are now using circulatory cooling systems for the first time since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami and are on track to stable cooling.

Assembly of Fukushima Cover for Unit 1 Reactor Building

TEPCO has started assembling a cover over the damaged reactor building of unit 1 at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The top section of Unit 1's reactor building was wrecked by a hydrogen explosion, the first at the site, on March 12. With a lightweight construction compared to the thick reinforced concrete of a reactor building, the cover will form a seal around the damaged building to prevent emissions of radioactive material, while protecting the building from the weather.

Japan Reassessing Evacuation Orders

The Japanese government has indicated that it may lift an evacuation advisory for some areas near the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant as soon as next month, in what would be the first areas reopened since the nuclear accident in March.  The easing has become possible because of success in stabilizing the three reactors at the plant that melted down after the magnitude-9 earthquake and huge tsunami on March 11, according to the Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters.

CNSC’s Establishes External Advisory Committee on Japan

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) has established an external advisory committee to assess the organization’s processes and responses in light of the lessons learned from the Fukushima nuclear incident. Committee members will review the CNSC’s processes including the immediate response to the Fukushima incident, its connections with the rest of government and international organizations, its interactions with the Canadian nuclear sector and its communications with affected stakeholders.

Presentation by Executive Vice President Ramzi Jammal to External Advisory Committee

Japan Invited to UN Meeting

The Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF) reports that, following a visit to Fukushima Prefecture on Monday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon asked Japan to share what it learned from the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi plant during discussions on nuclear safety standards during a summit-level conference to be held in New York in September.

Japanese PM Kan told Ban that Japan would participate in the meeting and make a maximum contribution, but stopped short of saying whether he himself would attend.

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August 5, 2011: CNSC Update - 1:00 p.m. EDT

Decommissioning Fukushima

NHK World News reports that a government-appointed panel plans to finalize a timetable by January 2012 on decommissioning damaged reactors at the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

The panel of experts, set up by the Japan Atomic Energy Commission, will draw up a timetable using the accident at Three Mile Island in 1979 as a reference. Its first goal – the extraction of melted fuel rods – is more serious at Fukushima because the condition of the melted fuel is not known. Because the reactor cores at Fukushima are more badly damaged than the Three Mile Island reactor, Kyoto University Professor Hajimu Yamana, who heads the panel, said he expects the process to extract the melted fuel could take as long as 20 years.

New Japanese Nuclear Watchdog

The Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF) reports the Japanese government will create a new nuclear safety agency. The draft plan calls for detaching regulatory functions of the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency from the Industry Ministry, and establishing a new nuclear regulatory body under the Environment Ministry.

The new body would be in charge of initial responses to nuclear accidents and radiation monitoring, as well as control of radioactive substances. It would also be responsible for taking measures against nuclear terrorism in coordination with public security authorities.

The Nuclear Safety Commission, currently under the Cabinet Office, would be renamed and placed under the new nuclear watchdog as its advisory body. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano told reporters that he believes the plan is one option and that the government must comprehensively study the plan to review the independence, neutrality and feasibility of the new organization. Edano said it will take time to overhaul Japan’s nuclear administration, and that an organizational change could be implemented in stages. The government plans to finalize the plan shortly and submit proposed legislation to the Japanese legislature early next year.

Evacuation Orders

CNSC staff has updated its radioactive release scenarios for the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant using latest available data and understanding of the evolving situation at the plant and conclude that their assessment of the evacuation zone aligns with the current advice of the Japanese authorities.

An evacuation order is in effect by Japanese authorities for the zone within 20 km of the Fukushima plant, as well as the districts of Katsurao, Namie, parts of Kawamata, Minami Soma and Iitate. Japanese authorities recommend that people located within 20 to 30 km of the plant remain indoors, keep all windows and doors closed, and refrain from using ventilation systems.

Canadians living or visiting the affected areas are advised that they may be exposed to higher levels of radiation than in Canada. In order to maintain the lowest possible exposures, it is advisable to seek out and follow the latest advice of Japanese authorities in matters related to ongoing or future protective measures, in particular related to:

  • delimited areas around the Fukushima plant and other affected areas; and
  • exposure reduction including the consumption of water and food.

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July 28, 2011: CNSC Update - 4:40 p.m. EDT

IAEA chief visits Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant

IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano arrived in Japan on Sunday for extensive briefings by the Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) officials and to visit the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant to see how the reactors are being cooled down.

Amano will identify ways for the IAEA to cooperate with Japan in containing the situation and will also check the progress of the "road map" drawn up by the Tokyo Electric Power Company.

He will also meet with Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan and other senior-level officials to discuss the outcomes of the June 2011 Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Safety, including the initiatives to improve global nuclear safety. In his meetings, Director General Amano will emphasize the IAEA's resolve to continue to offer support to Japan in mitigating the consequences of the Fukushima accident.

Nuclear stress tests

To reassure the public of the safety of its nuclear power plants, Japan's nuclear regulator has instructed power utilities to carry out additional safety tests on their nuclear plants. The tests, divided into two stages, will involve simulations to gauge nuclear reactor resilience to earthquakes, tsunamis and other events beyond their current designed capacity, as well as to a loss of electricity and cooling systems.

The primary tests will assess main safety systems and whether they could be damaged or knocked out by natural disasters beyond the plant design basis. This should identify the magnitude of events that could cause damage to nuclear fuel, as well as any weak points in a reactor’s design.

The second stage will consider even more severe events and will center on a sequence of potential accidents that would make it impossible to avoid a serious accident. This stage will focus on the fundamental safety systems that were disabled by the March 11 tsunami, which lead to the Fukushima accident. This secondary analysis needs to be carried out by the end of the year and the results will be considered by the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency as well as the Nuclear Safety Commission.

Stable cooling of reactors achieved at Fukushima-Daiichi

The Japan Atomic Industry Forum reports that temperatures at the bottom of Fukushima Daiichi reactor 1 have remained below 100 degrees Celsius for six consecutive days through July 24.

TEPCO says it achieved the lowered temperature by raising the amount of water injected into the reactor and that the company has begun implementing step 2 of its recovery plan for the reactors, which includes maintaining temperatures at the bottom of reactors 1, 2 and 3 below 100 degrees Celsius. TEPCO began using a new circulatory water injection system late last month and the stable operation of the circulatory water injection system is crucial to achieving that goal.

The main goal of the work being carried out at the plant, which was hit by an earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011, is establishing stable cooling and bringing the reactors to a state of cold shutdown.

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July 22, 2011

CNSC Update - 9:45 a.m. EDT: On Tuesday, Naoto Kan, Japan’s Prime Minister told a parliamentary committee that efforts to end the crisis at the Fukushima nuclear power plant are on schedule, stating that the plant has been ‘successfully stabilized’ with no further risk of meltdowns. Kan reassured the committee that the entire plant would be in a safe, cold shutdown state by January.

Contaminated Beef

Earlier this week, Japan imposed a ban on beef shipments from areas near the Fukushima nuclear plant after finding 637 cattle were fed hay containing radioactive cesium.  

According to an official at the food-monitoring division of the Tokyo metropolitan government, some beef from the 637 cattle contained cesium exceeding government standards and was sold to consumers.

Earlier this week, the Japanese health ministry confirmed that as much as 2,300 becquerels of cesium per kilogram was detected in the contaminated beef, whereas the government limit is 500 becquerels per kilogram. It is believed that the overall long-term implications for people who have eaten the beef to be extremely minor as far as any potential harmful health effects.

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s food safety department says that there has been no case of contaminated beef exports so far.

U.S. NRC Task Force

During a public meeting on the Task Force review of U.S. NRC processes and regulations following events in Japan, agency staff told the five members of the commission that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s rules are a patchwork that needs to be reorganized and integrated into a new structure to improve safety.

Prior to the briefing, Commission Chairman Gregory Jaczko had called for the agency to take “strong steps” to boost safety, and he said he wanted to see the commission give clear direction on its intentions regarding regulations within 90 days and then complete a badly needed overhaul of the agency’s regulations within five years.

Another likely area of restructuring will be to review the distinction that the commission makes between “design basis” and “beyond design basis” accidents, i.e. events far beyond what they were originally designed to withstand.

The task force will hold a meeting July 28 at which members of the public can ask questions about the report.

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July 15, 2011

CNSC Update – 2:00 p.m. EDT: Further to Japan’s decision to carry out stress tests of its nuclear plants, Japan's chief cabinet secretary, Yukio Edano, announced that these stress tests will be conducted in two phases. The first step will determine whether 35 reactors which have been taken offline for periodic inspections could withstand large earthquakes and tsunamis. Utilities will be required to examine the safety margin of important pieces of equipment according to guidelines set by the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) and Nuclear Safety Commission (NSC). The results of these tests will assist the government in deciding whether a reactor shut for inspections can or cannot resume operation.

The second step, similar to the stress tests proposed by the European Union, will involve a comprehensive safety assessment of all reactors and will be conducted to enhance the reliability of safety checks. Only 19 of Japan's 54 nuclear power reactors are currently in operation.

On July 13, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said that the country must gradually reduce reliance on nuclear power and should aim "for a society without any reliance on nuclear power generation in the future." He did not give a timetable for phasing out nuclear power.

According to Mr. Kan, Japan must scrap its plan that calls for a 53% increase of nuclear power by 2030, up from the pre-quake level of roughly 30 percent. He also took a stand against the government's slogan about the safety of nuclear power -- the "safety myth" that allowed for construction of 54 reactors over four decades.

Kan also said that Japan's regulator, the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, has lacked effective means of enforcement because it is part of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, which promotes nuclear power. NISA's closeness to the nuclear power promoters was recognized as "one of the main reasons for not enabling thorough safety checks" before Fukushima. He stated that NISA will be separated from the ministry.

Earlier this week, the USNRC task force established by President Obama in the wake of the nuclear disaster at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi power plant released its report entitled Recommendations for Enhancing Reactor Safety in the 21st Century.

The report recommends that plants update plans to protect from major earthquakes or flooding at least every 10 years; strengthen their ability to deal with a complete loss of power over a long period of time; provide new ways of cooling spent fuel pools; and improve emergency response capabilities, among other things.

The task force will deliver a longer-term report to the commission in six months.

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July 8, 2011

CNSC Update – 3:20 p.m. EDT: Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) reports that its radioactive water recycling system is working slightly below target capacity. The system was first started on June 27 but its operation was disrupted several times in the early days. TEPCO workers are looking into why the filters are working below the forecast rate.

NHK World News reports that parts of the covers that will prevent radioactive materials from being released from the damaged reactor buildings have begun to arrive at the Fukushima Daiichi NPS. The covers will be installed over the reactor buildings of Units 1, 2 and 3, which were damaged by hydrogen explosions triggered by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. TEPCO hopes to complete the assembly of the covers by late September.

The New York Times reports that Japan plans to carry out safety tests of its nuclear plant to address concerns among communities with nuclear reactors. Japanese Trade and Industry Minister, Banri Kaieda, told reporters the tests will be modeled on those being conducted in Europe that evaluate whether reactors can withstand disasters such as earthquakes, floods, plane crashes and explosions. The Japanese government wants to show that the country’s nuclear plants meet international standards and assure local residents that reactors are safe. The issue of local acceptance has come to the forefront as Tokyo tries to persuade regional leaders to allow the restart of dozens of reactors that were originally shut down for regular maintenance, but have not restarted since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. Presently, 35 of Japan’s 54 reactors are off-line, some due to earthquake-related damage, but most because of routine repairs. Japanese law requires reactors to shut down every 13 months for maintenance.

Platts reports that the European Trade Unions Council (ETUC) adopted a resolution last week that it made public on Monday, saying it would refrain from taking a position on the future of nuclear energy but demanded that where nuclear power is used, safety and security be “strongly reinforced.” The ETUC said that "in a nuclear accident, the first victims are always the nuclear industry and plant level workers, who sacrifice their health and even their lives in order to reduce the risks for others." There is "no adequate insurance protection" for damage such as that caused by Japan's Fukushima I accident, ETUC said. "Liabilities for the companies involved have to be raised considerably" to ensure the costs of cleanup do not "fall disproportionately on the general population," it said. The ETUC called on the EU to ensure "the highest possible level of safety and security in Europe by pushing member states to enforce standards in order to avoid nuclear accidents and to minimize the consequences in case of accidents." The full text is at www.etuc.org/a/8844

According to NHK World News, Japan's science and technology ministry says tests have found no radioactive strontium in the seabed off the northern Pacific coast. The test follows last month's detection of strontium in the seabed near the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. TEPCO took samples three kilometres off the coast at two locations – 20 kilometers south and north of the plant. Radioactive strontium can cause cancer as it accumulates in bones if inhaled. No strontium was found this time in samples taken at six locations between 10 and 30 kilometres off a section of the Pacific coast that includes Fukushima Prefecture and two prefectures to the south and north. Japan’s Nuclear Safety Commission, an independent body advising the ministry, says more evidence is needed to prove that no strontium has reached these locations. The current system cannot detect amounts below 0.8 becquerels of strontium per kilogram of soil. It has advised the ministry to use a method that can detect smaller amounts of the radioactive substance.

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Friday, June 30, 2011

CNSC Update – 12:00 p.m. EDT: Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) restarted its new reactor core cooling system at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on Wednesday after fixing faults in the piping. The utility has been forced to suspend the system’s operations several times in the past week due a series of leaks. The cooling system is designed to decontaminate radioactive wastewater accumulating at the plant and reuse the treated water to cool the reactor cores. TEPCO says the system holds the key to stabilizing the reactors and reducing the amount of contaminated water. Also on Wednesday, workers found water leaking from a storage tank for decontaminated water. TEPCO says the leak stopped after about 2 hours. It is now investigating the cause.

On Tuesday, TEPCO began injecting nitrogen in the Unit 2 reactor containment vessel to prevent hydrogen explosions. The utility believes hydrogen may be building up inside the containment vessel. Nitrogen is already being injected into the Unit 1 containment vessel and there are plans to do the same with Unit 3, however high radiation readings are delaying the installation of the necessary piping. The Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF) reports that, according to TEPCO’s roadmap to contain the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, the injection of nitrogen into Unit 1, 2 and 3 reactor containment vessels is scheduled to be complete by July 17.

TEPCO has begun assembly of the frame for a polyester shield over the Unit 1 reactor building that will contain the spread of radiation. One of the largest cranes in Japan, capable of lifting 750 tons, has been brought to the site.  It will first be used to remove debris from the roof of the Unit 1 reactor building.  Then it will be used to lift into place the steel frame and polyester fiber panels, which are being pre-assembled offsite at the Onahama Port, some 50 kilometres away.  TEPCO hopes to complete assembly of the cover by late September.

JAIF reports that Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Banri Kaieda, released a statement June 18 calling for Japan’s nuclear power plants to restart operations, saying that nuclear power was one of the four important elements in the country’s energy future. After the March 11 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi NPS, METI directed Japan’s electric power utilities to take emergency safety measures for the loss of all AC power supplies due to a tsunami. Based on its review of information provided by the utilities and on-site inspections of each nuclear power plant, METI has since confirmed that the required measures are being steadily implemented. The Minister said that METI staff has determined that there are no safety problems to restarting nuclear power plants, with the exception of Chubu Electric Power Company’s Hamaoka NPS, which is currently shut down due to special circumstances related to a hypothetical earthquake in the Tokai region.

NHK World News reports that nearly 80 percent of Japanese municipalities with nuclear power plants have expressed caution about the reactor resuming operations. NHK talked to 28 municipalities, except those in Fukushima Prefecture, asking whether they would allow the resumption of operations. Only two responded that they would soon. Five said they would not do so for the time being and the remainder said they could not decide at this time. Asked what they consider important in making such a decision, 64 percent cited local consent and 57 percent said adequate measures against earthquakes and tsunamis.

The IAEA Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Safety concluded five days of deliberations in Vienna on June 24. The Conference was called to identify lessons learned from the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station in Japan that was caused by an earthquake and tsunami on March 11. The Canadian delegation was headed by Karen Ellis, Associate Deputy Minister, Natural Resources Canada, and included senior officials from CNSC, Health Canada and DFAIT, as well as from industry (AECL and OPG). The Conference adopted a Ministerial Declaration (PDF) that called for improvements in global nuclear safety. The Ministers asked the Director General to prepare a draft Action Plan to address issues related to nuclear safety, emergency preparedness and response and radiation protection of people and the environment, as well as the international legal framework. For his part, IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano presented five proposals: (1) to strengthen nuclear Safety Standards; (2) to systematically review the safety of all nuclear power plants, including by expanding the IAEA's program of expert peer reviews; (3) to enhance the effectiveness of national nuclear regulatory bodies and ensure their independence; (4) to strengthen the global emergency preparedness and response system; and (5) to expand the Agency's role in receiving and disseminating information. An important contribution to the development of the Action Plan will be summaries from various working groups held during the week. The Chairpersons' summaries of all of the working groups' deliberations can be accessed here (PDF). The Director General will now prepare a draft Action Plan on the way ahead, taking into consideration the views expressed by Member States. The Action Plan will be submitted to the IAEA Board of Governors and General Conference in September 2011 for endorsement by Member States.

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Friday, June 24, 2011

CNSC Update – 12:45 p.m. EDT: Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) efforts to control the levels of radioactive water at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station continue to face challenges. More than 110,000 tons of contaminated water is believed to have built up in the reactor and turbine buildings of Units 1, 2 and 3 and has filled available storage space to capacity. The onset this week of the annual rainy season is adding to fears of overflows. There are concerns that heavy rainfall could raise water levels in the basements of the turbine buildings significantly.

TEPCO has not yet been able to start full operation of a new system to decontaminate the water.  Its operation was halted last Friday after higher than anticipated levels of radioactivity were detected around the decontamination equipment. The utility has since tested different absorbents and determined that it needs to change them more frequently.  It has also found that the rate of water flow through the system should be varied depending upon the level of radioactivity present. TEPCO restarted system testing on Tuesday and hopes to resume full operation by the end of the week.

TEPCO workers continue work to reinforce the spent fuel storage pool at Fukushima Daiichi Unit 4. The walls of the pool were damaged by a hydrogen explosion on March 15.  The Unit 4 pool currently holds a little more than two cores worth of reactor fuel assemblies and in its damaged condition, could be vulnerable to future earthquakes. TEPCO completed the installation of iron pillars, the first phase of the work, last week. The utility plans to encase the pillars in concrete by the end of July.  It then plans to install the same type of circulatory cooling system as that is being used in the Unit 2 spent fuel storage pool.

NHK reports there is no prospect for the resumption of operations at shutdown nuclear reactors in Japan even after regular inspections are completed. Of the 54 reactors in Japan, 35 suspended operations due to the after-effects of the earthquake, scheduled inspections, or the request of the government. Eleven reactors will be in a position to resume operations by the end of August but have not yet received approval from local communities.  Of the 17 reactors currently operating, five are scheduled to suspend operations by August for mandatory safety checks – once every 13 months, under Japanese law. The remaining 12 reactors are all scheduled to suspend operations by early 2012 for the same reason.

Canada is well represented at the IAEA Ministerial meeting on nuclear safety in Vienna this week with senior CNSC staff as members of the Canadian delegation. CNSC Executive Vice President and Chief Regulatory Officer, Ramzi Jammal, gave two presentations: one on June 21 at the CANDU Nuclear Technology Seminar about Canada’s regulatory response during the Japan nuclear crisis, including the CNSC’s review of all Canadian nuclear facilities and the establishment of a CNSC operational task force to evaluate the implications of the Japan nuclear event on Canadian nuclear power plants. His June 22 presentation to the IAEA conference provided an overview of the global nuclear safety framework, and perspectives on the challenges faced by regulators. The presentation also proposed a roadmap to strengthen nuclear safety around the world post-Fukushima. The presentations can be found here:

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) member states have agreed on the need for emergency inspections of nuclear reactors around the world. The agreement came during a working session on nuclear safety based on lessons learned from the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station.  There are opposing views on the situation: some delegates say it isn’t appropriate to study universal safety measures based on the Fukushima disaster, believing it was a special case because of the tsunami. Others voiced the need for stricter safety procedures to prevent the total loss of backup power sources at nuclear plants.  The working session’s chairman, Michael Weightman, expressed the hope that delegates will use Fukushima lessons to draw up an action plan to bolster nuclear safety by the end of the session on Friday.

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Thursday, June 16, 2011

CNSC Update – 3:45 p.m. EDT: The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced that effective June 13, it is discontinuing routine testing of food products imported from Japan. All food products tested by CFIA were found to be well below Health Canada’s action levels for radiation. CFIA also plans to sample and test fish off the coast of British Columbia to monitor for the presence of radiation, but anticipates the test results will also be well below Health Canada’s action levels.

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) has begun testing equipment which can absorb cesium and other radioactive substances, on low-level radioactive water at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station. TEPCO hopes to complete the testing and begin operating the water treatment facility on June 17. TEPCO is concerned about the space required to store more than 105,000 tons of highly radioactive water that is building up inside the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear power station.

TEPCO has also begun work to reduce the level of radioactivity in seawater near the Fukushima Daiichi station.  It began full-time operation of two devices that absorb cesium using the mineral, zeolite. The devices are installed near the intakes of the Unit 2 and 3 reactors where high radiation levels have been detected. 

This month, TEPCO will begin covering the Unit 1 reactor building with polyester sheets to prevent the dispersal of radioactivity.  Radioactivity from Units 1, 3 and 4 reactors, which were damaged by hydrogen explosions, is still being released into the atmosphere. There are fears that coming rains may hamper workers’ efforts and that rainwater could become contaminated with radioactivity. To prevent this, TEPCO plans to enclose the reactor buildings with polyester sheets.

The Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF) reports that the Japanese health ministry has said that an additional 23 workers at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant may have been exposed to more than 100 millisieverts (mSv) of radiation. The ministry ordered TEPCO to immediately release the workers from duty, saying keeping them at the plant could push their exposure over the temporary limit of 250 mSv. TEPCO has been ordered to have the workers undergo medical exams.  Previous reports revealed that two workers had been exposed to over 600 mSv and six others were thought to have been exposed to up to 500 mSv. TEPCO is screening some 3,700 workers at the Fukushima Daiichi site for radiation exposure. The utility has until late June to complete testing and report back to the health ministry. 

City authorities and the central government have jointly checked radiation concentrations in an area of Date City in Fukushima Prefecture, some 60 kilometres from the Daiichi nuclear power station. The estimated levels of accumulated radiation have already exceeded state evacuation standards set for some parts of the city in April. Measurements of 2.92 microsieverts per hour were found in Kamioguni, a district of Ryozen. JAIF reports that if people were to stay in such an environment all day for 15 days, the radiation level would exceed 1 mSv, the annual limit recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection. Date City is not a designated evacuation zone and will continue to conduct surveys on its own to fully assess the situation.

Ten Japanese utility companies operating nuclear power plants have submitted reports to the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) on measures to address possible severe accidents like those that occurred at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station.  The measures include installing equipment to open holes in reactor buildings to vent hydrogen, hydrogen density gauges inside reactor buildings, and the use of power-generating vehicles to activate ventilators and maintain communications in control rooms.  The utilities will also procure special protective gear to allow workers to operate in highly radioactive environments. They propose to pre-position heavy construction equipment to clear debris in the event of hydrogen explosions. NISA plans to assess the measures following inspections of nuclear plants across Japan later this week.

Next week, countries will be gathering in Vienna, Austria for the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Ministerial Conference, where they will assess the state of lessons learned and begin to map out a concrete roadmap that will strengthen nuclear safety in the aftermath of the events in Japan.

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Thursday, June 9, 2011

CNSC Update – 4:15 p.m. EDT: Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) is making final preparations to activate special purification equipment to treat radioactive waste water at the Fukushima Daiichi NPP. TEPCO recently tested equipment that will remove radioactive substances from water. TEPCO expects the system to decontaminate about 1,200 tons of water daily before it is transferred to temporary storage tanks on the Daiichi site.

TEPCO workers have completed removal of radioactive debris outside the Unit 3 reactor building as part of a clean-up and stabilization plan started last month.  TEPCO plans to inject nitrogen gas into the Unit 3 reactor containment vessel to prevent additional hydrogen explosions.  The utility will also install a circulatory cooling system at the Unit 3 reactor. High radiation levels detected near the entrance to the Unit delayed this work last month. TEPCO personnel will soon enter the building to check for debris inside and monitor radiation levels. .

CNN reports that Japan’s Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters said June 6 that the organization’s latest evaluation indicates that reactor units 1, 2 and 3 at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear Power station had experienced full meltdowns in the wake of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. 

Energy officials and ministers from over 30 countries attended talks on nuclear safety hosted by the French government in Paris this week. The officials have agreed to strengthen cooperation in the case of a nuclear accident through the creation of cross-border response teams, on the grounds that radiation crosses borders when an accident occurs. Participants were split, however, over the extent to which countries could inspect neighbour’s nuclear safety measures.  Countries abandoning nuclear energy, like Switzerland, advocated scrutiny into neighbouring countries’ safety systems.  Pro-nuclear countries, such as India, are opposed to a mandatory inspection system. The Paris talks are being held in advance of a high-level International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conference that starts in Vienna on June 20.

The Government of Japan’s report to the IAEA Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Safety – “The Accident at TEPCO’s Fukushima Nuclear Power Stations” can be accessed at the following link: http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/kan/topics/201106/iaea_houkokusho_e.html Please note that the report is available only in English.

The IAEA board has agreed that the Agency will study the long-term effects of the spillage of radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi site on the maritime environment in the Pacific. Australia, South Korea and Indonesia will lead the study into possible sea pollution in the Pacific Ocean and the East China Sea The survey team will collect samples of radioactive substances in sea water and compare them to data collected before the nuclear accident in Fukushima. The study begins in July and will last four years.

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Friday, June 3, 2011

CNSC Update – 2:15 p.m. EDT: TEPCO says a small explosion reported near Unit 4 on May 31 caused no damage to the plant’s facilities. It says unmanned heavy equipment removing debris at the site damaged an oxygen cylinder, causing it to burst.

Kyodo News reports that Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) may not be able to stabilize the damaged reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi site by the end of the year as it originally forecast in April. Recently discovered damage to several systems has prompted the company to predict “a major delay to work”. 

On May 31, TEPCO set up the first circulatory cooling system at the Fukushima site since the accident. The system is to effectively cool water in the spent fuel storage pool in the Unit 2 reactor building.  Similar systems will be started up at the Unit 1 and 3 spent fuel storage pools in June and at the Unit 4 pool in July.

Kazumasa Iwata, president of the Japan Center for Economic Research, a private think tank, estimates the cost of the Fukushima Daiichi accident could range from 71 to 259 billion dollars.  The estimate includes $54 billion to buy up all land within 20 kilometres of the plant, $8 billion in compensation to local residents, and $9 to $188 billion to scrap the Fukushima Daiichi reactors.  The Center’s estimate is part of the Japanese Nuclear Safety Commission’s ongoing survey of opinions on the disaster.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has concluded a fact finding mission to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station and other nuclear facilities in Japan. Team leader Michael Weightman delivered the preliminary report on June 1. The report says Japan underestimated the tsunami hazard at several nuclear power plant sites and urges the Japanese government to correctly assess the risks of all natural disasters and draw up protective measures in the design and operation of nuclear power plants. The report adds that Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) should be independent and be given a clear role based on IAEA standards, in order to be able to respond appropriately to disasters. Weightman said the accident at Fukushima has lessons that can be shared by all countries.

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Thursday, May 26, 2011

CNSC Update – 2:35 p.m. EDT: Further to its announcement last week that Fukushima Daiichi reactor Unit 1 had suffered a reactor fuel meltdown shortly after the March 11 earthquake, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) says that meltdown occurred after the quake knocked out the reactor’s cooling system. This caused the fuel rods to melt, creating holes in the reactor pressure vessel and caused damage to the reactor containment vessel. Some of these holes are believed to be up to 10 centimetres in diameter. TEPCO also says its analysis of Unit 1 data indicates the temperature of the primary containment vessel rose to over 300°C, which caused damage to metal and rubber parts used to seal joints in the vessel. The company says highly contaminated water appears to have leaked through these damaged sections.

TEPCO reveals its analysis of data from Fukushima Daiichi reactor Units 2 and 3 shows that it is likely that the reactors also suffered reactor fuel meltdowns within days of the March 11 earthquake.  The company says that a cooling system failure at the Unit 2 reactor three days after the earthquake led to a significant drop in its water levels. With regard to the Unit 3 reactor, TEPCO says the fuel rods could have reached meltdown state by the evening of March 15, some 100 hours after the earthquake.  The company added that both reactors are now stable at relatively low temperatures.

The Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF) reports that TEPCO has suspended work to transfer highly radioactive water from the reactor buildings of Units 2 ands 3 to storage facilities at the Fukushima Daiichi site so that work on power supply lines can be completed. Once the work is complete the transfer of water from Unit 2 will resume.  The transfer from Unit 3 will remain on hold until TEPCO can determine how much storage space remains available.

JAIF reports that TEPCO will be installing two heat exchangers at the Unit 2 reactor building to lower the temperature of the spent fuel storage pool. High humidity levels have been limiting the length of time workers can spend in the reactor building.  The humidity is believed to be a result of the high temperatures of the spent fuel storage pool and steam from the suppression pool. It is believed that the suppression pool may have been damaged by hydrogen explosions after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

TEPCO reports that it has detected high levels of caesium-134 above the Unit 1 reactor, where most of the fuel rods are believed to have melted.  TEPCO detected 360 Bq of Cs-134 per cubic metre, which is 18 times the allowable limit for the plant’s perimeter. TEPCO also found 7.5 times the limit of Cs-134 above the Unit 4 reactor, which has no fuel in its core.  The company believes the substance comes from the fuel storage pool and neighbouring Unit 3 reactor. TEPCO says it will measure the levels of radioactive elements above Unit 2 and 3 reactors shortly.  The company also plans to cover the reactor buildings with polyester sheets to prevent further dispersal of radioactive elements into the atmosphere.

The leaders of the Group of Eight (G8) industrialized nations will discuss nuclear safety as they gather this week in Deauville, France, for their annual meeting.

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Tuesday, May 17, 2011

CNSC Update – 2:45 p.m. EDT: On May 12, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) announced that Fukushima Daiichi Unit 1 is in a state of core “meltdown” because the majority of the fuel rods in the core had melted and fallen to the bottom of the reactor pressure vessel. TEPCO was trying to determine why water levels in the reactor were falling and discovered coolant water in the reactor had dropped low enough to completely expose the nuclear fuel rods. TEPCO also stated that holes were created in the reactor pressure vessel as a result of the meltdown and that the primary containment vessel was damaged. A large quantity of highly radioactive water is believed to be leaking into the basement of the reactor building.

On May 15, new analysis of data by TEPCO staff was released that suggests the damage to the Unit 1 reactor occurred within 16 hours of the March 11 earthquake. Furthermore, their analysis indicates that the water level in the reactor pressure vessel fell below active fuel 4.5 hours after the earthquake, which would initiate fuel melting. At this stage, the fuel reached 2800°C and the melting of the core advanced rapidly such that all the fuel rods had melted and dropped to the bottom of the RPV by 0650 (JST) March 12.

As a result of this recent analysis, TEPCO has suspended the implementation of their long-term cooling plan while they re-evaluate their countermeasures for Unit 1. In the meantime, TEPCO has increased the water injection rate into Unit 1 to between 8-10 tonnes of water per hour. This has lowered temperatures to 110°C in the upper portion of the reactor pressure vessel and 84°C in the lower part of the reactor pressure vessel.

TEPCO is working to fix gauges in Fukushima Daiichi Units 2 and 3 so they can determine exact water levels in the reactors.  The company believes the gauges may not be providing accurate water levels, similar to the situation they experienced last week with Unit 1. The worst case would be that the nuclear fuel rods are exposed in Units 2 and 3 and have melted down.

TEPCO has revealed that an operation to transfer highly radioactive water pooled in Daiichi’s Unit 3 turbine building caused radioactive contamination of the sea nearby. Water containing high concentrations of caesium 134 and 137 many thousand times state limits was detected leaking from a pit into the sea near Unit 3’s water intake on May 11.  TEPCO said the leak from an underground pipe connected to the pit has been stopped.

TEPCO is reporting that it believes the March 15 explosion at Unit 4 may have been caused by hydrogen from the Unit 3 reactor.  The two reactors share a common exhaust pipe joined through ducts. TEPCO believes that when it vented gas from Unit 3 through the duct, hydrogen may have leaked into the Unit 4 reactor building.  This belief is based on an analysis of photographs taken in April of the Unit 4 fuel pool, which revealed no damage to the fuel rods.

Chubu Electric Power Company, operator of the Hamaoka nuclear power station, shut down Hamaoka Unit 4 on May 13 and Unit 5 on May 15 in response to a Japanese government request. All five reactors at Hamaoka will remain in safe shutdown state while work to protect the nuclear power station from a high magnitude earthquake is undertaken over the next two years.

Japan Atomic Industrial Forum reports that Japan is shutting down so many reactors because of the earthquake and other reasons that only about one-third of the country’s 54 nuclear power reactors will be operational by the end of May. The March 11 earthquake and tsunami led to the shutdown of 14 reactors, including those at Fukushima Daiichi NPS. Nineteen other reactors are currently offline, either undergoing regular inspection or scheduled to be inspected in the near future. Another five reactors will be shut down over the next few months in advance of scheduled inspections. If Japanese utilities keep these 40 reactors offline, almost three-quarters of Japan’s reactors will be shut down this summer.

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Wednesday, May 11, 2011

CNSC Update – 3:40 p.m. EDT: Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) opened the airlock of the reactor building of Fukushima Unit 1 on May 8 to begin a controlled venting operation. The purpose of this operation is to render the atmosphere inside the building safe enough for workers to construct a long-term cooling loop for the core (part of phase 1 of TEPCO's long-term stability plan). The venting operation lasted approximately 8 hours, with an estimated 3,200 m3 of radioactive air released per hour. Environmental conditions were favourable during the release, as the wind was blowing out to sea. The total dose increase as a result of this operation is expected to be minimal: between 0.0004 and 0.0009 millisieverts (mSv) according to modelling done by TEPCO and Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA). 

TEPCO personnel entered the Unit 1 reactor building on May 8 to take radiation readings, examining some areas for the first time since the hydrogen explosion the day after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. NISA reports that readings inside the reactor building vary widely, from 40 mSv per hour to a maximum of 700 mSv per hour in one spot. NISA says TEPCO must find a way to protect its workers from radiation exposure inside the building so that work to re-establish long-term reactor cooling can proceed.

The Japan Atomic Industrial Forum reports that TEPCO has detected high levels of radioactive strontium in soil inside the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station. Up to 570 becquerels of strontium-90 per kilogram of dry soil were detected in samples taken on April 18 from three locations about 500 metres from Units 1 and 2. The Japan Chemical Analysis Centre reports that the current levels of strontium won’t be a health risk to plant workers wearing face masks. The Japanese government says it will monitor for strontium as work progresses at Fukushima.

Chubu Electric Power Company has agreed to shut down the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in central Japan for two years until “mid- and long-term countermeasures to protect the plant from a magnitude 8 earthquake” have been implemented.

In its request that operations at Hamaoka be suspended, the Japanese government cited recommendations of a scientific panel administered by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). The panel predicts an 87% likelihood of an 8.0 or greater magnitude earthquake hitting the region surrounding the Hamaoka NPP within the next 30 years. All Japanese NPPs are under scrutiny regarding their ability to avert a Fukushima-like catastrophe in the event of a complete A/C power loss, a highly possible outcome of a high-intensity earthquake or a large tsunami.

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Friday, May 6, 2011

CNSC Update – 2:00 p.m. EDT: According to the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA)’s evaluation of the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO)’s report, there is almost 70,000 tonnes of stagnant water with high level radioactivity that still needs to be removed from the basement of the turbine buildings of Units 1, 2 and 3 of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station (NPS). The transfer of stagnant water from the turbine building of Unit 2 to the radioactive waste treatment facilities has resumed.

TEPCO updated the estimated percentage of core damage for Units 1, 2 and 3 from values previously assessed on March 15 (in parenthesis): Unit 1: 55% core damage (70%); Unit 2: 35% core damage (30%); Unit 3: 30% core damage (25%). This reflects a revised assessment rather than any recent changes in conditions in the reactor cores.

At Unit 1, fresh water is being continuously injected into the reactor pressure vessel through the feedwater line at an indicated flow rate of 6 m3/h using a temporary electric pump with off-site power. At Units 2 and 3, fresh water is being continuously injected into the reactor pressure vessel through the fire extinguisher line at an indicated rate of 7 m3/h using temporary electric pumps with off-site power.

Late last week, TEPCO checked the status inside the reactor building of Unit 1 using a remotely controlled robot and confirmed that there was no significant leakage of water from the primary containment vessel. Nitrogen gas is still being injected into the containment vessel in Unit 1 to reduce the possibility of hydrogen combustion inside the containment vessel. The pressure in the reactor pressure vessel is still increasing.

Efforts are also continuing to cool the spent fuel pools at units 1, 2, 3 and 4 by spraying them with fresh water. At units 5 and 6 the spent fuel pools are under control with full cooling function in operation.

Reinforcement columns and concrete walls will be installed in unit 4 to help support the weight of the water in the damaged building.  A temporary coastal levee near units 3 and 4 will also be built to protect the site against further inundation of up to ten metres.

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare reported that from 19 March to 3 May, 2461 food samples had been collected from 18 different prefectures. In six prefectures (Chiba, Fukushima, Gunma, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Tokyo), 9% of samples were found to have radioactivity above the Japanese regulation values.  Restrictions on the distribution and/or consumption of milk and specific types of vegetables remain for the Fukushima prefecture and for the cities of Kitaibaraki and Takahagi in the Ibaraki prefecture.

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Friday, April 29, 2011

CNSC Update – 2:45 p.m. EDT: Overall, the situation at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station (NPS) remains very serious, but there are signs of recovery in some functions, such as electrical power and instrumentation.

On April 21, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano announced the establishment of a no-entry zone within 20 km of the Fukushima Daiichi NPS. He also re-designated the evacuation zone around Fukushima Daini nuclear power plant from 10 km to 8 km, and announced that the order to evacuate based on the incident at Fukushima Daini NPS would be lifted from areas farther than 8 km around the station.

Units 1 through 4 at the Daiichi power plant remain in the same relatively stable conditions. After the reactor pressure vessels of Units 1 to 3 had lost cooling functions and gone on to suffer significant core damage, the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) continues to inject fresh water into them, as well as into the spent fuel pool of Unit 4. The rate of water injection at unit 1 has recently been increased from 6 cubic metres per hour to 14 cubic metres per hour to determine the amount of water required to flood the reactor core. TEPCO continues to inject nitrogen into the reactor primary containment vessel to reduce the chance of further hydrogen explosions. Plans are underway to begin nitrogen injection into Units 2 and 3.

TEPCO is monitoring rising levels of highly radioactive water in tunnels beneath Units 1 to 4 but cannot remove the water until a second waste treatment facility is completed by the end of June.

On April 25, the power source for the temporary electrical pumps that supply water to the reactor pressure vessels of Units 1, 2 and 3 was switched from the off-site power supply to temporary diesel generators. Power has now been returned to the off-site supply.

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Wednesday, April 20, 2011

CNSC Update – 1:30 p.m. EDT: On April 17th, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) put forward its “Roadmap towards Restoration from the Accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (NPS)" for cooling down the damaged reactors and significantly reducing radiation leaks at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station. The roadmap outlines 63 measures to be taken in two steps over a period of six to nine months to complete the stabilization of the Fukushima Daiichi site. 

TEPCO estimates that approximately 67,500 tons of radioactive water has accumulated at the Daiichi NPS. This is expected to increase as more water is being injected into the reactors to maintain cooling.

Some 25,000 tons of highly contaminated water has accumulated in the basement of the turbine building and a tunnel connected to the No. 2 reactor. In advance of transferring highly radioactive water out of Unit 2, TEPCO has sealed cracks in the sea walls of the facility and put other measures in place to prevent contaminated water from leaking into the ocean. Once the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) approved the procedures and safety measures, TEPCO began the work on April 19th. TEPCO estimates it will take about 26 days to move 10,000 tons to the waste facility near the No. 4 reactor.

On Monday, TEPCO announced that remote controlled robots had detected high levels of radiation inside the reactor buildings of Units 1, 2 and 3. The utility used US-made robots on Sunday and Monday to take radiation readings and photographs inside the reactor buildings. This is the first data from inside the buildings since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. TEPCO hopes to identify areas for decontamination so it can move ahead with its schedule to bring the NPS under stable control.

TEPCO has also announced that it will begin spraying a polymer emulsion on top of the debris at the Fukushima Daiichi site next Tuesday as part of its efforts to halt the spread of airborne radiation. The company has been testing the emulsion at the site since April 1st. The emulsion hardens the debris and will help to keep radiation levels relatively low. TEPCO hopes to complete spraying of the entire NPS site by the end of June. At that time, the company plans to cover the reactor buildings with large filter curtains to prevent the further spread of radioactive materials.

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Wednesday, April 13, 2011

CNSC Update – 2:15 p.m. EDT: Overall, the situation at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station (NPS) remains very serious, but there are early signs of recovery of some functions, such as electrical power and instrumentation to the affected reactor control rooms.

Japan continues to experience numerous aftershocks from the March 11, 2011 magnitude 9 earthquake and tsunami that damaged the Fukushima Daiichi NPS. To date, none of these aftershocks, some of which have had a magnitude of over 6.6, have had a significant impact on ongoing recovery efforts at the Daiichi site.

The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) was successful in halting a leak of radioactive water from Unit 2 into the sea though the use of “liquid glass”. Also noteworthy is the expansion of the evacuation zone around the affected NPS from 20 to 30 kilometres, as is the successful use of an anti-scattering agent used to prevent radioactive materials on the ground from being dispersed by the on-site activities.

On April 12, NISA announced that the situation at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant had been reclassified upwards from 5 to 7 according to the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES).  While there has been some media comparison to the Chernobyl event, which had been put at the same level, this comparison should be viewed with extreme caution.  Japanese authorities confirmed that this is a backward-looking assessment based on better estimates of the amount of radioactive contamination released in the early days of the crisis, and that it does not indicate a more pessimistic forecast for the future situation. Environmental radioactivity levels continue to remain very low outside the immediate vicinity of the nuclear power plant.  Japanese authorities also noted that the total amount of contamination released from Fukushima Daiichi is still only one-tenth that of Chernobyl.

The new INES rating is not an indication of risk or threat but rather an assessment of the severity of the original event based on analysis of existing data.

Further information

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Tuesday, April 5, 2011

CNSC Update – 4:15 p.m. EDT: The situation at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station (NPS) has changed very little. Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) is focusing its efforts on removing highly contaminated water that is hindering further progress at the site.

Two attempts to stop the flow of highly contaminated water from Unit 2 into the sea have failed.  TEPCO has determined that the pit from which the water is leaking must be drained so that the repairs can be completed successfully.

The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) has announced that the Government of Japan has given TEPCO permission to discharge 11,500 tonnes of low level contaminated water into the ocean to make more storage space available for the highly contaminated water in the basement of the Unit 2 Turbine building. The discharge began on April 4th.  TEPCO will also discharge 1,500 tonnes of low level contaminated water from the sub-drain pit for Units 5 and 6 to prevent it from leaking into the reactor buildings and damaging safety-related equipment.  Units 5and 6 are in cold shutdown and are considered stable.

On April 4th in Vienna, at the IAEA Convention on Nuclear Safety (CNS) Review Meeting, NISA, along with the Japanese Ministry of Education, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), TEPCO, and Japan Nuclear Energy Safety Organization (JNES), delivered a comprehensive technical briefing on the situation at Fukushima Daiichi NPS and their response to the disaster to IAEA Member States. The CNSC is leading the Canadian delegation to the CNS Review Meeting with the support of other federal departments and agencies and the Canadian nuclear industry.

NISA also delivered a presentation regarding the remedial actions that all Japanese nuclear power plants have been ordered to take to mitigate an event similar to Fukushima.

IAEA Member States are particularly interested in the impact of the Fukushima accident on the marine environment off the coast of Japan. TEPCO has estimated that the worst-case annual radiation dose to a member of the public would be 600 microSieverts if they ate sea weed and seafood caught near the discharge area on a daily basis for a year.

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Saturday, April 2, 2011

CNSC Update - 4:45 p.m. EDT: The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) is reporting that it has detected water containing radiation dose over 1,000 mSv/h in the pit where supply cables are stored near the intake channel of Unit 2.

Based on recent preliminary reports, TEPCO has identified an 8 inch crack in the containment pit of Unit 2 as a potential pathway from the reactor site to the ocean and is preparing to pour concrete into the containment pit of Unit 2 in an effort to seal the crack. It is thought similar cracks may exist, and efforts are continuing to find and subsequently seal them.

Efforts by TEPCO to cool the reactors and spent fuel storage pools in Fukushima Daiichi Units 1-4 continue with freshwater injection to the reactors and spraying of water onto the pools in those units.

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission continues to closely monitor the situation in Japan in close collaboration with other federal government department and agencies, international colleagues and the International Atomic Energy Agency. We will post additional updates as noteworthy developments occur.

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Friday, April 1, 2011

CNSC Update - 2:45 p.m. EDT: Fresh water injection into reactor vessels and spraying of spent fuel storage pools in Units 1-4 at Fukushima Daiichi is ongoing.  The already large volume of contaminated water on-site is increasing as a result of this activity.

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) workers continue their efforts to pump contaminated water out of the turbine buildings and tunnels into available storage tanks. TEPCO is assessing a variety of options for the longer term storage of this water.

Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency has reprimanded TEPCO over its failure to ensure the safety of workers at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, particularly due to shortages of radiation monitors or dosimeters.

General Ryoichi Oriki, Chief of Staff of the Japanese Self-Defense Force Joint Staff Office, has announced that 140 members of the U.S. Marine Corps' emergency nuclear response unit are being deployed to Japan. The Chemical Biological Incident Response Force will not begin operations immediately but will prepare for contingencies at TEPCO's troubled nuclear power station in Fukushima Prefecture.

Using data from Canadian instruments deployed in Tokyo and then Comprehensive Nuclear-Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) monitoring network in Japan, a Canadian Radiation specialist working with the IAEA Fukushima Accident Coordination team was able to calculate an average dose to the Tokyo public from the Fukushima accident to date of a less than 75 microSievert. This should be compared to the 1000 microSievert annual dose limit for the public from man-made sources.

NOTE:  This will be the last CNSC daily Information Update to be issued on the nuclear situation in Japan. The CNSC will issue information updates as noteworthy developments occur.

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Thursday, March 31, 2011

CNSC Update - 2:10 p.m. EDT: The situation the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station (NPS) remains quite serious. The major impediment to re-establishing full reactor cooling in Units 1-3 and the spent fuel storage pool cooling in Units 1-4 is the contaminated water in the basements of the turbine buildings and the trenches.

The Japanese Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency reports progress in pumping out the water at Unit 1 but notes that the condenser is now full. Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) is working to identify alternate water storage locations.

In its March 30th technical briefing, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) indicated yesterday that there is "severe core damage" in Unit 2 reactor.

Reports of a fire at Fukushima Daini NPS site have not been confirmed.

Media outlets reporting that IAEA has told Japan to widen its evacuation zone, appear to have misinterpreted IAEA Deputy Director General (Nuclear Safety & Security), Denis Flory’s statement about higher contamination and radiation dose rate values found in a relatively small area around Iitate village (Fukushima prefecture), 40 kilometres northwest from the NPP.  DDG Flory said, "... first assessment indicates that one of the IAEA operational criteria for evacuation is exceeded in Iitate village. We advised (Japan) to carefully assess the situation. They indicated that they are already assessing."

IAEA Director General Amano announced yesterday that the IAEA Secretariat will undertake an "assessment mission" to Japan as soon as the Agency can access the Fukushima Daiichi site. This would be followed by multiple missions over a longer term, which will include an element of peer review.

Japan and France have agreed to cooperate in crafting new international nuclear safety standards by the end of this year.  The agreement was reached during talks in Tokyo between Prime Minister Naoto Kan and French President Nicolas Sarkozy. The two leaders told a joint news conference after their meeting that nuclear issues will top the agenda at the Group of Eight summit in late May, when leaders also from Britain, Canada, Germany, Italy, Russia and the United States gather in northwestern France.

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Wednesday, March 30, 2011

CNSC Update - 2:50 p.m. EDT: There have been no significant developments at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station (NPS) site in the past 24 hours.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) remains concerned about the highly contaminated water in the basements of the turbine buildings in Units 1, 2 and 3. The need to remove this water is causing considerable and potentially worrisome delays in re-establishing cooling system operation for reactors in the units.

There are questions as to whether the reactor vessel integrity can be maintained in Units 2 and 3 at this point. Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) reports that Unit 1 reactor vessel and primary containment pressures have decreased in the past 24 hours.

Japan Self-Defense Force on-scene commanders report that the current plan is to pump contaminated basement water to available hot wells and other tanks on the site, while longer-term temporary storage solutions are identified and secured.

The first external radiation protection and dosimetry specialist, from Atomic Energy of Canada Limited’s Chalk River Laboratory, has joined the IAEA's Fukushima Accident Coordination Team (FACT) radiation protection subgroup. Other experts, initially from the UK and possibly also France, are due to join the FACT later this week. Vladimir Khotylev, a reactor physics specialist from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, also joins the FACT today.

As part of efforts to prevent a recurrence of the ongoing nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi NPS, Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) has ordered Japanese utility companies to take measures within a month to prepare for a possible loss of power at their nuclear reactors if they are hit by unexpectedly large tsunami waves. NISA has instructed utilities to secure vehicle-mounted power sources, deploy fire trucks to supply water to reactors, develop a procedure on how to deal with an emergency situation by using such vehicles, and conduct drills.

TEPCO has conceded that it will scrap the four crippled reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station site, as the country struggles to bring the nuclear crisis under control weeks after a powerful earthquake and tsunami. ''We have no choice but to scrap reactors 1 to 4 if we look at their conditions objectively,'' said Tsunehisa Katsumata, the company's chairman, at a news conference. The company said it will try hard to remain afloat and avoid nationalization even though the cost of compensation in connection with the nuclear disaster will be daunting and will undermine TEPCO financially.

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Tuesday, March 29, 2011

CNSC Update - 3:15 p.m. EDT: On March 28th, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) reported on the results of on-site soil sampling, which show small amounts of plutonium likely resulting from the Fukushima accident. The discovery of heavy elements such as plutonium is notable as evidence that not just radioactive gases or soluble isotopes have been vented from containment or escaped the spent fuel storage pools. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reports the quantity of plutonium found does not exceed background levels tracked by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology over the past 30 years.

The continuing rise in temperature and pressure within the Unit 1 reactor vessel and primary containment is of some concern. TEPCO increased the flow of freshwater to the reactor pressure vessel, which lowered the temperature some. TEPCO also reports that radiation levels inside unit 1 primary containment drywell are on the rise. These developments suggest that venting will be needed at some point. Experts believe that Unit 1’s normal venting pathway, via the stack and through filters, is likely useable. Venting should be controllable, in that TEPCO and the Japanese Self-Defense Force on-scene commanders can choose to vent when meteorological conditions are most favourable.

Actions to restore normal cooling operations to Fukushima Daiichi Units 1-3 reactors and the spent fuel storage pools in Units 1-4 are ongoing. An immediate challenge is contaminated water in the basements of turbine buildings and trenches of Units 1-4. TEPCO uses these areas to run electrical and instrumentation cabling to equipment in the reactor building. Workers need to pump out the water already there and establish a method to continuously remove water until electrical work is completed and pumps and other equipment in the reactor building are repaired.

The trenches in question lead from the reactor buildings toward the sea carrying pipes and electrical cables to the turbine buildings and end 50 to 75 metres from the water.  TEPCO has taken measures to ensure that the water in them does not discharge into the sea. As reported yesterday, TEPCO is pumping the water out of Unit 1’s turbine building and trench into the reactor’s condenser and is looking at where to store the contaminated water in the other three units.

The IAEA is reporting on additional environmental monitoring, including the first analyses of marine organisms for radioactivity. Results in this area are encouraging − only anchovy from Chiba prefecture showed any caesium-137. This was barely detectable and over one hundred times below the regulatory limit for consumption.

Noting that the Fukushima crisis has confronted the IAEA and the international community with a major challenge, IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano said that it was "vitally important that we learn the right lessons from what happened on March 11, and afterwards, in order to strengthen nuclear safety throughout the world". Amano announced a high-level IAEA conference on Nuclear Safety to be held in Vienna before the summer.

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Monday, March 28, 2011

CNSC Update - 12:15 p.m. EDT: At 07:24 JST on March 27, a magnitude-6.5 earthquake struck off the east coast of Honshu, closest to the Onagawa nuclear power station (NPS). The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) notes that Onagawa units are in cold shutdown and there are no abnormal radiation readings on site. There are no reports of additional damage to Fukushima Daiichi, Fukushima Dai-ini or Tokai nuclear power stations.

Accident response continues at the Fukushima Daiichi NPS. Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) personnel and other responders are working to maintain continuous cooling to the reactors and spent fuel storage pools, in order to prevent radioactive material releases from worsening. On-site fresh water supply was decreasing, but two US Navy barges carrying some two million litres of water are on site and have been connected to water pumps.

Cooling operations continue for reactor pressure vessels in Units 1 to 3 and the spent fuel storage pools in Units 1 to 4. Reactor pressure and temperature in Unit 1 continues to slowly increase. The temperature in the spent fuel storage pool of Unit 2 has decreased significantly in the past 24 hours.

TEPCO is working on a way to remove contaminated water from the turbine buildings of Units 1 to 4, which house some components critical for cooling operations. For Unit 1, workers are pumping this water into the condenser. However, it is reported that this method will not work for Units 2, 3 and 4. The IAEA advises that the condenser at Unit 2 is “full” and there is no information on Units 3 and 4.

TEPCO has apologized for the “miscalculation” on the analysis of contaminated water in Unit 2 yesterday, saying a new test found radiation levels 100,000 times higher than normal. (TEPCO had originally reported this number at 10 million times higher.)

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said the contaminated water in Unit 2 was due to a partial meltdown of the reactor core. Calling it “very unfortunate”, Edano said the spike in radiation appeared limited to Unit 2. Meanwhile, dose rate measurements around the Fukushima Dai-ichi site outside the reactor and turbine buildings continue to decrease.

After new readings detected iodine-131 above the normal level offshore at the North end of the site, the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) said radioactive water from the NPS might be leaking directly into the ocean. Latest data from 30 kilometres offshore show that concentrations of iodine-131 and caesium-137 are decreasing.

There is no new information on iodine-131 in prefectures near Fukushima Daiichi NPS, nor is there any new information on drinking water sampling in past 24 hours. IAEA reports on soil sampling around Fukushima Daiichi show that the highest concentrations of iodine-131 and caesium-137 are northwest of the site.

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Sunday, March 27, 2011

CNSC Update - 1:55 p.m. EDT: Latest official reports through IAEA's Incident and Emergency Centre (IEC) show little overall change in the situation at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station in the past 24 hours.

Lighting in Units 1-3 control rooms has been restored, as well as some instrumentation in Units 1, 2 and 4; most notably water level indicators in the spent fuel storage pool overflow tanks in those units. The IAEA reports that continuous white smoke is coming from Units 1-4.

Fresh water continues to be pumped into the reactor pressure vessels (RPVs) in Units 1-3, although it is reported that the fresh water supply on site has been greatly diminished. Two US Navy barges containing over 1.3 million litres of fresh water each are expected to arrive at the site early in the week.

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) confirms that highly contaminated water has been found in the basements of the turbine buildings of Units 1-3; however, there is no firm explanation regarding its source. The International Atomic Energy Agency reports that TEPCO has started to remove water from the Unit 1 turbine building to its main condenser and are making preparations to do the same at Units 2 and 3. (A main condenser's function in a nuclear power plant is to condense and recover steam that passes through the turbine.)

There is no new marine environmental monitoring information to report. With regard to daily iodine-131 deposition in nearby prefectures, there has been little change over the past 24 hours.

Atmospheric radiation levels at the Fukushima Daiichi Plant continue a gradual downward trend. Radiation levels in Tokyo also show a slight decline from the previous day.

There are no drinking water restrictions for Tokyo at the moment. Only one of three water treatment plants tested in the Tokyo area on 27 March, Asaka, showed measurable levels of radioactive contamination, but it was far below the level for any health advisory. The Kanamachi and Ozaku plants did not have detectable levels of contamination.

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Saturday, March 26, 2011

CNSC Update - 3:00 p.m. EDT:  There have been no major changes seen at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station (NPS) site in the past 24 hours, although fresh water is now being used for reactor and spent fuel pool cooling in most cases with the exception of Unit 2. This should halt the accumulation of salt deposits inside key equipment and on the fuel elements. International experts agree that the use of sea water for a prolonged period would significantly and negatively affect the ability to cool the reactor fuel. Fresh water injection may alleviate this situation.

The latest radiation monitoring in Japan shows mixed results. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reports that dose rates on the Fukushima Daiichi site continue to decrease. However, sea water sampling on March 25th by Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) off the coast of the NPS shows a significant (although possibly localized) increase in radioisotope concentrations.

As for measurements of iodine-131 and caesium-137 on land, the results have significantly improved over the past 24 hours. Drinking water analysis results from all 47 prefectures had concentrations well below the limits with the exception of Tochigi Prefecture, where the iodine-131 concentration exceeded the limit for infants.

The IAEA reported that it dispatched two additional teams to Japan on March 24 and 25 to assist in the response to the Fukushima Daiichi NPS emergency. One team includes worker radiation protection experts and safeguards department officials, who will supplement Japan's radiation monitoring efforts. The other team includes a soil scientist and a food safety specialist. This food safety assessment team will provide advice and assistance on sampling and analytical strategies and will help interpret Japanese monitoring data.

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Friday, March 25, 2011

CNSC Update - 3:20 p.m. EDT:  The government of Japan is advising residents to voluntarily evacuate areas within 20 to 30 kilometers of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, in view of the severe living conditions in the zone.

There are plans to switch from seawater to fresh water to cool the crippled reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Salt in the water could lead to a number of issues, including corrosion of the reactors' interiors. To help with these efforts, the US is shipping fresh water due to arrive in three days.

After the residual heat removal system pump on Unit 5 failed yesterday, repairs to the pump were completed. Cooling has resumed with fresh water.

As work to restore full electrical power to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station (NPS) continues; power was restored to the control room of Unit 1 and the common spent fuel pool yesterday. At 6:40 p.m. JST water temperature of the common spent fuel pool was around 73 degrees C. TEPCO employees have not yet regained full control of the cooling systems for Units 1–4.

Japan’s nuclear safety agency says it is highly likely that Unit 3 of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has been damaged, leading to the leak of high levels of radiation materials. The level of radioactivity was about 10,000 times higher than the water inside a normally operating nuclear reactor.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), in collaboration with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and Health Canada, is implementing enhanced import controls on milk products, fruits, and vegetables from areas of Japan affected by the ongoing nuclear crisis. Given the evolving nature of the Japanese situation, these measures will be adjusted, as warranted, to ensure the Canadian food supply remains protected.

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Thursday, March 24, 2011

CNSC Update - 1:30 p.m. EDT: Work to restore full electrical power to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station (NPS) continues. Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) reports that lighting has been restored to the control centres of Units 1 and 3 and various systems are gradually being reactivated; however TEPCO staff have not yet regained full control of the cooling systems for Units 1–4.

TEPCO continues its efforts to cool the reactor cores in Units 1–3 by injecting sea water into the reactor pressure vessels (RPVs).  Activities to cool the spent fuel storage pools saw increased water flows over the past 24 hours. The spent fuel storage pool in Unit 3 is now receiving sea water through a normal, internal system instead of external spraying, and sea water is being poured on the Unit 4 spent fuel storage pool using a modified concrete pumping assembly. During the day, white steam or vapour was seen coming from Units 1–4 and workers were withdrawn temporarily at times. 

The first radiation injuries were reported yesterday at the Fukushima Daiichi NPS, when three TEPCO personnel were exposed to radiation after getting their feet wet in radioactive water in an underground area inside Unit 3. At least two have been hospitalized.   

The residual heat removal system pump on Unit 5 failed yesterday and repairs are underway. TEPCO reports that water levels and temperatures in the unit’s RPV and spent fuel storage pool are not currently a cause for concern.

Environmental radioactivity was fairly stable, and the water safety picture in Tokyo has improved.  The Tokyo Metropolitan Government rescinded its advisory that infants should drink only bottled water after tests today at the Kanamachi Water Filtration Plant showed a level two-thirds below that of two days ago and below the recommended maximum.  The IAEA reports that it has been advised that the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has encouraged Ibaraki and Chiba Prefectures to monitor seafood products.

TEPCO has revised its estimate of the height of the tsunami wave that struck the Fukushima Daiichi NPS to 14 metres, more than double that of the station's design basis.

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Wednesday, March 23, 2011

CNSC Update - 12:30 p.m. EDT: There has been little change to the situation at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station (NPS) throughout the past 24 hours. Additional equipment, including modified concrete pumping trucks, continues to be deployed to spray sea water into the reactors in Units 1 to 3 and spent fuel storage pools in Units 1 to 4. A modified concrete pumping truck sprayed sea water into the Unit 4 spent fuel pool today.

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) reports that electricity from the grid has been connected to substations in Units 1 to 6. The cooling systems in Units 5 and 6 are now running on external AC power and the units are stable. Other units are gradually having equipment energized as equipment integrity checks are completed. The Unit 3 control room now has lighting, but is not yet staffed or in use. Some instrumentation has been brought back online for Units 1, 2 and 4, which will allow operators to better understand the extent of damage to these units.

There have been periodic media reports of smoke from the reactor buildings in Units 1 to 3. This could be a result of turning on damaged pumps and other equipment for the first time since the earthquake and tsunami, as part of systems integrity testing.

The Japanese Atomic Information Forum reports that the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology will expand the area for monitoring radioactive nuclides in seawater to 30 km offshore. This decision was made after seawater samples collected from the ocean surrounding the Fukushima Daiichi NPS were found to contain radioactive nuclides above legal standards.

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Tuesday, March 22, 2011

CNSC Update - 12:00 p.m. EDT: Responders at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station (NPS) continue their efforts to cool the reactors in Units 1-3 and the spent fuel storage pools in Units 1-4. The Japanese Self-Defence Force is leading the work, with advice from Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) staff and experts of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Equipment integrity checks are continuing for Unit 2.

As reported yesterday, Units 5 and 6 have achieved cold shutdown state and are stable. Unit 5 was switched to AC power late yesterday, the first reactor on site to be re-connected to the electrical grid.

There has been little change in the past 24 hours, although work continues on the electrical connections to the grid. Unit 5 is now powered by the electrical grid and equipment integrity checks are continuing for Unit 2.

Specialized water pumping equipment with a reach of up to 100 metres has arrived on site. It will be used to inject water directly into spent fuel pools in Units 3-4.

Over the course of the accident, there has been great interest in how radioactive material may have spread from the site. A team of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) personnel Japan is assisting the Japanese government with environmental monitoring. TEPCO reports that it detected cobalt, iodine and cesium on March 21 in the seawater around the discharge canal of Units 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Japanese authorities have reported that they will measure radioactivity in the marine environment around the Fukushima Daiichi NPS. The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology will conduct tests on March 22 and 23, and results will be available on March 24.

Japan Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency: Fukushima Daiichi NPS Reactor Status (as of March 22, 2011 at 11:00 a.m., Japan time)

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Monday, March 21, 2011

CNSC Update - 2:30 p.m. EDT: There have been some positive developments in the past 24 hours at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (NPS). However the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says that the overall situation remains serious. 

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) continues its efforts to re-establish AC power to the NPS. TEPCO reports it has completed the cabling to Units 1 and 2 and that systems are being tested before they are energized.

The Japanese Self-Defence Force and Tokyo Fire Department continue to spray water onto Units 3 and 4 to cool the reactor vessels and spent fuel storage pools, while efforts to re-establish AC power are under way. Industrial pumps are in transit from Australia, and these pumps should allow water to be more accurately directed into the spent fuel storage pools. Grayish smoke from Unit 3 appeared for a brief period this morning, prompting a temporary withdrawal of workers from the unit.

The IAEA has confirmed that reactor Units 5 and 6 achieved cold shutdown on March 20. Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) reports the reactors are now in a safe mode, with cooling systems stable and under control and with low temperature and pressure within the reactors.

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare announced that levels of iodine exceeding the national standard were detected yesterday in the water supply in the Iidate village, approximately 30 km away from the Fukushima Daiichi NPS. Local residents were advised not to drink the water. 

Authorities have reported that radiation in certain food samples exceeded maximum allowable levels set by the government. The samples in question were milk from Fukushima Prefecture, and spinach and onions from the neighbouring Ibaraki Prefecture. Federal and prefecture governments will continue to monitor and analyze food samples to detect contamination.

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Sunday, March 20, 2011

CNSC Update - 12:50 p.m. EDT: Work is progressing on the reconnection of grid electrical power to reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi NPS. Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) has connected external transmission lines and confirmed that electricity can be supplied.  TEPCO reports cooling system pumping equipment will be tested to ensure it is not damaged and that they will begin pumping coolant to Units 1 to 4 as soon as possible

TEPCO continues to inject seawater into the reactor pressure vessels of Units 1, 2 and 3. Water is also being sprayed onto the spent fuel storage pools of Units 3 and 4.  Power to Units 5 and 6 is being supplied by diesel generators and the residual heat removal pumps have been started up to cool the spent fuel storage pools.

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Saturday, March 19, 2011

CNSC Update - 4:15 p.m. EDT: Efforts continue to restore electrical grid power to Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station Units 1, 2, 3 and 4. Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) says they will complete the Unit 1 and 2 power grid connections by March 20th.  In the interim, seawater is being injected and sprayed into the damaged reactor structures to cool the reactor vessels and the spent fuel storage pools. 

Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) reports the start-up of a second emergency diesel generator for Unit 6 and that cooling of the Unit 6 spent fuel storage pool has started using power from a Unit 6 emergency diesel generator.

The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has confirmed the presence of radioactive iodine contamination in food products measured from March 16 - 18 in the Fukushima Prefecture, the area around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

In response, Japan's Nuclear Safety Commission recommended local authorities to instruct evacuees leaving the 20-kilometre area to ingest stable (not radioactive) iodine. As well, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare is looking at whether to order a halt to the sale of all food products from the Fukushima Prefecture.

There has been no change in Health Canada’s assessment of radiation risk on Canada’s Pacific coast.

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Friday, March 18, 2011

CNSC Update - 11:15 a.m. EDT: The IAEA reports the situation at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station (NPS) remains serious, but has not significantly worsened.

The IAEA also reports that Japan has raised the incident level to a 5 on the 1-7 International Nuclear Events Scale (INES), 7 being the highest.  Japan has applied an individual rating to each of the Fukushima Daiichi reactors, as follows:

Daiichi 1:  INES Level 5 Daiichi 2:  INES Level 5 Daiichi 3:  INES Level 5 Daiichi 4:  INES Level 3* (correction)

At this time, an effort is under way to restore the electrical grid power to Units 1 and 2.  Cables are being laid but have not yet been connected to the grid.  The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) hopes to be able to supply electricity by Friday afternoon local time.

At 17:30 (Japan time), Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency reported that Fukushima Units 5 and 6 have successfully regained emergency power and that water is being supplied to the spent fuel storage pools. 

Core cooling for Units 1 and 3 appears to be stable. Unit 2 core cooling is not yet stable. The spent fuel storage pools of Units 3 and 4 are considered to be of concern, and the Unit 4 pool remains in need of active cooling. TEPCO reports plans for other attempts to spray water from air and ground.

Health Canada has issued a statement that no radiation at harmful levels will reach Canada.

The Public Health Agency of Canada has issued a travel advisory for Japan.

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Thursday, March 17, 2011

CNSC Update - 12:00 p.m. EDT: Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) personnel, assisted by the Japanese Self-Defence Force, are continuing efforts to restore cooling to the damaged reactors and to the spent fuel storage pools at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (NPS).

Military helicopters were used to drop seawater on Units 3 and 4, while police trucks equipped with water cannons were being positioned to pour water on the reactors. Efforts are under way to restore electrical power to the station. 

All other nuclear power reactors in Japan are reported to be in normal operation or safely shut down.

Following consultations with the CNSC and other Government of Canada experts, the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade has updated its travel advisory to indicate that Canadians should avoid travelling within an 80-km radius of the Fukushima NPS. Furthermore — given the evolving situation — Canadians living within 80 km of the plant should consider evacuating the area, as a further precaution.

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Wednesday, March 16, 2011

CNSC Update - 1:45 p.m. EDT: The situation at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (NPP) remains unstable. Japanese authorities and Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) continue their efforts to regain control of the station’s reactors.

Status:

  • Unit 1 experienced a hydrogen explosion on March 11. Containment is intact. The fuel is damaged. The unit is being cooled with sea water.
  • Unit 2 experienced a hydrogen explosion on March 14. There is concern that there is a defect in the containment. The fuel is damaged. The unit is being cooled with sea water.
  • Unit 3 experienced a hydrogen explosion on March 13. Containment may be damaged. The fuel is damaged. The unit is being cooled with sea water. White steam was observed emanating from Unit 3 around 21:00 EDT on March 15.
  • Unit 4: Japanese authorities informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that a fire in the reactor building of Unit 4 of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was seen at 16:45 EDT on March 15. As of 17:15 EDT on March 15, the fire could no longer be observed. There is no fuel in the reactor at Unit 4. Containment is not a concern. Damage is suspected in the spent fuel storage bay.
  • Units 5 and 6 are physically separate from the other units and were in maintenance outages at time of earthquake. Given rising temperatures, spent fuel is a concern.

There are growing concerns regarding radiation in and around the Daiichi NPP.  Japanese authorities have established a 20 kilometre evacuation zone around the plant and declared a 30 kilometre no-fly zone.  People in the 20 to 30 kilometre radius have been instructed to shelter in place.

Based on the information currently available, there is no radiation health risk to Canadians resulting from the events in Japan.  It is anticipated that the amount of radiation reaching Canada, if any, would be negligible and not pose a health risk to Canadians.

The CNSC continues to monitor the situation carefully and is working with other federal government departments and agencies, with its international counterparts and with the IAEA on the analysis of the situation.

Public Safety Canada has posted a statement from the Government of Canada, as well as Frequently Asked Questions.

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Tuesday, March 15, 2011

IAEA Update - 10:30 a.m. EDT: Around 06:15 on March 15th there was an explosion in the containment building of Daiichi Unit 2 in the area of the suppression pool. There is evidence to suggest that there may be damage to the containment vessel but this has not been confirmed.   Given increased radiation reading in the area of the Fukushima Daiichi plant, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) has evacuated all non-essential staff from the plant area, leaving only a 50-person team that is maintaining the reactor cooling activities. It has also been reported this morning that there was a fire at the spent fuel storage pond at Daiichi Unit 4 and that radioactivity was being released into the atmosphere. The fire has burned itself out. 

At 00:00 UTC on 15 March a dose rate of 11.9 millisieverts (mSv) per hour was observed at the main gate of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Six hours later, at 06:00 UTC on 15 March a dose rate of 0.6 millisieverts (mSv) per hour was observed. suggesting that the level of radioactivity is decreasing at the plant.

Sheltering around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has now been extended up to 30 kilometres, keeping the evacuation zone of 20 kilometres.

Japanese authorities are reporting to the IAEA on the status of their nuclear power plants. To read more, please visit the IAEA Web site.

The CNSC continues to monitor the situation in collaboration with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and other federal counterparts and is in constant communication with the IAEA International Seismic Safety Centre, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Nuclear Energy Agency, and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The CNSC, as the Canadian nuclear regulator, is confident about the safety of Canada’s fleet of nuclear reactors regarding seismic activity. The CNSC would like to reassure Canadians that nuclear power plants located in Canada are among the most robust designs in the world and have redundant safety systems to prevent damage in the case of an earthquake. The CNSC sets requirements and verifies that its licensees meet those requirements. All licensees must have effective emergency procedures in place which are regularly tested through drills and exercises, and can manage potential consequences so that workers, the public and the environment are protected.

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Monday, March 14, 2011

Public Safety Canada Update - 6:00 p.m. EDT: "Damaged Japanese Nuclear Power Plants not Expected to Pose Risk to Canada" - The Government of Canada is actively monitoring the situation and assessing the potential risks to Canada as a result of the damage to power plants in Japan. The situation in Japan is not expected to pose any health or safety risk to Canada. Federal departments and agencies are closely working together and are in close contact with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Government of Japan and the international community to manage the current situation.

To read more, please visit the Public Safety Canada Web site.

CNSC Update - 4:15 p.m. EDT: The situation at Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station continues to evolve.  On Saturday, March 12th, a build up of hydrogen gas resulted in an explosion at Fukushima Dai-ichi Unit 1. On March 14th, a similar explosion occurred at Fukushima Dai-ichi Unit 3.  In both cases, the build up of hydrogen resulted from venting of vapor from the primary containment vessel into the secondary containment building.  Please note that there does not appear to be any damage to the primary containment vessel of either reactor as a result of the explosions.

The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) continues its efforts to cool the reactors in Units 1 and 3 through the injection of sea water and boron. Similarly, Fukushima Dai-ichi Unit 2 is experiencing cooling system problems and TEPCO, the Japanese operator, is preparing to inject sea water into the reactor.

It should be noted that the automatic shut-down systems on these reactors worked as designed when the earthquake struck, however, the following tsunami damaged the primary and back-up power systems for the reactors, which resulted in the failure of the reactor cooling pumps. 

Japanese authorities are reporting to the IAEA on the status of their nuclear power plants. To read more, please visit the IAEA Web site.

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Sunday, March 13, 2011

DFAIT Update - 9:50 p.m. EDT: "Canada Offers Technical Expertise and Relief Assistance to Japan" - The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, outlined an array of expertise and technical assistance that the Government of Canada has offered to the Government of Japan as part of international efforts to help Japan respond to and recover from the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck the country on Friday, March 11.

To read more, please visit the DFAIT Web site

CNSC Update - 5:00 p.m. EDT: Officials of Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) are reporting to the International Atomic Energy Agency on their continued efforts to cool the Unit 1 reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi plant through the injection of seawater and boron into the reactor core. Similar measures are being applied at Unit 3. Additionally, venting of the containment of reactor Unit 3 started on March 13 through a controlled release of vapor in order to lower pressure inside the reactor containment.

Japanese authorities are also reporting to the IAEA on the status of the Onagawa nuclear power plant. To read more, please visit the IAEA Web site.

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Saturday, March 12, 2011

Government of Japan Update - 6:30 p.m. EDT: Excerpt of Statement made by the Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan, Mr. Yukio EDANO, on the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station at the Press Conference on March 12, 2011

View excerpt (PDF) (Source: Government of Japan)

CNSC Update - 11:00 a.m. EDT: Officials of Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) are reporting to the International Atomic Energy Agency that there has been an explosion at the Unit 1 reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, and that they are assessing the condition of the reactor core. As a result, Japanese authorities have extended the evacuation zone around the Fukushima Daiichi plant to a 20-kilometre radius from the previous 10 kilometres. As well, the evacuation zone around the Fukushima Daini plant has been extended to a 10-kilometre radius from the original three kilometers. There are two Fukushima nuclear power plant sites, Daiichi and Daini.

Japanese authorities are reporting to the IAEA on the status of their nuclear power plants. To read more, please visit the IAEA Web site.

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Friday, March 11, 2011

CNSC Update - 3:00 p.m. EDT: On March 11, 2011, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) was advised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of an earthquake that occurred near the east coast of Honshu, Japan, that has affected their nuclear power plants.

In accordance with established protocol, the CNSC continues to monitor the situation in collaboration with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and other federal counterparts. We are in constant communication with IAEA International Seismic Safety Centre, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Nuclear Energy Agency, and U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The CNSC is monitoring the event closely through our bilateral relations with our Japanese nuclear regulatory counterparts and the IAEA and will work with our international colleagues to identify any lessons learned.

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