The flooding of the Unit 1 reactor containment has reached a level 3 feet below the bottom of the fuel in the reactor. When the final 150 tons of water was added to cover the fuel, the level gauge did not show an increase. TEPCO initially thought the level gauge was not reading properly, but has since seen a rise in the water level in the reactor building and determined the gauge to be working. This water level is too low to provide the stable core cooling which was planned. The Unit 1 reactor containment is leaking into the reactor building. A revised plan is expected to be announced next week. Work in the Unit 1 reactor building has been limited by high radiation levels which limits the time workers can spend on a task. They have been using lead blankets for shielding between the radiation source and the worker, a standard industry practice.
Two days ago the water levels in the Unit 3 turbine building started to drop. On Thursday they found the leak, water was flowing through an electric cable conduit into a pit which eventually flowed into the inlet bay. The leak has been plugged. The volume of highly radioactive water which was released was not reported.
Japan’s Prime Minister has called for the shutdown of the Hamaoko nuclear plant because it does not meet the current standards for earthquake and tsunami protection. The plant will need to be brought up to the current standards before it can be restarted. There are 5 units at the site, but the 2 oldest units have already been retired. Unit 3 was already shutdown for maintenance. Units 4 and 5 are now being shutdown. This will create a electric deficit for the utility which owns the plant which will need to be addressed.
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