Kashiwazaki is #19 on the map below
Nuclear Power Plant Delayed Reporting Radioactive Water Leaked Into Sea - New York Times 17jul2007
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Kashiwazaki is #19 on the map below Nuclear Power Plant Delayed Reporting Radioactive Water Leaked Into Sea - New York Times 17jul2007 |
KASHIWAZAKI, Japan — A nuclear power plant near the epicenter of a powerful earthquake suffered a slew of problems, including spilled waste drums, leaked radioactive water, fires and burst pipes, the reactor's operator said Tuesday — more than 24 hours after the tremors struck northern Japan.
The malfunctions at the Kashiwazaki power plant and the delays in acknowledging them are likely to feed concerns about the safety of Japan's 55 nuclear reactors, which supply 30 percent of the quake-prone country's electricity and have suffered a long string of accidents and cover-ups.
Tokyo Electric Power Co. said a total of 50 cases of malfunctioning and trouble had been found at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant since Monday's magnitude 6.6 quake, which killed at least nine people and left 13,000 homeless.
The company said they were still inspecting the plant, which shut down automatically after the quake, and further problems could emerge.
Still, TEPCO spokesman Kensuke Takeuchi called the instances discovered so far "minor troubles" and said they posed no threat to people or the environment.
In five of the reactors, major exhaust pipes were knocked out of place and TEPCO was investigating whether they had leaked radioactive materials, the statement said.
TEPCO also said about 100 drums containing low-level nuclear waste fell at the plant during the quake and were found a day later, some of the lids open.
The company also said a small amount of radioactive materials cobalt-60 and chromium-51 had been emitted into the atmosphere from an exhaust stack. Monday's quake also initially caused a small fire at an electrical transformer in the sprawling plant.
Japan's nuclear power plants, which have suffered a string of accidents and cover-ups amid deep concerns they are vulnerable in earthquakes.
The Kariwa nuclear power plant, the world's largest in terms of power output capacity, stands near the epicenter of Monday's magnitude 6.6 quake.
Monday's quake initially triggered a small fire at an electrical transformer in the sprawling plant. But it was announced 12 hours later that the temblor also caused a leak of water containing radioactive material.
Later Tuesday, TEPCO said a small amount of radioactive materials cobalt-60 and chromium-51 had been emitted into the atmosphere from an exhaust stack, but posed no danger to the environment. It was unclear if that leak was caused by the quake.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe criticized the delay in notifying the public.
"They raised the alert too late. I have sent stern instructions that such alerts must be raised seriously and swiftly," Abe told reporters in Tokyo. "Those involved should repent their actions."
Masanori Hamada, a professor of earthquake engineering at Tokyo's Waseda University, said the quake showed the government should push to increase the quake-resistance standards of its reactors.
"It's unthinkable that water leaks and fire could be triggered so easily," said Hamada. "TEPCO must provide a full explanation to the public."
Nearly 13,000 people packed into evacuation centers such as schools and other secure buildings in the quake zone 160 miles northwest of Tokyo, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said.
People packed school gymnasiums and community centers in the city, camping out on traditional Japanese futon mattresses and fanning themselves from the muggy summer heat.
Thunderstorms and flooding were expected Tuesday throughout the quake zone, increasing the likelihood that the quake-softened, water-logged ground would give way on hillsides and cause even more damage, officials said.
Light rain began to fall by early afternoon in Kashiwazaki and up to 2.4 inches were expected by Wednesday morning, according to the local observatory.
"The damage is more than we had imagined," Kashiwazaki Mayor Hiroshi Aida said while inspecting damaged areas of his town. "We want to restore the water supply as soon as possible so more people can return home."
Nine people in their 70s or 80s — six women and three men — were killed in the quake, and 47 were seriously injured.
Victims were largely concerned with securing enough food, water and shelter for the night, but some said the threat of a devastating nuclear accident was always at the back of their minds.
"Whenever there is an earthquake, the first thing we worry about is the nuclear plant. I worry about whether there will be a fire or something. We have no information, it's really frightening," said Kiyokazu Tsunajima, who spent the first night sleeping in his car, afraid an aftershock might collapse his damaged house.
The Defense Ministry dispatched 450 soldiers to the devastated area to clear rumble, search for any survivors under collapsed buildings and provide food, water and toilet facilities. People formed long lines to fill bottles with fresh water.
About 50,000 homes were without water and 35,000 were without gas as of Tuesday morning, local official Mitsugu Abe said. About 27,000 households were without power.
The Japanese Meteorological Agency put the initial quake's magnitude at 6.8, while the U.S. Geological Survey said it was 6.6. The quake, which hit the region at 10:13 a.m., was centered off the coast of Niigata, 160 miles northwest of Tokyo.
The area was plagued by a series of aftershocks, though there were no immediate reports of additional damage or injuries from the aftershocks.
Near midnight, Japan's Meteorological Agency said a 6.6-magnitude quake hit off the west coast, shaking wide areas of Japan, but it was unrelated to the Niigata quake to the north and there were no immediate reports of damage.
source: 17jul2007
KASHIWAZAKI, Japan -- Officials at the world's biggest nuclear power plant acknowledged Tuesday there had been more radiation leaks after an earthquake in Japan that killed nine people and forced thousands from their homes.
The admissions by Tokyo Electric Power Co. have reignited fears about nuclear safety in a country that relies on atomic power for one-third of its electricity but has faced repeated cover-ups of past accidents by atomic power utilities.
"I believe that nuclear power plants can only be operated with the trust of the people," Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters in Tokyo, about 250 km (155 miles) southeast of Niigata prefecture, where the quake struck Monday morning.
"For this, if something happens, they need to report on it thoroughly and quickly. We need to get them to strictly reflect on this incident," Abe added.
A small fire in a transformer at TEPCO's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant Monday was quickly extinguished. The fire was sparked when a 6.8-magnitude quake that struck Monday.
But while TEPCO had initially said that the lethal earthquake had not caused any leaks, it revealed later on Monday night that 1,200 liters of radioactive water had sloshed into the sea from its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in Niigata.
The company added that the quake was stronger than its reactors had been designed to withstand.
Then on Tuesday, a TEPCO official told a news conference that about 100 of the 22,000 drums containing nuclear waste at a warehouse had fallen over and "several" lost their lids.
Only about half the drums had been inspected so far, and it was not immediately clear from the official's comments whether there was any impact on the environment or people.
Also on Tuesday, the company admitted that a small amount of radioactive materials -- cobalt-60, iodine and chromium-51 -- had been emitted into the atmosphere.
A trade ministry official said the amounts were too small to pose an environmental threat.
It was unclear on Tuesday when TEPCO's power units could restart after the trade minister said safety must come first.
Homes destroyed, utilities out
Media as well as local residents urged the nuclear industry to take heed of the threat and make sure reactors were safe.
"When you have something like this, it's scary," said retired taxi driver Tomiji Okura, 72, in Kashiwazaki, a city of about 95,000 whose economy relies heavily on the nuclear industry along with fishing. "I want them to be made safe." Watch how the temblor collapsed roofs and twisted asphalt »
Nearly 800 homes were destroyed or damaged in Niigata alone, and much of the water, gas and electricity supplies cut by the quake had yet to be restored on Tuesday.
About 9,000 people were set to spend a second night in schools and other makeshift evacuation centers.
"I've barely slept," said 35-year-old Kazuko Uchiya, a piano teacher who was at an evacuation center with her 6-year-old son.
"I don't know when I can go home," she said.
Nine elderly people were killed and one person was missing, a Niigata prefecture official said.
Worries were mounting about the health of evacuees, many of whom are elderly.
"The damage was worse than anticipated," Kashiwazaki Mayor Hiroshi Kaeda told reporters. "If we can restore water services more people can go home, so that's what we want to do first."
Streets in Kashiwazaki were lined with damaged or collapsed houses, mostly wooden structures with heavy tile roofs, and many roads were blocked because of cracks, causing traffic jams.
Some people worked on repairs, covering damaged roofs with blue plastic sheets, while others picked through scattered rubble and many lined up for fresh water, which was trucked in by local officials and about 500 members of the armed forces.
Helmeted soldiers in camouflage uniforms made rice balls to hand out at evacuation centers, where crowds huddled sitting on "tatami" straw mats with blankets and a few belongings.
Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries, with a tremor occurring at least every five minutes, and for many Niigata residents, there was a tragic sense of deja vu.
The prefecture was hit in October 2004 by a quake, also with a magnitude of 6.8, that killed 65 people and injured more than 3,000. It was the deadliest quake in Japan since a magnitude 7.3 tremor hit Kobe city in 1995, killing more than 6,400.
source: 17jul2007
Officials at the world's biggest nuclear power plant admitted today there had been more radiation leaks after an earthquake in Japan that killed nine people and forced thousands from their homes.
The admissions by Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) have reignited fears about nuclear safety in a country that relies on atomic power for one-third of its electricity but has faced repeated cover-ups of past accidents by atomic power utilities.
"I believe that nuclear power plants can only be operated with the trust of the people," Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said in Tokyo, some about 250km southeast of Niigata prefecture, where the quake struck yesterday morning.
"For this, if something happens they need to report on it thoroughly and quickly. We need to get them to strictly reflect on this incident," Mr Abe added.
A small fire in a transformer at TEPCO's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant sparked when the 6.8 magnitude quake struck yesterday was quickly extinguished.
But while TEPCO had initially said that the lethal earthquake had not caused any leaks, it revealed later yesterday night that 1200 litres of radioactive water had sloshed into the sea from its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in Niigata.
The company added that the quake was stronger than its reactors had been designed to withstand.
Then today, a TEPCO official told a news conference that checks of 22,000 drums containing nuclear waste at a warehouse had found about 100 had fallen over and "several" lost their lids.
Only about half the drums had been inspected so far, and it was not immediately clear from the official's comments whether there was any impact on the environment or people.
Also yesterday, the company admitted that a small amount of radioactive materials – cobalt-60, iodine and chromium-51 – had been emitted into the atmosphere.
A trade ministry official said the amounts were too small to pose an environmental threat.
It was unclear today when TEPCO's power units could restart after the trade minister said safety must come first.
Media as well as local residents urged the nuclear industry to take heed of the threat and make sure reactors were safe.
"When you have something like this, it's scary," said retired taxi driver Tomiji Okura, 72, in Kashiwazaki, a city of about 95,000 whose economy relies heavily on the nuclear industry along with fishing. "I want them to be made safe."
Nearly 800 homes were destroyed or damaged in Niigata alone and much of the water, gas and electricity supplies cut by the quake had yet to be restored today.
About 9000 people were set to spend a second night in schools and other make-shift evacuation centres.
"I've barely slept," said 35-year-old Kazuko Uchiya, a piano teacher who was at an evacuation centre with her 6-year-old son.
"I don't know when I can go home," she said.
Nine elderly people were killed and one person was missing, a Niigata prefecture official said.
Worries were mounting about the health of evacuees, many of whom are elderly.
"The damage was worse than anticipated," Kashiwazaki Mayor Hiroshi Kaeda said.
"If we can restore water services more people can go home, so that's what we want to do first."
Streets in Kashiwazaki were lined with damaged or collapsed houses, mostly wooden structures with heavy tile roofs, and many roads were blocked because of cracks, causing traffic jams.
Some people worked on repairs, covering damaged roofs with blue plastic sheets, while others picked through scattered rubble and many lined up for fresh water, which was trucked in by local officials and about 500 members of the armed forces.
Helmeted soldiers in camouflage uniforms made rice balls to hand out at evacuation centres, where crowds huddled sitting on "tatami" straw mats with blankets and a few belongings.
Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries, with a tremor occurring at least every five minutes, and for many Niigata residents, there was a tragic sense of deja vu.
source: 17jul2007
Kashiwazaki is #19 on this map of nuclear power plants in Japan. See map with key to all NNP locations.
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