After 11 years, the fate of the Fukushima reactor cleanup is uncertain

During a recent visit by Associated Press reporters to see the clean-up of one of the world’s worst nuclear meltdowns, men in helmets donned their normal work clothes and surgical masks, rather than the coats and face masks previously required, as they drilled near a seawall that was Recently reinforced by the ocean.

Workers had been preparing for the planned construction of an Olympic-size column for use in a highly controversial scheme set to begin in the spring of 2023 to phase out treated radioactive water — which now exceeds 1.3 million tons stored in 1,000 tanks — so officials could make way for other facilities. Necessary to turn off the station.

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Despite the progress, huge amounts of radioactive molten fuel remain inside the reactors. There is concern about the fuel because much about its condition remains unknown, even to those responsible for cleaning.

Nearly 900 tons of melted nuclear fuel remain inside the three damaged reactors, and removing it is an unprecedented challenge involving 10 times the amount of damaged fuel removed in the Three Mile Island clean-up after its partial meltdown in 1979.

The government has drawn up a decommissioning roadmap that aims to be completed within 29 years.

The challenge of removing melted fuel from reactors is so daunting that some experts now say setting a completion target is impossible, especially since officials still have no idea where the waste is being stored.

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The head of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority Toyoshi Fukita said recently that more time will be needed to determine where and how to store the highly radioactive waste that is removed from the reactors.

Japan does not have final storage plans even for highly radioactive waste that comes out of regular reactors. Of the country’s 60 reactors, 24 have been designated for decommissioning, mostly due to the high cost needed to meet safety standards set in the wake of the Fukushima disaster.

On March 11, 2011, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake triggered a 17-meter (56 ft) tsunami that struck the coastal station, destroying power supplies and cooling systems, causing the melting of reactors 1, 2, and 3 and ejecting massive amounts. from radiation. Three other reactors were offline and survived, although the fourth building experienced hydrogen explosions.

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The spread of radiation caused the evacuation of about 160,000 residents. Parts of the surrounding neighborhood remain uninhabitable.

The molten cores of Units 1, 2, and 3 have fallen largely to the bottom of the primary containment vessels, along with control rods and other equipment, and some will likely penetrate or mix with the concrete foundation, making cleanup extremely difficult.

Molten fuel sensors must rely on remote-controlled robots carrying equipment such as cameras and dosimeters – which measure radiation – because radiation levels in those areas are still lethally high for humans.

In February, a remote snorkeling robot entered Unit One’s initial containment vessel, its first internal investigation since a failed 2017 attempt. It took limited photos of what it believed to be piles of melted fuel rising from the concrete floor.

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Probes have advanced into Unit 2, where TEPCO plans to send an extendable robotic arm later this year to collect molten fuel samples.

TEPCO’s head of disassembly Akira Ono said in a recent online interview that the robotic probes on Units 1 and 2 this year are a “step forward” in the decades-long cleanup process.

“It’s like we’re finally at the starting line,” said Ono. “Before, we didn’t even know which way to go.”

Ono said removing the molten fuel test from the second unit will start with a pellet or two, and all of it will be sent for lab analysis, meaning a storage facility won’t be necessary until larger quantities are withdrawn. He said that even a small amount would provide valuable data for research and development in the field of fuel and debris removal technology for all three reactors.

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Hideyuki Ban, co-founder of the Citizens Nuclear Information Center who previously served on government nuclear safety boards, suggests burying frozen treated water underground for stable long-term storage, burying all three reactors for decades — like Chernobyl — and waiting for radioactivity to decline to improve safety and access for workers. Instead of speeding up the cleaning process.

Since the disaster, contaminated cooling water has been continually seeping from damaged primary containment vessels into the basements of the reactor building, where it mixes with groundwater and seeping rainwater.

The water is pumped and treated, partly recycled as cooling water, while the rest is stored in the massive 1,000 tanks that crowd the plant. TEPCO says the tanks will be filled with 1.37 million tons by next spring.

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The government has announced plans to release the water after it has been treated and diluted below legally releaseable levels through a planned undersea tunnel at a site one kilometer offshore. The plan faced fierce opposition from local residents, especially fishermen worried about further damage to the area’s reputation.

TEPCO and government officials say tritium, which is harmless in small amounts, does not dissociate from water, but that all 63 other radioactive isotopes selected for processing can be reduced to safe levels, tested and diluted with seawater prior to release.

Scientists say the health impact of consuming tritium throughout the food chain can be greater than drinking it in water, and more studies are needed.

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In a water treatment facility where radiation levels are much higher, a team of workers in full protective gear handled a container filled with highly radioactive slurry. It has been filtered from the polluted water that has been continually seeping out of the damaged reactors and pumped out of the basements since the disaster. Large amounts of mud and solid radioactive waste also accumulate in the plant.

Radiation levels have decreased significantly after decontamination since the disaster, and full protective equipment is only required in limited areas, including in and around reactor buildings.

On a recent visit, AP reporters used cotton gloves, goggles, a hood and surgical masks to tour low-radiation areas.

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Additional protection, including hazmat coats and double rubber gloves, was needed when reporters entered the initial containment enclosure of Unit 5 and stood on the base grating, a structure below the refueling core, where officials demonstrated the concept of using robotic sensors at No 1 and 2 reactors.

TEPCO emptied spent fuel from the pools of Reactors 3 and 4, but removal in Reactors 1 and 2 was delayed by several years due to high radiation and contaminated debris, raising concerns that the spent fuel could collapse into another earthquake causing significant water loss and overheating.

Futaba Mayor Shiro Aizawa said the Fukushima Daiichi plant must be safely and completely shut down “to make our hometown a safe and livable place again.” Aizawa said he wants the government to “erase the negative image (of the area)” by tackling safe cleaning, a prerequisite for the city’s reconstruction.

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