Fukushima nuclear plant disaster: Japan celebrates its thirteenth anniversary

Tokyo (AFP) – Japan on Monday marked the 13th anniversary of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck the northern coast of the country. Nearly 20,000 people died, entire cities were destroyed, and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was destroyed, creating deep fears of radiation that persist today. As the nation marks the anniversary, the AP explains what's happening now at the plant and in surrounding areas.

What happened 13 years ago?

A 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck on March 11, 2011, triggering a tsunami that struck northern coastal cities in Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures. The tsunami, which reached 15 meters (50 feet) high in some areas, swept through the nuclear plant, destroying power supplies and fuel cooling systems, and causing meltdowns at reactors No. 1, 2 and 3.

Hydrogen explosions caused massive radiation leakage and contamination in the area.

The operator, Tokyo Electric Power Holdings, says the tsunami could not have been predicted. Government and independent investigations and some court decisions said the accident was the result of human error, safety neglect, lax oversight by organizers, and collusion.

Since then, Japan has introduced stricter safety standards and at one point transitioned to phasing out nuclear power. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government reversed this policy and rushed to bring the reactors back into operation to keep nuclear power as Japan's main source of energy supply.

A deadly earthquake on January 1 in the north-central region of Japan destroyed many homes and roads, but did not damage a decommissioned nuclear power plant. However, this has raised concern that current evacuation plans that focus solely on radioactive leaks may be unworkable.

The nation observed a minute's silence at 2:46 p.m. on Monday, as Kishida attended a memorial service in Fukushima.

What happened to the people in the area?

About 20,000 of the more than 160,000 residents evacuated across Fukushima have not yet returned to their homes.

Decontamination work ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, intended to show Fukushima's recovery, removed some off-limits areas, but seven of the 12 cities were still completely or partially off-limits.

In Futaba, the hardest-hit city and co-host of the Fukushima Daiichi plant, a small area opened in 2022. About 100 people, or 1.5% of the pre-disaster population, have returned to live there. The other host city, Okuma, which along with Futaba sacrificed part of its territory to build a temporary storage site for nuclear waste collected from the cleanup, saw the return of 6% of its former population.

Annual surveys show that the majority of evacuees have no intention of returning home, due to a lack of jobs, schools and lost communities, as well as fears of radiation.

Residents who expressed concerns about radiation or linked it to their health problems were attacked for damaging Fukushima's reputation.

Towns affected by the disaster, including those in Iwate and Miyagi prefectures, saw a sharp decline in population.

Fukushima Governor Masao Oshibori told NHK television that a growing number of young people want to move to Fukushima to open businesses or help with reconstruction, and he expressed hope that more residents would return.

What about discharges of treated radioactive water?

Last August, the Fukushima Daiichi plant began discharging treated water into the sea, and is currently releasing a fourth batch of 7,800 tons of treated water. So far, the results of daily seawater sampling have met safety standards. The plan faced protests from local fishermen and neighboring countries, especially China, which banned imports of Japanese seafood.

The Fukushima Daiichi plant has been struggling to deal with contaminated water since meltdowns in 2011. TEPCO says the start of operation is a milestone and that removing the tanks is critical to make room for needed facilities as the decommissioning process progresses.

Contaminated cooling water is pumped, treated and stored in approximately 1,000 tanks. The government and TEPCO say the water is diluted with bulk seawater before being released, making it safer than international standards.

What about local fishing?

Despite previous fears that the water discharge would further damage Fukushima's hard-hit fishing industry, these concerns have not damaged its reputation locally. China's ban on Japanese seafood, which mostly affected scallop exporters in Hokkaido, has clearly prompted Japanese consumers to eat more seafood in Fukushima.

IAEA sampling and monitoring have also boosted confidence in local fish.

Fishing in Fukushima returned to normal operations in 2021, and the local catch is now about one-fifth of its pre-disaster level due to lower numbers of fishermen and smaller catch sizes.

The government has allocated 10 billion yen ($680 million) to support fisheries in Fukushima.

Is there any progress in removing molten fuel?

The content of the three reactors remains largely a mystery. For example, little is known about the state of molten fuel or exactly where it is located in reactors. Not even a spoonful of fuel was removed.

There are still about 880 tons of melted nuclear fuel inside the three damaged reactors, and Japanese officials say it will take 30 to 40 years to remove it. Experts describe this timeline as overly optimistic. The amount of molten fuel is 10 times the amount removed from Three Mile Island after its partial melting in 1979.

Robotic probes have peeked inside the three reactors, but their investigations have been hampered by technical glitches, high radiation and other complications.

It is important for officials to understand the data from molten debris so they can develop a plan to remove it safely. Tepco aims to obtain the first sample later this year from the less damaged Reactor No. 2.

TEPCO is trying to obtain the sample using a robotic arm. Officials have struggled to extract the robot from the wreckage, and hope that by October they will be able to use a simpler device that resembles a fishing rod.

Most of the fuel in the hardest-hit No. 1 reactor fell from the reactor core to the bottom of the primary containment vessel. Some of them have penetrated the concrete foundation and become embedded in it, making removal very difficult.

In February, the station made its first drone flight into the primary containment vessel to examine the molten debris and examine how fuel initially fell from the core. But the second day of exploration was canceled due to the failure of the data transmission robot.

Is it possible to complete the year 2051?

The government has committed to its initial target of stopping the service completely by 2051, but has not specified what that means.

The lack of data, technology and plans on what to do with radioactive melted fuel and other nuclear waste makes it difficult to understand what's in store for the plant and its surroundings when the cleanup is finished, according to Tepco's head of decommissioning, Akira Ono.

Experts say an overly ambitious schedule could lead to factory workers being exposed to unnecessary radiation and excess environmental damage.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos