information about Fukushima published in English in Japanese media info publiée en anglais dans la presse japonaise
8 Février 2013
February 8, 2013
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201302080063
The operator of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant has admitted dislodging broken equipment weighing 1.5 tons and sending it falling further into a pool where fragile nuclear fuel rods lie.
The debris is part of a heavy-duty hoist formerly used to move fuel assemblies within the No. 3 reactor building. The hoist collapsed into the pool after a hydrogen explosion in March 2011.
Until now, it lay only partially submerged and was believed to have done little damage to the fuel rods beneath.
But on Feb. 7, Tokyo Electric Power Co. officials said work a day earlier to shift an unrelated steel frame nearby caused "vibrations" which dislodged the hoist. It fell, disappearing beneath the water surface.
TEPCO now plans to drop a video camera into the pool to check whether the hoist has smashed fuel rods below.
Officials say 566 fuel assemblies are currently lying in the pool at the No. 3 reactor building.
They insisted there has been no significant change in radioactive concentrations measured in the pool and in the atmosphere since before the latest incident.
Possibility of Debris (Assumed to be the Fuel Handling Machine Mast) Sinking in the
Spent Fuel Pool at Debris Removal from the Upper Part of the Unit 3 Reactor
Building at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station
February 8, 2013
Tokyo Electric Power Company
Before steel truss debris removal (Photo taken on February 4, 2013)
At the steel truss debris removal from the upper part of the spent fuel pool performed on February 6, 2013, the
debris assumed to be the fuel handling machine mast* which was present before the steel truss removal was
found to be missing in the image taken after the removal work. On February 7, we judged that there is a possibility
that the missing debris has sunk into the pool.
*Fuel handling machine mast: Extendable pole used to lift the grip up and down when moving the fuel assemblies (Length: Approx. 5-
23m, Weight: Approx. 1.5 tons)