Fukushima Diary on new leak

June 21, 2013

New leakage from desalination system, 26 giga Bq/m3 of all β, Tepco, “250L, no overflow from the warehouse”

http://fukushima-diary.com/2013/06/new-leakage-from-desalination-system-26-giga-bqm3-of-all-%CE%B2-tepco-250l-no-overflow-from-the-warehouse/

According to Tepco, a subcontract company worker found a new leakage from the desalination system on 6/21/2013.

The system was suspended 5 minutes after the leakage was found.

The result of nuclide analysis is below,

Cs-134: 5.7×10^5 [Bq/m3]
Cs-137: 1.7×10^6 [Bq/m3]
Co-60: 1.4×10^5 [Bq/m3]
Sb-125: 1.5×10^7 [Bq/m3]
All β: 2.6×10^10 [Bq/m3]

From the significantly high readings, Tepco assumes it is untreated water before the desalination system.

Tepco states it was 250L, it didn’t overflow from the warehouse. They assume it was because “they screwed the cap of the flowmeter so tightly that it had a crack”.

At 21:30, 6/21/2013 (JST), Tepco has published Japanese press release up to Vol.5, but published English press release only up to Vol.3. The accident report is only in Japanese as well. Currently Tepco is making it difficult to stay updated in English.

(Related article..English version of Fukushima plant survey map shows atmospheric dose lower than Japanese version by 90% [URL])

The slowly updated English press releases are below,

Press Release (Jun 21,2013)
Water leakage found at the desalination system (reverse osmosis membrane) in Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

At around 2:58 AM today (June 21), we found a leak detector of the desalination system 3 (reverse osmosis membrane RO-3) operating in the temporary warehouse.

At 3:03 AM, a cooperative company worker found water leakage and suspended the RO-3.

The leaked water remains in the dam of the temporary warehouse and has not flowed outside the temporary warehouse.

We are currently inspecting the details and the investigation results are to be announced.

No significant change in the monitoring post data has been found.

This is a follow-up report on the investigation statuses of the water leakage found at the desalination system 3 (reverse osmosis membrane RO-3).

The leakage has stopped at present, and leaked amount in the temporary warehouse is estimated to be approx. 360 liters (approx.30m x approx. 12m x approx. 1mm).

We will continue to identify the cause of the leakage.

The details are to be explained at the regular press conference.

This is a follow-up report on the investigation statuses of the water leakage found at the desalination system 3 (reverse osmosis membrane RO-3).

The nuclide analysis results of leaked water are as follows.

Cs-134: 5.7×10-1 [Bq/cm3]
Cs-137: 1.7×100 [Bq/cm3]
Co-60: 1.4×10-1 [Bq/cm3]
Sb-125: 1.5×101 [Bq/cm3]
All β: 2.6×104 [Bq/cm3]

According to the above results, we judged that the leaked water was the water before treatment at the entrance of the desalination system 3 (reverse osmosis membrane RO-3).

We will continue to identify the cause of the leakage.