Inside the Fukushima nuclear plant 12 years after catastrophic meltdown

Summary

The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant remains a hazardous site 12 years after the catastrophic meltdown. The cleanup effort, one of the most complex in history, involves over 5,000 workers and billions of dollars. Key challenges include managing radioactive water, especially tritium, and the creation of advanced processing facilities. Despite significant progress, the site will remain a long-term project, with some environmental issues expected to persist for decades. This detailed tour, guided by an expert, highlights the scale and ongoing nature of the cleanup effort and its global implications.

Takeaways

• 😀 Fukushima remains a toxic waste site 12 years after the historic meltdown, requiring ongoing cleanup efforts.
• 😀 Over 5000 workers are involved daily in the nuclear cleanup operations at Fukushima, one of the most complicated efforts in history.
• 😀 A nuclear engineer who led the cleanup at the Three Mile Island meltdown in 1979 now consults for Fukushima's cleanup efforts.
• 😀 The cleanup at Fukushima involves a multibillion-dollar annual effort and will likely take decades to complete.
• 😀 The most hazardous areas of the meltdown site are still inaccessible due to intense radiation, which renders many tools and equipment ineffective.
• 😀 Unit 5, which survived the disaster, serves as a replica for understanding the conditions of the reactors that melted down.
• 😀 A steady stream of contaminated water is being generated daily at Fukushima, peaking at 130-160,000 gallons per day.
• 😀 In 2016, a $300 million ice wall was completed around the site, freezing the soil to prevent contaminated groundwater from seeping into the environment.
• 😀 Over 1100 tanks are currently used to store radioactive water, which will remain hazardous for many decades.
• 😀 The Advanced Liquid Processing Plant treats radioactive water, removing 100 different isotopes, except for tritium, which remains chemically the same as water but is mildly radioactive.
• 😀 The Japanese government plans to discharge treated water, which contains tritium, into the ocean, despite concerns from local fishermen and neighboring countries.

Q & A

What is the scale of the cleanup effort at Fukushima?

The cleanup effort at Fukushima is a massive, multibillion-dollar project involving upwards of 5,000 workers each day. It is considered the most complicated nuclear cleanup in history and is expected to take decades to complete.

How long has the Fukushima cleanup been ongoing?

The Fukushima cleanup has been ongoing for over 12 years, starting after the nuclear meltdown in 2011.

What is the ice wall at Fukushima, and how does it help with the cleanup?

The ice wall is a $300 million subterranean perimeter of pipes that were completed in 2016. It is designed to freeze the soil and prevent contaminated groundwater from infiltrating the Fukushima site.

What challenges do workers face when dealing with contaminated water at Fukushima?

One of the major challenges is managing the large volume of contaminated water, which was initially generated at a rate of 130,000 to 160,000 gallons per day. The water continues to be radioactive, and despite efforts like the ice wall, the issue remains difficult to resolve.

What is the Advanced Liquid Processing Plant, and what role does it play in the cleanup?

The Advanced Liquid Processing Plant is a facility at Fukushima that processes contaminated water, removing 99.99% of radioactive isotopes. It handles up to 300,000 gallons of water per day, but it is unable to fully remove tritium, a mildly radioactive form of hydrogen.

What is tritium, and why is it a concern in the Fukushima cleanup?

Tritium is a radioactive form of hydrogen that is naturally occurring but also created in nuclear reactors. It is chemically identical to regular hydrogen, so it forms radioactive water, and despite treatment efforts, it remains in the water, posing a disposal challenge.

How does the Fukushima cleanup compare to other nuclear disasters, such as Three Mile Island?

The Fukushima cleanup shares similarities with the Three Mile Island disaster cleanup, particularly in the technical challenges of decontaminating radioactive sites. However, Fukushima's scale and the intensity of the radiation make it a much larger and more complex task.

What safety precautions are in place for workers handling radioactive materials at Fukushima?

Workers at Fukushima are required to wear protective clothing to reduce the risk of contamination. The site is highly hazardous, with the risk of radioactive leaks, so safety measures are stringent, especially when handling pipes and tanks holding contaminated water.

Why is the Japanese government considering discharging treated water into the ocean, and what concerns does it raise?

The Japanese government is considering discharging treated water into the ocean because it is an effective way to manage the large volume of contaminated water that continues to accumulate. However, this plan has raised concerns among local fishermen and neighboring countries due to the potential environmental impact and the residual radioactivity in the water.

How long will it take before the radioactive water at Fukushima is no longer hazardous?

It will take many decades before the radioactive water at Fukushima becomes safe. The radioactive isotopes in the water will decay over time, but this process is slow, and the water will remain hazardous for a prolonged period.