Fukushima Nuclear Plants - Status (1)

Fukushima Nuclear Plant – Status 1 (3/20/’11)
(Source: Asahi Shimbun March 20, 2011)
The emergency forces are fighting day and night to quench the heated nuclear reactors and the spent fuel rod pools. Special fire engines of the Tokyo Fire Department are used for spraying seawater on to the pools. Another sets of fire engines are in service to pump water into the reactors. The operation as a whole seems to be a success to a good extent since the water levels in the reactor cores are partially recovered; and the water temperature in the spent fuel rod pools are reported to be lower than 100 degrees C. The Tokyo Electric Power Company is taking urgent steps to establish the supply of power from the outside source, and restore the pumping system for cooling (in place of fire engines). The level of radioactive exposure to the rescue members was measured at 3 to 27 mSieverts after work.

The status of the four reactors (Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4) is as follows:
No. 1 Reactor
- Reactor core cooling system: Malfunction
- Fuel rods in the reactor: Partially exposed and damaged.
- Current activities: Pumping of seawater by fire engines into the core is continued. Power cables have been laid from the external source (Mar. 19)
- Status of the spent fuel rod pool: Condition of the fuel rods is unknown.
- Status of the containment vessel: Reportedly safe.
No. 2 Reactor
- Reactor core cooling system: Malfunction
- Fuel rods in the reactor: Partially exposed and damaged.
- Current activities: The suppression pool beneath the containment vessel was probably damaged due to an explosion. Pumping of seawater by fire engines into the core is continued. Power cables have been laid from the external source (Mar. 19)
- Status of the spent fuel rod pool: Water temperature has been rising. The fuel rods are supposed to be damaged (Actual situation unknown.
- Status of the containment vessel: Reportedly safe.
No. 3 Reactor
- Reactor core cooling system: Malfunction
- Fuel rods in the reactor: Partially exposed and damaged.
- Current activities: Pumping of seawater by fire engines into the core is continued.
- Status of the spent fuel rod pool: The fuel rods are suspected to be damaged. Seawater has been sprayed by fire engines on the pool since Mar. 17.
- Status of the containment vessel: Reportedly safe.
No. 4 Reactor
- Reactor core cooling system: Malfunction
- Fuel rods in the reactor: No fuel rods in the reactor (The reactor had been in the process of regular maintenance.)
- Current activities:
- Status of the spent fuel rod pool: Condition of the fuel rods is unknown. Splaying of seawater on to the pool continued.
- Status of the containment vessel: Reportedly safe.
- Nos. 4 and 5 Reactors
(The two reactors had been shut down for regular maintenance.)
- Status of the spent fuel rod pool: The water temperature was rising (Mar. 19). The emergency power generators have been restored; and water is being pumped to the pool.

East Japan Earthquake - What is happening (2)

Numbers related to the earthquake disaster
(Source: Asahi Shimbun: Mar. 19)
(1) M9.0
The magnitude of the East Japan earthquake, which is 1,450 times as large as that of the Hanshin earthquake (at M7.3). This magnitude is the No. 4 in the modern geophysical history.
(2) 262 times
There were 262 times of aftershocks including ones of M5.0 or larger between the time of the main earthquake (14:46 on Mar. 11) and noon on Mar. 18, namely about a week.
(3) 400 km2
The total area inundated by the tsunamis. The maximum distance reached by the tsunami was six km inland. The height of the waves was as high as 10 m or more at Wakabayashi Division, Sendai City.
(4) 4 m
The ground along the Sanriku coast was moved about 4 m eastward as a result of the earthquake. The ground surface sank about 0.7 m.
(5) 25%
Corpses claimed and received by their families and relatives as percent of the total of 4,720 bodies found by the morning of Mar. 18. Those who have no means of cremation or burial cannot claim the bodies of their family. About 40% of the corpses have not been identified.
(6) 16,148 persons
The number of people who evacuated from the affected areas without means of transportation and communication.
(7) 18,544 homes and other buildings
The so far reported number of homes and other buildings partially- or completely-destroyed by the earthquake and tsunami. The number is not yet definite since the report has not been complete.
(8) 310,000 homes
The number of homes which have no electricity in the affected area. About 350,000 homes in the service area of the Sendai City Gas Authority have no gas supply. Water supply to about 760,000 homes has been suspended. Power supply is rationed to the groups of homes and businesses in the capital region in rotation.
(9) 2.89 million
The number of food packages donated and sent to the affected area. Contents are mainly emergency food products, cup noodle, and bread. About 310,000 blankets, 700 temporary toilets and 3.1 million liters of kerosene have been delivered to the supply points in the area. However, the quantity of goods actually delivered to refugee camps has been limited due to difficult transportation.

What is happening after the East Japan earthquake (1)

While the earthquake survivors are enduring difficult times, we in the Tokyo area can lead a comfortable life except for scheduled power rationing.

(Concern about the nuclear power plant)
After several days of trials to pump sea water into the reactor vessels, the emergency action teams of the Tokyo Fire Department and the Self-defense forces (SDF) abandoned the trials since the fire engines were unable to overcome the pressure in the vessels.

In the meantime, the temperatures in the spent fuel rod pool at the Nos. 3 and 4 reactors have risen at a critical level due to lowering water levels in the pool. If the temperature becomes very high, the spent fuel rods may collapse and spew a large amount of dangerous radioactive matters to the atmosphere. As strongly directed by the government, the SDF carried out the operation to pour water down from helicopters on March 17. The water was released from the buckets some 100 feet (33 m) above the pool. The total quantity of water was only 30 cubic meters; but the operation does not appear to be effective since the quantity is so small compared the volume of the pools (1,000 cu m each), and the large part of water was dispersed outside of the pools because of the wind.

The emergency action teams then sprayed water from the ground using five fire engines. The total quantity of water was 30 cu m. They are not sure if the operation was effective enough.

As directed by the government, more than 15,000 residents were evacuated from the area within 30 km radius from the power plants. They are spending day and night in cold weather only with short supply of goods for their survival.

狭山公園の環境

狭山公園には結構深い森の緑があり、多摩湖の水面があり、春は桜、秋は紅葉が美しい。ほぼ毎日バードウォッチングを兼ねて散歩する。珍しい鳥がいれば写真に撮る。右の上から二番目のコゲラは狭山公園の森の中で撮った。冬は森でウグイス、コジュケイ、タヒバリ、ジョウビタキ、ウソなどが見られ、多摩湖ではウ、アオサギ、カンムリカイツブリ、マガモ、オナガガモなどが羽を休める。

ところがこの2，3日大勢の作業員が森で木々の間の下草を根こそぎ刈り取り始めた。跡には藪が全く残っていない。これではブッシュで暮らすウグイス、コジュケイ、カヤクグリ、アオジなどの居場所がなくなってしまう。そこで都庁の公園課に電話したところ、自分のところは担当でないので｢公園の整備を担当する公園緑地事務所｣に聞いてほしい｣とのこと。公園緑地事務所に電話すると｢担当は当事務所の工事課です」課長と話ししたいというと「今留守で4時間ほどすれば戻る｣という。

待つ間を利用していつものように双眼鏡を持って公園の散歩に出かける。途中公園入口にある公園監理事務所によって森の整備の担当について確かめると「それは工事課ではなく管理課の担当だ」という。家に帰って再び公園監理事務所に電話し管理課長につないでもらった。そして「下草を根こそぎ刈り取ってしまっては野鳥の生息環境に影響する、やめてもらえないか？」というと『はじめて聞いたので実際にどういう作業をしているかわからない』とおっしゃる。「でも都本庁で聞いたところでは、公園の森の管理はこちらで企画・実施しているはず」と聞くと『確かにそうだが実際は外注しているので詳細が分からない」との話。「こちらの心配は根こそぎ下草を刈り取っては自然環境の破壊であり、野鳥の生息環境を無くする。せめて腰高位にとどめておいてはどうか」と提案する。管理課長は『作業内容を確かめてから対応について電話でご報告します』と言ってくれる。

後刻電話があり、『ご意見を考慮し、森全面の下草を根元から刈るのでなく、鳥の生息も考えたメリハリのある作業にするよう指示した』由。公園管理課が自分の発注した工事の内容を把握していないとは呆れた話で、都の無責任な税金の使い方の典型を見たように思う。

The Beatles, Piano, Birding

Several years ago, when I travelled to Liverpool, I visited the Beatles Story, a museum, near the port. The history of the Beatles was illustrated with
sets of their office and stage, their guitars, a collection of hand-written lyrics and photos. It was impressive to see may high teens and low twenties
visitors than middle aged people. I bought a set of two CDs even though the price was somewhat expensive.
I had been accustomed with American English, but local people's strong Northern England accent was not easy to hear.
A couple years later. I also visited the John Lennon Museum in the Dsitama new metropolitan center.

Last year I bought The Beatles Stereo Box set (remastered) with all the original albums for 210 dollars. If buying in Japan, it costed 39,000 yen (433

dollars). I saved some 220 dololars. In general, CDs are overpriced in Japan.

Seven or eight years ago I ventured to go to a piano class. I want to play The Beatles songs via simple versions of piano scores, but it is not so easy
tome. I still pick up notes one by one. All the same, it is real pleasant to play piano! (Especially when a young lady couches me.)

(Birding) Usually once or twice I go to birding to the riverside or forest with a digital camera with a large and heavy telescopic lens. But it is truly
dangerous to do so in this heat with a risk of heatstroke. I will concentrate to piano for the time being till fall.
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