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Construction of underground ice wall in Japan aimed staunch nuclear water contamination of ocean


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Posted

Construction of underground ice wall in Japan aimed staunch nuclear water contamination of ocean

TOKYO: Japan this week has started work on an underground ice wall at the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, freezing the soil under broken reactors to slow the build-up of radioactive water, officials said.

The wall is intended to block groundwater from nearby hillsides that has been flowing under the plant and mixing with polluted water already there.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority, the national watchdog, last week authorised construction of the ice wall at Fukushima Daiichi, owned and operated by Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO).

"We started construction of the frozen earth wall this afternoon," a TEPCO official told a news conference in Tokyo.

The government-funded scheme will see 1,550 pipes laid deep in the soil through which refrigerant will be piped to create the 1.5-kilometre (0.9-mile) frozen wall that will stem the inflow of groundwater.

"We plan to end all the construction work in March 2015 before starting trial operations," the company official said, adding that the ice wall could be fully operational several months after construction was completed.

The idea of freezing a section of soil, which was proposed for Fukushima last year, has previously been used to build tunnels near watercourses.

However, scientists point out that it has not been done on this scale before nor for the proposed length of time.

Coping with the huge -- and growing -- amount of water at the tsunami-damaged plant is proving to be one of the biggest challenges forTEPCO, as it tries to clean up the mess after the worst nuclear disaster in a generation, in which three reactors went into meltdown.

As well as all the water used to keep broken reactors cool, the utility must also deal with water that makes its way along subterranean watercourses from mountainsides to the sea.

Last month TEPCO began a bypass system that diverts groundwater into the sea to try to reduce the volume of contaminated water.

Full decommissioning of the plant at Fukushima is expected to take several decades.

An area around the site remains out of bounds, and experts warn that some settlements may have to be abandoned because of high levels of radiation following the 2011 accident.

 

Source:  http://www.thephuketnews.com/construction-of-underground-ice-wall-in-japan-aimed-staunch-nuclear-water-contamination-of-ocean-46732.php

 

[pn]2014-06-08[/pn]

Posted

Sounds like a Japanese Manga version of Game of Thrones: underground ice wall as protection from unspeakable evil.

Nuclear winger is coming!

Posted

As counter intuitive as it might sound, given all the options it is , really the most cost effective  secure, and safe way of dealing with the ground water contamination problem.

Any cooling water escaping the plan, or ground water finding it's way to the ice wall, will also freeze, further re-enforcing the wall. 

  • Like 1
Posted (edited)

As counter intuitive as it might sound, given all the options it is , really the most cost effective  secure, and safe way of dealing with the ground water contamination problem.

Any cooling water escaping the plan, or ground water finding it's way to the ice wall, will also freeze, further re-enforcing the wall. 

 

"   safe way of dealing with the ground water contamination problem "

 

Hang on a minute.unsure.png

You're talking here about TEPCO who have told so many lies and caused so many blunders through sheer incompetence that I wouldn't even trust them to repair my carbah.gif

 

there are far more reliable experts than TEPCO staff who keep warning that construction of this wall could make the crisis even worse because it could lead to the ground beneath the reactors sinking. This ice wall is unprecedented in terms of scale and period of use.

Edited by midas
  • Like 1
Posted

 

As counter intuitive as it might sound, given all the options it is , really the most cost effective  secure, and safe way of dealing with the ground water contamination problem.

Any cooling water escaping the plan, or ground water finding it's way to the ice wall, will also freeze, further re-enforcing the wall. 

 

"   safe way of dealing with the ground water contamination problem "

 

Hang on a minute.unsure.png

You're talking here about TEPCO who have told so many lies and caused so many blunders through sheer incompetence that I wouldn't even trust them to repair my carbah.gif

 

there are far more reliable experts than TEPCO staff who keep warning that construction of this wall could make the crisis even worse because it could lead to the ground beneath the reactors sinking. This ice wall is unprecedented in terms of scale and period of use.

 

I am not defending TEPCO,

I an defending the Ice wall option. Of all the options available, the Ice wall option is the most desirable, for many reasons. If you know of a more desirable option, I would be very happy to hear it.

Posted

Sounds mental.

 

I'd put a secant pile wall round the place with cement/bentonite grout cut-off wall as additional hydraulic containment.

  • Like 1
Posted

As counter intuitive as it might sound, given all the options it is , really the most cost effective  secure, and safe way of dealing with the ground water contamination problem.

Any cooling water escaping the plan, or ground water finding it's way to the ice wall, will also freeze, further re-enforcing the wall. 

 

I think it is a poor stop gap measure. Note they want to slow down the flow of water into the contaminated areas. At best, this will only delay the radiation that enters the sea but I don't see how it reduces anything. They have raditation leaks from the reactor vessels which were damaged by the meltdowns, and leaks from increasing amounts of stored radioactive water they have been using to keep the cores cool and not melt down further.

 

Even with slower underground flow, these leaks continue unabated until they can actually fix something, so the concentration of radiation in the reactor areas will increase. Eventually they will have less flow of more highly radioactive water into ocean. The rate of radioactivity flowing into the ocean must eventually balance that coming out of the reactors and then they are back to square one.

  • Like 1
Posted

 

As counter intuitive as it might sound, given all the options it is , really the most cost effective  secure, and safe way of dealing with the ground water contamination problem.

Any cooling water escaping the plan, or ground water finding it's way to the ice wall, will also freeze, further re-enforcing the wall. 

 

I think it is a poor stop gap measure. Note they want to slow down the flow of water into the contaminated areas. At best, this will only delay the radiation that enters the sea but I don't see how it reduces anything. They have raditation leaks from the reactor vessels which were damaged by the meltdowns, and leaks from increasing amounts of stored radioactive water they have been using to keep the cores cool and not melt down further.

 

Even with slower underground flow, these leaks continue unabated until they can actually fix something, so the concentration of radiation in the reactor areas will increase. Eventually they will have less flow of more highly radioactive water into ocean. The rate of radioactivity flowing into the ocean must eventually balance that coming out of the reactors and then they are back to square one.

 

 By no stretch of the imagination I'm I an expert in the subject, I am simply, like most of us parroting what I have heard and read on the subject.

The way I understand it , to keep the nuclear fuel  from overheating, and melting down, they have to pump water to cool them down, this water is escaping in to the environment and is contaminating ground and sea water.

Of the many options considered this is, in the opinion of the experts the most efficient option.

Are there challenges associated with this system?

I am sure there are, 

It is a bad situation all around, but given the options.....  it is the least bad solution.

Posted

As counter intuitive as it might sound, given all the options it is , really the most cost effective  secure, and safe way of dealing with the ground water contamination problem.
Any cooling water escaping the plan, or ground water finding it's way to the ice wall, will also freeze, further re-enforcing the wall.

 
"   safe way of dealing with the ground water contamination problem "
[/size][/font]
 
[font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif][size=4]there are far more reliable experts than TEPCO staff who keep warning that construction of this wall could make the crisis even worse because it could lead to the ground beneath the reactors sinking. This ice wall is unprecedented in terms of scale and period of use.[/size][/font]

I am not defending TEPCO,
I an defending the Ice wall option. Of all the options available, the Ice wall option is the most desirable, for many reasons. If you know of a more desirable option, I would be very happy to hear it.


It's a bit late for someone like me to say, 'I told you so' - though I have written a white paper on why Thailand Should Not Go Nuclear. But saying 'I told you so,' doesn't do anyone any good. However, Germany, Denmark and a few others are learning something from Chernobyl and Fukushima; NUCLEAR IS AN AWFUL WAY TO GENERATE ELECTRICITY.
It has dozens of dire drawbacks. Any nuclear proponent who has the gall to say, "but nuclear is cheaper" ....should have his/her mouth packed with radioactive soil.

And what about all the other nuke power plants worldwide. Shouldn't they be paying money to support their nuclear brethren in Japan? Like an insurance policy.

As for ice walls - gimme a break. It's soooooo unnatural. And it relies on mega power to function. Where does the power come from? What happens when there's a blackout?

There's another nuclear power plant in Japan which, before it opened, a heavy piece of equipment fell in the pit. Couldn't get it out, so it rendered the multi-billion dollar plant inoperable. As if that's not enough, it's costing 5 million dollars annually to power the plant (lights, security, safety measures, etc) using outside power. How f'ing crazy is that?
Posted

By no stretch of the imagination I'm I an expert in the subject, I am simply, like most of us parroting what I have heard and read on the subject. The way I understand it , to keep the nuclear fuel  from overheating, and melting down, they have to pump water to cool them down, this water is escaping in to the environment and is contaminating ground and sea water. Of the many options considered this is, in the opinion of the experts the most efficient option. Are there challenges associated with this system? I am sure there are, It is a bad situation all around, but given the options.....  it is the least bad solution.


When you wall water out, you also wall water in. If water is applied to the damaged reactors, it's going to run off to ....somewhere - probably the ocean - thereby further poisoning the sea.

The frozen wall idea will effectively create a giant holding tank. It's doubtful water will leach downward very far. So, add water, and it fills up the holding tank creating a giant radioactive swamp. When fully saturated, water will find a way out. It's an ugly scenario, no matter what.

I resent the planners who put a plant there. When something grossly pollutes the environment, it affects everyone to some degree (no pun intended). It's a finite planet. I also resent Saddam Hussein torching the Kuwaiti oil wells, but that's a different topic, ....or is it?
Posted

 

By no stretch of the imagination I'm I an expert in the subject, I am simply, like most of us parroting what I have heard and read on the subject. The way I understand it , to keep the nuclear fuel  from overheating, and melting down, they have to pump water to cool them down, this water is escaping in to the environment and is contaminating ground and sea water. Of the many options considered this is, in the opinion of the experts the most efficient option. Are there challenges associated with this system? I am sure there are, It is a bad situation all around, but given the options.....  it is the least bad solution.


When you wall water out, you also wall water in. If water is applied to the damaged reactors, it's going to run off to ....somewhere - probably the ocean - thereby further poisoning the sea.

The frozen wall idea will effectively create a giant holding tank. It's doubtful water will leach downward very far. So, add water, and it fills up the holding tank creating a giant radioactive swamp. When fully saturated, water will find a way out. It's an ugly scenario, no matter what.

I resent the planners who put a plant there. When something grossly pollutes the environment, it affects everyone to some degree (no pun intended). It's a finite planet. I also resent Saddam Hussein torching the Kuwaiti oil wells, but that's a different topic, ....or is it?

 

You are assuming that they will build the Ice wall and then go away.I assure you that is not the case. The Ice wall is only one component in the resolution to this problem. 

There was always a Giant holding tank, It is part of the technology of this reactor, The "giant holding tank" was breached during the earthquake, now they need a secondary containment measure.    

Posted

If you wish to depress yourself further have a gander at this:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vi024RmFlEc


Link not working.
Posted (edited)

 

 

By no stretch of the imagination I'm I an expert in the subject, I am simply, like most of us parroting what I have heard and read on the subject. The way I understand it , to keep the nuclear fuel  from overheating, and melting down, they have to pump water to cool them down, this water is escaping in to the environment and is contaminating ground and sea water. Of the many options considered this is, in the opinion of the experts the most efficient option. Are there challenges associated with this system? I am sure there are, It is a bad situation all around, but given the options.....  it is the least bad solution.


When you wall water out, you also wall water in. If water is applied to the damaged reactors, it's going to run off to ....somewhere - probably the ocean - thereby further poisoning the sea.

The frozen wall idea will effectively create a giant holding tank. It's doubtful water will leach downward very far. So, add water, and it fills up the holding tank creating a giant radioactive swamp. When fully saturated, water will find a way out. It's an ugly scenario, no matter what.

I resent the planners who put a plant there. When something grossly pollutes the environment, it affects everyone to some degree (no pun intended). It's a finite planet. I also resent Saddam Hussein torching the Kuwaiti oil wells, but that's a different topic, ....or is it?

 

You are assuming that they will build the Ice wall and then go away.I assure you that is not the case. The Ice wall is only one component in the resolution to this problem. 

There was always a Giant holding tank, It is part of the technology of this reactor, The "giant holding tank" was breached during the earthquake, now they need a secondary containment measure.    

 

 

 

you assure us that is not the case?huh.png  How can you do that with this bunch of clowns in charge ? ermm.gif no one knows for sure what they will do next and certainly no one knows whether this will work.

On the contrary there are many external experts that say it won't.

 

 

analysts are beginning to question whether the government and the plant’s operator, known as Tepco, have the expertise and ability to manage such a complex crisis.

 

 

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/04/world/asia/errors-cast-doubt-on-japans-cleanup-of-nuclear-accident-site.html?pagewanted%253Dall&_r=0

Edited by midas
Posted

 

If you wish to depress yourself further have a gander at this:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vi024RmFlEc


Link not working.

 

 

I really don't know what TV did to that link, but if you copy and paste the above into your browser, it will play it directly.

 

Don't be put off by the source or the commentary, I can't imagine this would be too popular with IneptCo.

Posted

Three years too late.

 

Amazing that the globalists are trying to institute a carbon tax to further  enslave the masses.

It would be much better for humanity for the globalists to use their trillions in resources to address the Fukushima mess.

 

Posted

If they go Nuclear here, they already have their own TESCO, and can wall off the contamination with packages from the frozen foods section.

Posted

 

 

 

By no stretch of the imagination I'm I an expert in the subject, I am simply, like most of us parroting what I have heard and read on the subject. The way I understand it , to keep the nuclear fuel  from overheating, and melting down, they have to pump water to cool them down, this water is escaping in to the environment and is contaminating ground and sea water. Of the many options considered this is, in the opinion of the experts the most efficient option. Are there challenges associated with this system? I am sure there are, It is a bad situation all around, but given the options.....  it is the least bad solution.


When you wall water out, you also wall water in. If water is applied to the damaged reactors, it's going to run off to ....somewhere - probably the ocean - thereby further poisoning the sea.

The frozen wall idea will effectively create a giant holding tank. It's doubtful water will leach downward very far. So, add water, and it fills up the holding tank creating a giant radioactive swamp. When fully saturated, water will find a way out. It's an ugly scenario, no matter what.

I resent the planners who put a plant there. When something grossly pollutes the environment, it affects everyone to some degree (no pun intended). It's a finite planet. I also resent Saddam Hussein torching the Kuwaiti oil wells, but that's a different topic, ....or is it?

 

You are assuming that they will build the Ice wall and then go away.I assure you that is not the case. The Ice wall is only one component in the resolution to this problem. 

There was always a Giant holding tank, It is part of the technology of this reactor, The "giant holding tank" was breached during the earthquake, now they need a secondary containment measure.    

 

 

 

you assure us that is not the case?huh.png  How can you do that with this bunch of clowns in charge ? ermm.gif no one knows for sure what they will do next and certainly no one knows whether this will work.

On the contrary there are many external experts that say it won't.

 

 

What?

you believe they will build the ice wall and leave it at that? you don't think they will try to stop the leak? or decommission the plan.

You say there are "external experts" that say they wont do anything else after they build the ice wall containment system?

Cam you provide links to such information?

Posted

 

 

 

 


 

When you wall water out, you also wall water in. If water is applied to the damaged reactors, it's going to run off to ....somewhere - probably the ocean - thereby further poisoning the sea.

The frozen wall idea will effectively create a giant holding tank. It's doubtful water will leach downward very far. So, add water, and it fills up the holding tank creating a giant radioactive swamp. When fully saturated, water will find a way out. It's an ugly scenario, no matter what.

I resent the planners who put a plant there. When something grossly pollutes the environment, it affects everyone to some degree (no pun intended). It's a finite planet. I also resent Saddam Hussein torching the Kuwaiti oil wells, but that's a different topic, ....or is it?

 

You are assuming that they will build the Ice wall and then go away.I assure you that is not the case. The Ice wall is only one component in the resolution to this problem. 

There was always a Giant holding tank, It is part of the technology of this reactor, The "giant holding tank" was breached during the earthquake, now they need a secondary containment measure.    

 

 

 

you assure us that is not the case?huh.png  How can you do that with this bunch of clowns in charge ? ermm.gif no one knows for sure what they will do next and certainly no one knows whether this will work.

On the contrary there are many external experts that say it won't.

 

 

What?

you believe they will build the ice wall and leave it at that? you don't think they will try to stop the leak? or decommission the plan.

You say there are "external experts" that say they wont do anything else after they build the ice wall containment system?

Cam you provide links to such information?

 

 

 

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/kyodo-news-international/140501/intl-expert-doubts-ice-wall-will-solve-japanese-nuclea

Posted
What's the half-life of the types of radiation at Fukushima?
5,000 years? (since Egypt's sphinx was built)

or 20,000 years? (since the middle of the prior ice age) ?

Will the refrigerant stay functional for so long? Even NYC has power outages, on average, every few years.
  • Like 2
Posted

Maybe the idea is to just kick it down the road until the current regime retires, and then it's someone else's problem. What's the half-life of a politician?

 

BTW I thought "staunch" was an adjective meaning something like "strong," and that "stanch" was a verb meaning to stop the flow. Oh well, maybe that's American.

  • Like 1
  • 2 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...
Posted
The Associated Press 
Published Friday, July 11, 2014 3:40PM EDT 
Last Updated Friday, July 11, 2014 5:29PM EDT

 TOKYO  -- A strong earthquake hit Japan's northern coast near the nuclear power plant crippled in the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The earthquake early Saturday triggered a small tsunami and prompted towns across the northern coast to issue evacuation advisories.

Japan's Meteorological Agency said the 6.8-magnitude quake struck 10 kilometers below the sea surface off the coast of Fukushima, about 250 kilometers northeast of Tokyo.

The 4:22 a.m. (1922 GMT Friday) quake shook buildings in Tokyo. Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency said there were no reports of damages or injuries.


Read more: http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/strong-quake-hits-japan-near-fukushima-triggering-small-tsunami-1.1910104#ixzz37CM26NcC

  • 1 month later...
Posted (edited)

JP Gov to decide to abort the preceding “frozen water wall” project on 8/19/2014facepalm.gif

 

NRA (Nuclear Regulation Authority) is going to decide to abort the frozen water wall project in underground trench on 8/19/2014.

This is the frozen water wall  project followed by frozen ground wall project, which is to separate the underground trench from turbine buildings.

Because it needs to freeze the water, it is considered to be more difficult than frozen ground wall. However the decision of NRA may affect the entire frozen wall projects.

 

 

 

 

 

http://fukushima-diary.com/2014/08/jp-gov-decide-abort-preceding-frozen-water-wall-project-8192014/

Edited by midas
Posted

More ongoing bad news Midas, not unexpected. Time to Concrete the world's worst nuclear disaster. 

 

 

 

The main stream media hasn't covered Fukushima for a long time. But that doesn't mean there hasn't been any news. It just means that the  U.S. and Japanese governments have worked hard to cover it up.There are some very bad things happening to nature all around the Pacific region

Posted

Some news from the last few days.   http://enenews.com/

 

 

02:13 PM EST on August 5th, 2014 | 121 com

 

  • Like 1
Posted

 

 

Some news from the last few days.   http://enenews.com/

 

 

02:13 PM EST on August 5th, 2014 | 121 com

 

 

 

 

 I  hope the future Olympic athletes are being made aware of all these thingsunsure.png

 

200,000,000,000,000 becquerels/kg in fuel rod materials found near Tokyo…

 

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