Tepco, still struggling to decommission Fukushima Daiichi, gets initial approval to start two reactors at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa. Japan’s nuclear regulator on Wednesday approved an application from Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) to restart two reactors at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa – the world’s biggest nuclear power plant – even as the utility struggles to decommission Fukushima Daiichi. The process will involve reviews and consultations with the public, and the restart is also expected to encounter strong opposition from people living near the plant on the Japan Sea coast of Niigata prefecture.
Guardian 4th Oct 2017 read more »
World Nuclear News 4th Oct 2017 read more »
On a whim, Matthew Charette, one of Buesseler’s colleagues who focuses on coastal groundwater research, proposed the team pile into taxis and go to a local beach to collect some groundwater samples. “We stuck pipes into the ground and people asked us, ‘What are you doing?’” remembers Buesseler. “We said, ‘We’re taking groundwater samples.’” They were miles south of the melted down nuclear plant, and the seawater there had much a lower radioisotope concentration than around Fukushima. It was supposed to be more of an exercise than anything. And yet: “The groundwater kept coming back with the highest readings of cesium,” says Buesseler. The team was stunned. Nobody had thought to look into the groundwater right near the shoreline and see if it was contaminated.
Miles O Brien 3rd Oct 2017 read more »
