Major seismic aftershock at Fukushima Daiichi Unit 4 could unleash 8 times Chernobyl's Cs-137

Robert Alvarez of the Institute for Policy Studies released the following message today:

"Here is a recent photo [left] of the Unit No. 4 at the Fukushima-Daichi nuclear ruins provided by Akio Matsumura. It is quite sobering.

The pool at Unit No. 4 contains 1,538 fuel assemblies, including a full core that was freshly discharged prior to the accident. 

Based on data from the U.S. Department of Energy, a spent fuel assembly from a typical boiling water reactor contains about 30,181 curies (~1.1E+12 becquerels) of long-lived radioactivity. So the Unit No. 4 pool contains roughly 49 million curies (~1.8E+18 Bq), of which about 40 percent is Cs-137.  (Source:  U.S. Department of Energy, Final Environmental Impact Statement for a Geologic Repository for the Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste at Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada, 2002, Appendix A, Tables A-7, A-8, A-9, A-10, BWR/Burn up = 36,600 MWd/MTHM, enrichment = 3.03 percent, decay time = 23 years.)

The risk of yet another highly destructive earthquake occurring even closer to the Fukushima reactors has increased, according to the European Geosciences Union.http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2012/02/15/could-fukushima-daiichi-be-ground-zero-for-the-next-big-one/ This is particularly worrisome for Daiichi's structurally damaged spent fuel pool at Reactor No. 4 sitting 100 feet above ground, exposed to the elements. Drainage of water from this pool, resulting from another quake could trigger a catastrophic radiological fire involving about eight times more radioactive cesium than released at Chernobyl."

In 2011, Alvarez published a report on the risks of high-level radioactive waste pool storage in the U.S., in light of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Catastrophe.

In 2003, Alvarez et al. published a report on the risks of a high-level radioactive waste pool fire, in light of the 9/11 attacks. This study was largely to entirely backed up by a 2005 National Academies of Science study.

Beyond Nuclear has also published a backgrounder on the risks of General Electric Mark I Boiling Water Reactor high-level radioactive waste pool storage (see entry below), as part of its Freeze Our Fukushimas campaign. The U.S. has 23 operating GE BWR Mark Is, each with pools more packed with waste than Fukushima Daiichi Unit 4's; in addition, the pool at a permanently shut Mark I, Millstone Unit 1 in Connecticut, is still in use. 

Catastrophic Risks of GE BWR Mark I High-Level Radioactive Waste Storage Pools

Beyond Nuclear has published a new backgrounder, "Catastrophic Risks of GE BWR Mark I High-Level Radioactive Waste Storage Pools."

Worker falls in "radioactive waste pool" at San Onofre

The North County Times reports that yet another incident has occurred at the problem-plagued San Onofre nuclear power plant. A worker lost his balance and fell into the radioactive waste pool. However, the exact type of pool he fell into is not entirely clear. Was it the high-level radioactive waste storage pool? Was it the reactor cavity, after irradiated nuclear fuel (now high-level radioactive waste) had been removed from the core and transferred into the high-level radioactive waste storage pool? Also, exactly what tests were performed on the worker? Were appropriate tests done to confirm the presence of internal radioactive contamination, or not?

A similar incident occurred many years ago at the high-level radioactive waste storage pool at the University of Michigan's research reactor in Ann Arbor. And, as documented in Dave Lochbaum's book Fission Stories, a scuba diver sent into the Calvert Cliffs nuclear power plant's high-level radioactive waste storage pool to make repairs accidentally swam too close to irradiated fuel, exposing his hand to a very high dose of hazardous gamma radiation.

North Anna's twin reactors and radioactive waste storage experience another earthquake

NRC file photo of North Anna nuclear power plant, located on the shore of Lake Anna, VAAs reported by a Dominion Nuclear "Notification of Unusual Event," the twin atomic reactors at North Anna nuclear power plant in Mineral, Virginia experienced a 3.2 magntiude earthquake yesterday. Dominion claims no damage was done, and both reactors remain at 100% power. The timing of the earthquake is ironic. Today, NRC announced a new model for determining seismic risks at atomic reactors in the central and eastern U.S. And on Feb. 2nd, an NRC Petition Review Board will hold a second meeting with Beyond Nuclear and environmental allies, regarding an emergency enforcement petition to shut down both North Anna atomic reactors until adequate seismic protections are put in place. A 5.8 magnitude quake, epi-centered just 11 miles from North Anna, damaged high-level radioactive waste storage casks on August 23, 2011.

Beyond Nuclear expert witness testimony before Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission

In October 2011, Beyond Nuclear's Kevin Kamps was honored to be asked by Families Against Radiation Exposure in Port Hope, Ontario, Canada to serve as its expert witness in a proceeding before the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission regarding Cameco's application for a five year license extension at its Uranium Conversion Facility, just off downtown and very near residential neighborhoods. Cameco's waterfront facility is amongst the oldest nuclear industrial sites in the world, first opened in 1932 as a radium extraction plant. Port Hope's residents have suffered many decades of radioactive pollution and contamination as a consequence.

Kevin submitted his written comments to CNSC on December 19, 2011. He focused on the radioactive stigma impacts to Port Hope, including on property values, as well as threats of flooding at the site due to climate destabilization, as well as security risks given Cameco's (and its predecessor Eldorado's) involvement in the nuclear weapons industry, as well as depleted uranium (DU) munitions. Kevin then attended a three day long hearing before the CNSC, from January 17 to 19, 2012, at which he testified.

In late March, 2011 Kevin also served on the Northwatch team, along with Northwatch's Brennain Lloyd and Great Lakes United's John Jackson, at a Joint Panel Review concerning proposed new reactors at the Darlington Nuclear Power Plant, just a short distance west of Port Hope. Kevin focused on high-level radioactive waste risks associated with that proposal. A coalition of environmental groups in Ontario has since filed a lawsuit challenging the decision to move ahead with those new reactors.