Updates from Japanese sources on activity in Daiichi, Fukushima

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/genpatsu-fukushima/20130821/index.html: Tank surveillance consisted of patrols twice a day. The tanks are not equipped with water level gauges. This is the fourth leakage event so far, among the 350 tanks.

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/genpatsu-...35_kiseii.html:  After a study group meeting held in the evening of 21 August, the NRA instructs Tepco to equip the tanks with water level gauges and to study alternative storage facilities. The study group will inspect the tanks at Fukushima Daiichi on 23 August.

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/genpatsu-...20_jouchu.html: Tepco nuclear division top person, vice-president Aizawa will be permanently based in Fukushima. The existence of different people in charge at Fukushima Daiichi, at the Fukushima Daini-based Fukushima Daiichi stabilization center, at the main office and other places had been pointed out as a source of problems as regards information sharing and supervision.

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/genpatsu-fukushima/20130821/2120_jouchu.html:  6 mSv/hour was measured on the side of the drain 50 m away from the leaking tank, so that one cannot rule out that contaminated water could have flowed into the sea. On 20 August, based on a measurement of the water in the drain finding low radioactive concentrations, Tepco had said there was little probablility that the sea had been contaminated.

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/genpatsu-...815/index.html:  After the pumping from small scale wells that was started on 9 August, Tepco began on 15 August before midday the full scale ground water pumping using some of the planned thirty 5-metre deep pipes whose installation has been completed. After 18 August, when all pipes will be completed, the pumping capacity will reach 60 ton/day. Since pumping began, the ground water level has declined by about 50 cm. Even after the ground solidifying work will be completed, up to 35 ton/day of ground water is expected to seep out to the sea through the solidified layer, so that a radical solution is still wanting.