06 September 2013 (12:40 UTC-07 Tango)/01 Dhu ‘l-Qa’da 1434/15 Shahrivar 1392/02 Xin-You (8th month) 4711
“Technical advisors employed by the NRA have been working on teaching TEPCo the way of radiation monitoring and advising TEPCo to map an on-site radiation distribution.”-Nuclear Regulation Authority report, 05 September 2013
Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) announced that it has finally begun to take part in regular safety inspections at Fukushima Daiichi, on 04 September 2013, more than two years after the nuke melt downs began!
The NRA has also released Pacific Ocean contamination data, collected by Tokyo Electric Power Company over the past six months. However, when you realize how the two major North Pacific Ocean currents work, you’ll realize the collection points are fallacious.
TEPCo collects ocean water samples at two dubious points; along the coastline north of Fukushima Daiichi, and along the coastline south of Fukushima Daiichi.
Collection point north data shows cesium 137 (Cs-137) hit 3.3 becquerels per liter in June, and tritium (H-3) hit 8.6 becquerels per liter, also in June. Collection point south data is considered “under limit of detection”, which does not mean there is no radiation, it means it’s at a level officials believe is safe.
Collection point north is 30 meters (98 feet) from the cooling water outlet for Reactors 5 and 6. Back in 2011 the public was told those reactors were OK, but, they were suffering cooling problems as well.
Collection point south is 1.3 kilometers (0.8 mile) from the cooling outlet for Reactors 1, 2, 3 and 4. Reactors that are in slow burn melt down.
These reported radiation levels are perplexing to me because it seems the groundwater under Fukushima Daiichi is reported to have much higher levels of contamination, and it’s pouring right into the Pacific Ocean. This brings me to my point: TEPCo’s collection points are bogus.
The collection points are north and south of the reactors, but, the contaminated groundwater flows out northward at first, then eastward to Canada and the United States. This is due to the convergence of the North Pacific Ocean’s main current called Kuroshio (Black Current or Black Tide) coming up from the south, and the Oyashio (Parental Current or Parental Tide, aka Kurile Current) coming from the north. They converge, conveniently, at Hokkaido and the north eastern end of Honshu (where Fukushima Daiichi is).
This northward then eastward flow of water, from Fukushima Daiichi, could explain why radiation levels at the southern collection point are lower than the northern collection point. Also, collection point south is too far away from the disaster site to affected by the contaminated groundwater anyway!
Collection point north, while almost 100 feet from the site, could still be far enough away from where the aquifer is entering into the ocean. Both northern and southern collection points are outside the man made breakwaters along Fukushima Daiichi’s Pacific front. The northern collection area is actually blocked by the northern breakwater.
Independent testing done by individuals and NGOs, at places like the mouths of rivers flowing into the ocean, and further out to sea, shows radiation levels are much higher than what TEPCo has been reporting. Now that the NRA is in charge will we get more accurate reports?