Japan - Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Crisis Units 1-6 Reports, News, Graphics - January 13, 2012 +

[Emily]

Re: Japan - Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Crisis Units 1-6 Reports, News, Graphics - January 13, 2012 +

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/0...m-further-quakes-seismologist-computer-model/

Crippled Fukushima plant at high risk from further quakes: seismologist computer model
Reuters Feb 14, 2012 ? 11:32 AM ET
PARIS ? Japan?s crippled nuclear plant at Fukushima needs to beef up safety measures to face the risk of a large earthquake, scientists said on Tuesday.

The alarm was sounded by a trio of seismologists in Japan and China, who say the risk is an indirect cause of the March 11 tsunami-generating super-quake.

?The security of the nuclear plant site should be strengthened to withstand potential large earthquakes in the future,? the team said in a study published in a specialist journal....

http://www.egu.eu/home/fukushima-at-increased-earthquake-risk.html

Press Release: Fukushima at increased earthquake risk

Seismic risk at the Fukushima nuclear plant increased after the magnitude 9 earthquake that hit Japan last March, scientists report. The new study, which uses data from over 6,000 earthquakes, shows the 11 March tremor caused a seismic fault close to the nuclear plant to reactivate. The results are now published in Solid Earth, an open-access journal of the European Geosciences Union (EGU)....

http://www.solid-earth.net/3/43/2012/se-3-43-2012.html

Solid Earth, 3, 43-51, 2012
www.solid-earth.net/3/43/2012/
doi:10.5194/se-3-43-2012
? Author(s) 2012. This work is distributed
under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Tomography of the 2011 Iwaki earthquake (M 7.0) and Fukushima nuclear power plant area

P. Tong^1,2, D. Zhao¹, and D. Yang²
¹Department of Geophysics, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8578, Japan
²Department of Mathematical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China

Abstract. High-resolution tomographic images of the crust and upper mantle in and around the area of the 2011 Iwaki earthquake (M 7.0) and the Fukushima nuclear power plant are determined by inverting a large number of high-quality arrival times with both the finite-frequency and ray tomography methods. The Iwaki earthquake and its aftershocks mainly occurred in a boundary zone with strong variations in seismic velocity and Poisson's ratio. Prominent low-velocity and high Poisson's ratio zones are revealed under the Iwaki source area and the Fukushima nuclear power plant, which may reflect fluids released from the dehydration of the subducting Pacific slab under Northeast Japan. The 2011 Tohoku-oki earthquake (Mw 9.0) caused static stress transfer in the overriding Okhotsk plate, resulting in the seismicity in the Iwaki source area that significantly increased immediately following the Tohoku-oki mainshock. Our results suggest that the Iwaki earthquake was triggered by the ascending fluids from the Pacific slab dehydration and the stress variation induced by the Tohoku-oki mainshock. The similar structures under the Iwaki source area and the Fukushima nuclear power plant suggest that the security of the nuclear power plant site should be strengthened to withstand potential large earthquakes in the future.

Final Revised Paper (PDF, 3185 KB) Supplement (4849 KB) Discussion Paper (SED) Special Issue

Citation: Tong, P., Zhao, D., and Yang, D.: Tomography of the 2011 Iwaki earthquake (M 7.0) and Fukushima nuclear power plant area, Solid Earth, 3, 43-51, doi:10.5194/se-3-43-2012, 2012.

Full text is accessible.

 

[makoto]

Re: Japan - Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Crisis Units 1-6 Reports, News, Graphics - January 13, 2012 +

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/f1-np/camera/index-e.html

Press Release (Feb 15,2012)
TEPCO Concludes Communication Protocol Agreement with Nagano Prefecture

Attachment: http://www.tepco.co.jp/cc/press/betu12_j/images/120215a.pdf
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/12021501-e.html

Press Release (Feb 15,2012)
Situation of storing and treatment of accumulated water including highly concentrated radioactive materials at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station(34th Release)

?Attachment> http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/betu12_e/images/120215e4.pdf
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/12021507-e.html
______________________________________________________
NHK world

N-safety panel apologizes for defective standards

The head of the government's nuclear safety commission says government guidelines for nuclear safety need to be reviewed.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012 20:32 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120215_30.html
_______________________________________________________
Yomiuri online

Govt, TEPCO battle over management rights

A fierce tug-of-war between the government and Tokyo Electric Power Co. over the utility's management is becoming more apparent as the government seeks a level of control over the company.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120214005775.htm

Closing No. 2 N-plant would add to woes

The government decision to provide an additional 689.4 billion yen to Tokyo Electric Power Co. to cover compensation payments means the amount of financial aid to the cash-strapped utility will reach 1.7 trillion yen through two aid packages.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120214005202.htm
_______________________________________________________
AJW

SOCCER/ JFA plans to hold U-20 Women's World Cup match in Fukushima

The Japan Football Association is moving to hold a match in quake-hit Fukushima during this year's Under-20 Women's World Cup.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/sports/soccer/AJ201202150020

Japan's nuclear safety standards called flawed
*THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Japan's nuclear safety chief said on Feb. 15 that the country's regulations are flawed, outdated and below global standards as he apologized for their failure to provide better protection.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201202150063

Ministry to allow geothermal heat projects in national parks

The Environment Ministry will allow the extraction of geothermal heat from national parks for power generation by easing restrictions intended to preserve the scenery and prevent the destruction of ecosystems, sources said.

Kyushu Electric Power Co.?s Hatchobaru power plant in Kokonoe, Oita Prefecture, which is the largest geothermal power plant in Japan (Eisuke Sasaki)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/economy/environment/AJ201202150028

Sony develops new power-savings outlet technology

Sony Corp. says it has developed new electrical outlet technology that will lead to savings in energy bills.

Sony's new outlet technology is demonstrated in Tokyo on Feb. 14. (Satoshi Daiguji)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/economy/technology/AJ201202150023
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Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Iran to unveil new nuclear projects Wednesday

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/international/archive/news/2012/02/15/20120215p2g00m0in099000c.html

Japan to seek nuclear cooperation accord with Belarus

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan plans to negotiate with Belarus at an early date for an agreement on cooperation in addressing nuclear accidents in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear crisis, a senior Foreign Ministry official said Tuesday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/15/20120215p2g00m0dm012000c.html

Japan official faults nuke design, defends secrecy

TOKYO (AP) -- The government official who outlined Japan's worst-case scenario for the unfolding nuclear disaster last March defended how his study, warning that millions of people might have to flee, was kept secret.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/15/20120215p2g00m0dm015000c.html

Industry minister Edano, Keidanren chief in battle over nationalization of TEPCO

Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yukio Edano has locked horns with Hiromasa Yonekura, chairman of the Japan Business Federation, or Nippon Keidanren, over a proposal to inject public funds into Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) -- a move that would effectively nationalize the troubled utility.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/15/20120215p2a00m0na006000c.html
_________________________________________________________
Jiji press

TEPCO Chairman Hints at Resignation

Tokyo, Feb. 15 (Jiji Press)--Tokyo Electric Power Co. <9501> Chairman Tsunehisa Katsumata on Wednesday suggested his intention to step down to take responsibility for the nuclear accident at the firm's disaster-stricken Fukushima No. 1 power plant.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=ind&k=2012021500661

New Proposal Made over Fukushima Radioactive Waste Storage

Tokyo, Feb. 15 (Jiji Press)--A municipal government in the Fukushima Prefecture county of Futaba has proposed that two temporary facilities be set up in the county to store radioactive waste from the nuclear disaster in the northeastern Japan prefecture, sources familiar with the matter said Wednesday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012021500693

Japan Govt to Host Food Exhibition in Hong Kong

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012021500836

27 Hot Spots Found in Fukushima: Govt Data Shows

Fukushima, Fukushima Pref., Feb. 15 (Jiji Press)--High levels of radiation have been detected at 27 locations in Fukushima Prefecture, including 22 homes, where contaminated crushed stones were used, an interim investigation report by the central and prefectural governments showed Wednesday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012021500861

Japan Nuclear Safety Agency Lacks Expertise: Former Chief

Tokyo, Feb. 15 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency has inadequate expertise, knowledge and proficiency compared with those in other countries such as the United States, a former head of the agency said Wednesday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012021501016

Inland Quake May Hit Fukushima Nuclear Plant: Study Warns

Sendai, Miyagi Pref., Feb. 15 (Jiji Press)--There is a high possibility of a strong inland earthquake hitting the crippled nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture, experts warned Wednesday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012021501014
___________________________________________________________
Sankei news

debris arrive to Shimada city, Shizuoka pref

________________________________________________________
JMA

15:28 JST 15 Feb 2012 37.8N 141.6E 40 km M4.7 Fukushima-ken Oki



http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/20120215153317384-151528.html

 

[makoto]

Re: Japan - Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Crisis Units 1-6 Reports, News, Graphics - January 13, 2012 +

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/f1-np/camera/index-e.html

Press Release (Feb 16,2012)
Submission of a report on the correspondence for temperature increase in the lower part of the Reactor Pressure Vessel of Unit 2 at TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station to NISA

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/12021601-e.html

Press Release (Feb 16,2012)
Area Eligible for Compensation to be expanded for Tourist Businesses Affected by Harmful Rumors

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/12021602-e.html

Press Release (Feb 16,2012)
Recruitment for 2013

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/12021604-e.html

Press Release (Feb 16,2012)
Plant Status of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (as of 3:00 pm, February 16)
*excerpt

Unit 2 (Shut down)

Others

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/12021609-e.html

Feb. 16, The Yomiuri Simbun, front page of the evening edition, "TEPCO considering tariff raise to residential customers in July"

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/news/topics/12021601-e.html
___________________________________________________________
NHK world

Iran increases uranium enrichment capacity

Thursday, February 16, 2012 07:55 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120216_11.html

Japanese food is safe campaign in Shanghai

Japan is promoting its food at a fair in Shanghai in a bid to win back Chinese consumers spooked by the nuclear accident in March last year.

Thursday, February 16, 2012 07:57 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120216_05.html

US calls Iran's nuclear claims a bluff

Thursday, February 16, 2012 10:02 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120216_13.html

Nuclear evacuation drill held in Ehime Prefecture

Evacuation drills for a serious accident at a nuclear power plant were held in Ehime and Shimane prefectures, both in western Japan.

Thursday, February 16, 2012 12:50 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120216_23.html

US think tank: Iran approaching nuclear threshold

Thursday, February 16, 2012 17:28 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120216_33.html

TEPCO reports reactor thermometer problem to govt

The operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has attributed abnormally high temperature readings at one of the facility's reactors to a malfunctioning thermometer.

Thursday, February 16, 2012 17:28 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120216_31.html
_____________________________________________________________
Yomiuri online

Citizens wary of accepting disaster debris

Little progress has been made on local government plans to accept debris from areas hit by the Great East Japan Earthquake due to objections from local residents.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120215005365.htm

Electric cars may power traffic lights in blackout

Vehicles have to obey traffic signals, but now they could be used to power them.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120215005829.htm

Naraha mayor opens N-waste dialogue

Mayor Takashi Kusano of Naraha, Fukushima Prefecture, has told Reconstruction Minister Tatsuo Hirano about conditions under which his town might accept planned intermediate storage facilities for soil and other waste contaminated with radioactive substances, according to the mayor.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120215006014.htm
______________________________________________________
AJW

EDITORIAL: Put TEPCO under new management as part of restructuring effort

Japan is beset by an unprecedented nuclear disaster. In this editorial, one of two devoted to the issue, we outline steps the government is being forced to consider to reform the nation's troubled power industry.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/views/editorial/AJ201202160049

Survey: Nearly half of big Kansai firms back cut in nuclear power

A majority of firms in the Kansai region say they will be hurt if electricity use is restricted this summer, but nearly half want Japan to reduce its reliance on nuclear power in the long run, an Asahi Shimbun survey has found.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201202160027

Municipalities have no place to store contaminated soil

Municipalities in the greater Tokyo metropolitan region are struggling to find locations to store soil contaminated with high levels of radiation from the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.

Top soil contaminated with radioactive materials is removed from a school playground in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture, in November. (The Asahi Shimbun)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201202160043

Fukushima evacuees losing hope of homecoming

Residents of Fukushima Prefecture who evacuated following the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant are increasingly losing hope of returning to their homes.

A woman loads winter clothing onto her vehicle during a temporary return to Kawauchi, Fukushima Prefecture, in September. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201202160056

Major parties back off from anti-nuclear rhetoric

Politicians are quietly lowering anti-nuclear colors raised following the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant as Japan prepares for a second summer of energy shortages and a major debate over restarting suspended reactors.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201202160041

Debate stirring over effects of nuclear-free summer

Economists and manufacturers are predicting gloom and despair if all of the country’s nuclear reactors are offline this summer. But some energy experts say things won’t be so bad, while other companies are thriving amid the fears of power shortages.

The No. 3 reactor at the Takahama nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture, the last operating reactor run by Kansai Electric Power Co., is scheduled to be shut down for regular inspections on Feb. 20. (The Asahi Shimbun)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201202160062
_______________________________________________________
Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Defiant Iran claims major steps in nuclear fuel

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/international/archive/news/2012/02/16/20120216p2g00m0in142000c.html

Nuclear disaster drills held around Shimane, Ikata plants

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Nuclear disaster drills were held Thursday by local governments around plants of Chugoku Electric Power Co. and Shikoku Electric Power Co. in Shimane and Ehime prefectures to confirm initial responses in the wake of a nuclear accident.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/16/20120216p2g00m0dm003000c.html

Radioactive crushed stone unlikely shipped to outside Fukushima Pref.

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Crushed stone with a high level of radiation was unlikely shipped to areas outside Fukushima Prefecture, industry ministry officials said Wednesday, following a survey of radiation levels at quarries in the prefecture.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/16/20120216p2g00m0dm008000c.html

Governors oppose TEPCO's planned hike in electricity charges

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Governors of Tokyo and nine other nearby prefectures said Wednesday they regard Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s planned hike in electricity charges as "extremely regrettable" and urged the utility to accelerate efforts to rationalize its operations first.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/16/20120216p2g00m0dm016000c.html

City in Shizuoka Pref. begins trial burning of debris from Iwate

SHIZUOKA (Kyodo) -- Shimada city in Shizuoka Prefecture, southwest of Tokyo, began Thursday a trial incineration of debris from the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster that it has accepted from a town in Iwate Prefecture to confirm the safety of the operation.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/16/20120216p2g00m0dm018000c.html

Noda urges Israel not to take military action on Iran nuclear issue

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/16/20120216p2g00m0dm020000c.html

Documents show Japan, U.S. at odds over IAEA nuclear inspections

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan and the United States clashed with each other over nuclear inspection provisions with the International Atomic Energy Agency in the late 1960s because of Washington's demand that it and other countries possessing nuclear weapons be treated differently, newly declassified diplomatic documents showed Wednesday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/16/20120216p2g00m0dm022000c.html

Japan planned review of tsunami risk, but too late

TOKYO (AP) -- Four days before a tsunami devastated a Japanese nuclear plant, its operator promised a fuller assessment of the risk of such a disaster -- but not for seven months.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/16/20120216p2g00m0dm023000c.html

Key persons in gov't acted inadequately over Fukushima crisis

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Two persons expected to have played a key role in dealing with the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant acted inadequately in the early days of the crisis, an investigation initiated by the Japanese parliament showed Wednesday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/16/20120216p2g00m0dm025000c.html

Panel approves stricter limits on cesium in food

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- A government panel on Thursday approved the health ministry's proposal for far stricter limits on radioactive cesium found in food, paving the way for the ministry to enforce the new limits in Japan in April.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/16/20120216p2g00m0dm160000c.html

TEPCO traces high temperature readings to faulty meter

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Thursday it has concluded that abnormally high temperature readings for a reactor at the firm's crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant were caused by a malfunctioning thermometer.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/16/20120216p2g00m0dm161000c.html

Mayor of Fukushima town proposes split storage of tainted soil

NARAHA, Fukushima -- Naraha Mayor Takashi Kusano has suggested building two intermediate storage facilities for radiation-tainted soil and other waste instead of one as the government had requested, it has been learned.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/16/20120216p2a00m0na002000c.html

Massive levels of radioactive cesium detected at quarry near Fukushima plant

FUKUSHIMA -- Massive levels of radioactive cesium have been detected from gravel at a quarry near the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, after high radiation was detected at buildings using gravel from the same quarry, prefectural officials said.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/16/20120216p2a00m0na006000c.html

South Korea headhunting top TEPCO nuclear engineers

South Korea has been trying to hire top nuclear experts from Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) in the wake of the meltdowns at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/16/20120216p2a00m0na012000c.html
__________________________________________________________
Jiji press

TEPCO Cancels New Grad Recruit for FY 2013

Tokyo, Feb. 16 (Jiji Press)--Tokyo Electric Power Co. <9501> announced Thursday that it will forgo recruitment of new graduates entering the company in April 2013.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=ind&k=2012021600838

IHI Develops Palm-Sized Gas Turbine Power Generator

Tokyo, Feb. 16 (Jiji Press)--IHI Corp. <7013> said Thursday it has developed what it claims to be the world's smallest power generator using a gas turbine.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=ind&k=2012021600889

(Update) TEPCO Cancels FY2013 New Grad Hiring

Tokyo, Feb. 16 (Jiji Press)--Tokyo Electric Power Co. <9501> announced Thursday it will forgo recruitment of new graduates entering the power utility in April 2013 as part of its cost-cutting efforts.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=ind&k=2012021601031

Disaster Debris Incineration Test Starts in Central Japan City

Shimada, Shizuoka Pref., Feb. 16 (Jiji Press)--The city of Shimada in Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan, on Thursday started to incinerate some 10 tons of disaster debris it has accepted on a trial basis from a northeastern town which was ravaged by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami last year.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012021600445

Broken Cable Causes Reactor Thermometer to Malfunction: TEPCO

Tokyo, Feb. 16 (Jiji Press)--Tokyo Electric Power Co. <9501> said Thursday that it has informed Japanese nuclear regulators that a thermometer used in its crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant has malfunctioned because of a broken electric cable.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012021600559

Japan Concerned about Expansion of Iran Nuclear Activities

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012021600711

Japan Panel OKs Food Cesium Limit Proposals with "Opinion"

Tokyo, Feb. 16 (Jiji Press)--A Japanese science ministry panel said Thursday that food radioactive cesium limits proposed by the health ministry are acceptable, while adding opinion that signaled tighter standards on infants are unnecessary.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012021600696

40 Pct in Western Japan See Renewables as Main Energy Source in 10 Yrs

Osaka, Feb. 16 (Jiji Press)--As high as 40 pct of people in the Kinki region in western Japan think renewables will be the primary energy source in the country in 10 years, a Jiji Press poll revealed Thursday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012021600783

Japan Biz Groups Complain about TEPCO Price Hike Plan

Tokyo, Feb. 16 (Jiji Press)--Two Japanese business groups voiced their strong displeasure Thursday at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s <9501> plan to raise monthly electricity charges for large-lot users by 17 pct on average.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012021600837

Sodium Detection Devices at Japan N-Reactor Temporarily Go Offline

Tokyo, Feb. 16 (Jiji Press)--The Japan Atomic Energy Agency said Thursday that devices to detect sodium leakage from its Monju prototype fast breeder nuclear reactor temporarily stopped working during the afternoon.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012021600968

Only 5 Cases Settled thru TEPCO Dispute Resolution Center

Tokyo, Feb. 16 (Jiji Press)--Only five cases have been settled so far by a center established to arbitrate compensation disputes for damage caused by the nuclear crisis at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s <9501> Fukushima No. 1 power plant, the center said Thursday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012021601024

Japan Calls for Peaceful Approach to Iran Nuke Issue

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012021601060
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Sankei news

Nuclear drill

 

[makoto]

Re: Japan - Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Crisis Units 1-6 Reports, News, Graphics - January 13, 2012 +

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/f1-np/camera/index-e.html

Press Release (Feb 17,2012)
The submission of the report to Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency of Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (NISA) on the safety evaluation of transmission tower foundations regarding the offsite power supply to nuclear power stations and reprocessing plants

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/12021704-e.html

Press Release (Feb 17,2012)
Submission of a report on investigation of causes of damage situation of power facilities inside and outside of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station to NISA (2nd release)

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/12021705-e.html

Press Release (Feb 17,2012)
Report to Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency of Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (NISA) in response to the additional instruction on anti-earthquake countermeasures to switchyards etc. to secure the reliability of offsite power supply to nuclear power stations etc.

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/12021706-e.html

Press Release (Feb 17,2012)
Operation of the water injection amount based on a series of temperature increasing of the lower part of the Reactor Pressure Vessel of Unit 2 at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/12021707-e.html

Press Release (Feb 17,2012)
Plant Status of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (as of 3:00 pm, February 17)
*excerpt
*The updates are underlined

Unit 2 (Shut down)

Others

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/12021709-e.html
__________________________________________________________
NHK world

Yokosuka groups object to disaster debris burial

Residents in Yokosuka, near Tokyo, are objecting to a plan to bury incinerated disaster debris from eastern Japan at a site in their neighborhood.

Friday, February 17, 2012 16:42 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120217_31.html
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Yomiuri online

TEPCO may move up household rate hike

Tokyo Electric Power Co. may begin raising household electricity charges in July instead of October, as it initially intended, to improve its short-term cash flow.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120216006412.htm

More local govts seek power bids / Prefectures, municipalities seek to avoid higher burden of TEPCO rate hike

More than half of the 41 municipal and prefectural governments in Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s service areas have introduced, or will introduce, bidding systems for electricity contracts at public facilities, a Yomiuri Shimbun survey has found.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120216006639.htm

Ministries to measure radiation in Tokyo Bay

The Environment Ministry will begin Friday checking the levels of radioactive substances in the water and bottom sediment near the mouths of the Sumidagawa and Arakawa rivers that run into Tokyo Bay, sources have said.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120216006199.htm

NSC head says system flawed / Nuclear risks ignored, govt regulations lax, Diet inquiry told

The chief of the Cabinet Office's Nuclear Safety Commission has apologized for flaws in the government's nuclear safety regulations, including nuclear power plants' countermeasures against tsunami, at a Diet-sponsored inquiry investigating the Fukushima nuclear crisis.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120216005656.htm
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AJW

EDITORIAL: Consumers should lead the charge to reform power industry

The process of putting the embattled Tokyo Electric Power Co. under state control will likely serve as the ace in the hole for efforts to reform the electric power industry.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/views/editorial/AJ201202170066

Business leaders blast TEPCO's planned rate hike in April

A chorus of criticism is emerging from business leaders over plans by the embattled Tokyo Electric Power Co. to sharply hike electricity bills for companies in April.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201202170068
___________________________________________________________
Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Tokyo Electric Power to halt new recruitment in spring 2013

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Tokyo Electric Power Co. announced Thursday that it will extend its suspension of annual recruitment to spring 2013 to secure funds for compensation payments and expenses in connection with containing the nuclear crisis at its Fukushima Daiichi power plant.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/02/17/20120217p2g00m0bu135000c.html

IHI devises handheld gas-turbine power generator

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- IHI Corp. said Thursday it has developed a handheld gas-turbine power generator with possible applications such as portable power sources and those to be built in robots.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/02/17/20120217p2g00m0bu141000c.html

Chinese towns spar over planned nuclear plant

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/international/archive/news/2012/02/17/20120217p2g00m0in100000c.html

Int'l nuclear ministerial meeting to be held in Fukushima in Dec.

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan will host an international ministerial meeting on nuclear safety issues in Fukushima Prefecture in mid-December, Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba said Friday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/17/20120217p2g00m0dm005000c.html

Map exercise held in Shizuoka to prepare for Hamaoka nuclear disaster

SHIZUOKA (Kyodo) -- A map exercise to deal with a major nuclear accident at Chubu Electric Power Co.'s Hamaoka plant was held by the Shizuoka prefectural and municipal governments Friday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/17/20120217p2g00m0dm006000c.html

Monju fast breeder reactor's sodium detector hits trouble

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- A sodium detector at Japan's prototype fast-breeder reactor Monju went out of order, the government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said Thursday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/17/20120217p2g00m0dm011000c.html

Gov't to mull bill for disposal of radioactive waste outside Fukushima

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Environment Minister Goshi Hosono vowed on Thursday to consider legislation for establishing a final disposal site outside Fukushima Prefecture for radioactive waste from the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/17/20120217p2g00m0dm015000c.html

Fearing radiation, municipalities resisting gov't calls to take disaster debris

Municipalities across Japan have been reluctant to accept debris left by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami over radiation fears, and the Ministry of the Environment is at a loss over how to change the situation.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/17/20120217p2a00m0na009000c.html

Only 10 prefectural governments willing to accept quake rubble

Only 10 prefectural governments are actively considering accepting rubble from earthquake- and tsunami-ravaged areas of northeastern Honshu, while 26 others are unwilling, a Mainichi Shimbun survey has found.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/17/20120217p2a00m0na019000c.html
__________________________________________________________
Jiji press

Power Sales in Japan Fall for 11th Straight Month

Tokyo, Feb. 17 (Jiji Press)--Electricity sales by 10 major Japanese power suppliers in January decreased 3.7 pct from a year before to 80,767 million kilowatt-hours, down for the 11th straight month, the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan said Friday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=ind&k=2012021700468

Kansai Elec. Seen Dodging Power Shortages Next Week

Osaka, Feb. 17 (Jiji Press)--Kansai Electric Power Co. <9503> said Friday that next week it expects to ward off anticipated power shortages after the last of its 11 nuclear reactors goes offline for routine inspections.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=ind&k=2012021700947

Int'l Nuclear Safety Conference to Be Held in Fukushima

Tokyo, Feb. 17 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government decided Friday to hold an international ministerial conference on nuclear plant safety in Fukushima Prefecture, home to a power station at the center of the nation's nuclear crisis, on Dec. 15-17.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012021700414

Govt Sued by Ex-Worker at Western Japan N-Plants

Fukuoka, Feb. 17 (Jiji Press)--A former nuclear plant worker sued the Japanese government on Friday, claiming he suffered from cardiac infarction because he was exposed to radiation.
In a complaint filed with Fukuoka District Court, Ryusuke Umeda, 76, said he suffered from unknown causes symptoms such as nausea and nose bleeds before contracting acute cardiac infarction in 2000.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012021700806

Japan Oppositions Eye Free Medical Costs for Radiation-Exposed Kids

Tokyo, Feb. 17 (Jiji Press)--Japan's major opposition parties drew up Friday a bill to exempt from medical fees children exposed to a certain level of radiation due to the nuclear accident at the crippled Fukushima No. 1 power complex.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012021700989

 

[makoto]

Re: Japan - Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Crisis Units 1-6 Reports, News, Graphics - January 13, 2012 +

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/f1-np/camera/index-e.html
______________________________________________
NHK world

US welcomes Iran's offer to resume nuclear talks

Saturday, February 18, 2012 11:13 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120218_10.html
_________________________________________________
Yomiuri online

EDITORIAL: Government should not hurry to take control of TEPCO

The injection of public funds into Tokyo Electric Power Co. is unavoidable to avert a possible power crisis, but it is unnecessary for the government to take control of TEPCO in haste.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/editorial/T120217005053.htm

New radiation limits confuse farmers

Farmers in Fukushima Prefecture have had differing reactions to the new limits introduced by the health ministry on radioactive cesium in food.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120217006258.htm

Ministry sets stricter cesium limits for food

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry held firm to its original proposal for new, tougher limits on radioactive cesium in food. However, the science ministry's Radiation Council has said the new regulatory limits for milk and baby food items are too strict.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120217006336.htm

N-compensation criteria set / Center urges TEPCO to pay without confirmation of assets' condition

The government's dispute resolution center for damage caused by the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant has urged Tokyo Electric Power Co. to swiftly accept compensation claims involving properties in evacuation zones, even if the present status of a property is unconfirmed.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120217005650.htm
________________________________________________________
AJW

3 films on 3/11, nuclear disaster win acclaim in Berlin

BERLIN--Three Japanese documentaries depicting the changed reality for people impacted by the Great East Japan Earthquake and the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant and their resilience have wowed critics at the Berlin International Film Festival.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201202180003

Fukushima pro-nuclear energy PR group calls it quits

Directors of a publicity association in Fukushima Prefecture that promotes nuclear energy and publicizes its safety decided to disband on Feb. 16, feeling that they wouldn't be taken seriously in the wake of the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201202180005
______________________________________________________________
Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Fukushima victims complain of stingy response

I've just spent weeks looking into the issue of compensation for the Fukushima nuclear disaster and it is a very unhappy picture.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/perspectives/news/20120218p2a00m0na001000c.html

US, Europe cautious on Iran offer for nuke talks

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/international/archive/news/2012/02/18/20120218p2g00m0in077000c.html

Number of foreign visitors to Japan down in Jan. for 11th month

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/18/20120218p2g00m0dm007000c.html

Another reactor to shut down, leaving only 2 units online in Japan

TSURUGA (Kyodo) --Kansai Electric Power Co. said Friday it will suspend its only remaining active reactor -- the No. 3 reactor at the Takahama nuclear plant in Fukui Prefecture -- for a regular checkup early Tuesday, leaving only two of Japan's 54 commercial reactors online.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/18/20120218p2g00m0dm012000c.html

Former nuclear worker, heart attack victim sues gov't over workers comp claim

FUKUOKA -- A former nuclear plant worker who suffered a heart attack decades after being exposed to radiation has filed suit against the government, demanding it recognize his claim for workers compensation.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/18/20120218p2a00m0na006000c.html

Fukushima nuke disaster refugees may get lump-sum compensation payments

A government committee has proposed lump-sum compensation payments to nuclear crisis refugees from within the exclusion zones around the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, it has been learned.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/18/20120218p2a00m0na010000c.html
_______________________________________________________________
Jiji press

Over 60 Pct of Japanese Expect Woody Biomass as Energy Source: Survey

Tokyo, Feb. 18 (Jiji Press)--Over 60 pct of Japanese people think that woody biomass, such as timber from forest thinning, tree debris and waste housing materials, can be used as an energy source, a Cabinet Office survey showed Saturday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012021701007
________________________________________________________
Sankei news

Hosono nuclear disaster minister visits Kawauchi village, Fukushima

 

[makoto]

Re: Japan - Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Crisis Units 1-6 Reports, News, Graphics - January 13, 2012 +

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/f1-np/camera/index-e.html

16:47

17:44
http://youtu.be/XPhr0grKqE0

14:54 JST 19 Feb 2012 36.7N 140.6E 10 km M5.1 Ibaraki-ken Hokubu
http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showpost.php?p=443011&postcount=2
_________________________________________________________
NHK world

Japan's agricultural and fishery exports drop

Japan's exports of agricultural and fishery products in 2011 fell by about 8 percent from the figure for the previous year in the aftermath of the nuclear accident in Fukushima last March.

Sunday, February 19, 2012 14:55 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120219_12.html

21.1-meter tsunami hit Fukushima coast on March 11

Japanese scientists and prefectural officials have found that a tsunami more than 21 meters high hit the coast near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant on March 11th last year.

Sunday, February 19, 2012 23:17 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120219_15.html

Village mayor gives NY speech on nuke accident

A village mayor from Fukushima Prefecture has given a speech in New York and expressed his resolve to overcome last year's nuclear accident.

Sunday, February 19, 2012 23:17 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120219_18.html
__________________________________________________________
AJW

Solar power plant planned in disaster-hit Ishinomaki

A group of companies, including Hitachi Ltd., plans to invest 3.5 billion yen ($44 million) to build a large solar power plant on the disaster-hit Oshika Peninsula in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture.

A solar plant in Japan (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201202190001
_______________________________________________________
ANN

Tokai mura "nuclear village" & plant1 M5.1 Ibaraki-ken Hokubu
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZQV9DJYlwt8#t=30s" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Tokai mura http://www.vill.tokai.ibaraki.jp/viewer/trans.html?ln=eng
________________________________________________________
Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

News Navigator: What happens to aging nuclear power plants?

The Mainichi answers common questions readers may have about the aging of nuclear power plants following a recent government decision that in principle nuclear plants' service life should be no more than 40 years.

Question: What happens to nuclear power plants when they get older?

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/perspectives/news/20120219p2a00m0na002000c.html

Film about Japan disaster awarded special mention at Berlin festival

BERLIN (Kyodo) -- A short Japanese animation on the theme of last March's devastating quake and tsunami and subsequent nuclear crisis received special mention on Friday at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/arts/archive/news/2012/02/20120219p2g00m0et061000c.html

Sources: Iran poised for big nuke jump

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/international/archive/news/2012/02/19/20120219p2g00m0in038000c.html

Mayor of nuclear disaster-hit village speaks in New York

NEW YORK (Kyodo) -- Norio Kanno, the mayor of Iitate in Fukushima Prefecture, a village badly affected by the nuclear crisis following the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, addressed an audience in New York on Saturday about the villagers' efforts to recover from the disaster.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/19/20120219p2g00m0in053000c.html

M5.1 quake jolts Ibaraki Pref., vicinity

....The temblor did not affect the operations of Japan Atomic Power Co.'s Tokai No. 2 nuclear power plant in Ibaraki or Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s two nuclear plants in Fukushima Prefecture, and did not disrupt services on East Japan Railway Co.'s Tohoku Shinkansen Line, the companies said.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/19/20120219p2g00m0dm065000c.html
______________________________________________________________
JMA

09:58 JST 19 Feb 2012 37.2N 141.9E 30 km M4.0 Fukushima-ken Oki


http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/20120219100242391-190958.html

 

[makoto]

Re: Japan - Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Crisis Units 1-6 Reports, News, Graphics - January 13, 2012 +

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/f1-np/camera/index-e.html

07:15
http://youtu.be/XPhr0grKqE0

Press Release (Feb 20,2012)
Status of TEPCO's Facilities and its services after the Tohoku-Chihou-Taiheiyou-Oki Earthquake (as of 3:00 pm, February 20)
*excerpt
*The updates are underlined

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/12022005-e.html
______________________________________________________
NHK world

IAEA inspectors head for Iran again

Monday, February 20, 2012 07:59 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120220_10.html

Last KEPCO nuclear reactor to be shutdown Monday

The last nuclear reactor operated by Kansai Electric Power Company is to be shut down later on Monday for regular inspections.

Monday, February 20, 2012 07:59 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120220_08.html

Media allowed access to Fukushima Daiichi plant

Tokyo Electric Power Company has given members of the media access to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant for the first time since the government declared 2 months ago that reactors had been stabilized.

Monday, February 20, 2012 17:12 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120220_22.html

New robots on their way to Fukushima nuclear plant

Two Japanese-made robots will be used to examine the inside of reactors at the damaged nuclear power plant in Fukushima.

Monday, February 20, 2012 18:10 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120220_25.html

40% of residents' exposure tops annual limit

More than 40 percent of the people surveyed in 3 municipalities near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant were exposed to radioactivity levels above the annual safety limit in the 4 months after the disaster.

Monday, February 20, 2012 19:28 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120220_26.html

Taiwan displays new safety steps for nuke plants

Monday, February 20, 2012 19:28 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120220_32.html

Japan to cooperate on Lithuania's nuclear safety

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has told visiting Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius that Japan will cooperate with his country in the field of nuclear energy by sharing the lessons learned from the Fukushima nuclear accident.

Monday, February 20, 2012 21:49 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120220_37.html
__________________________________________________________
AJW

Study: 2 exposed to radiation levels above limit

FUKUSHIMA--Two women were likely exposed to radiation exceeding the government’s annual ceiling in the four months after the accident started at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, prefectural officials said Feb. 20.

Officials conduct health checks of people in Date, Fukushima Prefecture. (Yoshinori Hayashi)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/life_and_death/AJ201202200067

Police patrols intensify in Fukushima no-entry areas

TOMIOKA, Fukushima Prefecture--Nearly a year after the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant accident, law enforcement officers are vigorously patrolling the 20-kilometer no-entry zone around the plant, trying to crack down on a rash of burglaries.

Police officers watch the road from a police car in Tomioka in the no-entry zone around Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant at around 10 p.m. (Ikuro Aiba)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201202200064
______________________________________________________________
ANN

Media tour
<iframe width="300" height="233" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/kJAY6PgOuLw?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <iframe width="300" height="233" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tk2kRH_VGfc?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
_______________________________________________________________
Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

'Bikini incident' survivor's story relevant today as Fukushima crisis continues

Eleven months since the outbreak of the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant run by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), with people still living in fear of radiation exposure, I went to hear what a man who was exposed to radiation 58 years ago, had to say.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/features/news/20120220p2a00m0na009000c.html

Changing TEPCO in wake of nuclear disaster

Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yukio Edano and Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) President Toshio Nishizawa have clashed over the utility's future, with Edano demanding that TEPCO hand its management rights to the government in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, and Nishizawa arguing that private operation of the company should be retained.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/perspectives/news/20120220p2a00m0na002000c.html

Japanese sake exports hit record high in 2011

Exports of Japanese sake reached record high numbers in 2011, despite few expectations following last year's triple disasters, a government survey has revealed.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/02/20/20120220p2a00m0na010000c.html

U.N. nuke inspectors arrive for key talks in Tehran

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/international/archive/news/2012/02/20/20120220p2g00m0in128000c.html

School for Germans in Japan faces financial pinch after Fukushima

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The German School of Tokyo Yokohama, established more than a century ago, is facing financial difficulty and seeking aid from the German government, following a sharp drop in enrollments in the aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear crisis.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/20/20120220p2g00m0dm019000c.html

Police search for bodies from 2011 disaster on Fukushima coast

NAMIE, Japan (Kyodo) -- Around 100 police officers searched on the coast of Fukushima Prefecture on Sunday for the bodies of people still listed as missing following the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, inside a no-go zone around the crisis-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/20/20120220p2g00m0dm021000c.html

Residents to sue operator to stop Tokai No. 2 nuclear plant

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- People living near the Tokai No. 2 nuclear power plant in Ibaraki Prefecture and their lawyers are planning to sue its operator to stop the plant on the grounds that its aging reactor has raised safety concerns, people familiar with the case said Sunday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/20/20120220p2g00m0dm027000c.html

City in Shizuoka confirms safety of ash from incinerated debris

SHIZUOKA (Kyodo) -- Shimada city in Shizuoka Prefecture, southwest of Tokyo, said Monday it has confirmed the safety of ash from incinerated debris generated by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster that it has accepted from a town in Iwate Prefecture.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/20/20120220p2g00m0dm140000c.html

Daughter of deceased priest leads reconstruction prayers at makeshift shrine in Fukushima

NAMIE, Fukushima -- The daughter of a priest here who was killed in the huge tsunami triggered by the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake gave prayers for the reconstruction of her hometown on Feb. 19.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/20/20120220p2a00m0na004000c.html

Fukushima residents exposed to up to 23 millisieverts of radiation

FUKUSHIMA (Kyodo) -- The Fukushima Prefecture government said Monday residents of three municipalities near the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant are estimated to have been exposed to up to 23 millisieverts of radiation in the four months after the accident caused by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/20/20120220p2g00m0dm146000c.html


____________________________________________________________
Jiji press

Kansai Electric to Suspend Takahama No. 3 Nuclear Reactor

Osaka, Feb. 20 (Jiji Press)--Kansai Electric Power Co. <9503> will suspend the No. 3 nuclear reactor of its Takahama power station in Fukui Prefecture, central Japan, around midnight Monday for routine checkups.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022000336

Max Radiation Dose at 23 Millisieverts among Fukushima Residents

Fukushima, Feb. 20 (Jiji Press)--One resident of Fukushima Prefecture is estimated to have received cumulative external radiation doses of 23.0 millisieverts in the four months after the crisis at a Tokyo Electric Power Co. <9501> nuclear power plant badly damaged by the March 11 disaster last year, the prefecture and Fukushima Medical University said Monday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022000813

Ash from Disaster Debris Displayed in Central Japan City

Shimada, Shizuoka Pref., Feb. 20 (Jiji Press)--The city of Shimada in Shizuoka Prefecture, central Japan, on Monday displayed to the public ash from 10 tons of debris it accepted from a disaster-hit northeastern town for incineration and disposal on a trial basis.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022000944

Fukushima N-Plant Opened to Media for 1st Time since Stabilization

Tokyo, Feb. 20 (Jiji Press)--Workers in protective clothing were trying to prevent pipes from freezing and removing rubble on Monday as Tokyo Electric Power Co. <9501> opened its crippled nuclear power plant to the media for the first time since Japan declared the plant had been stabilized.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022001099

Osaka Mayor Opposes Nuclear Referendum Ordinance

Osaka, Feb. 20 (Jiji Press)--Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto on Monday expressed opposition to a civic group's request for setting up an ordinance that would allow a referendum on the use of nuclear power.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022001151

1st-Stage Stress Test on Reactors Not Enough: N-Commission Chief

Tokyo, Feb. 20 (Jiji Press)--A first-stage stress test on nuclear power reactors is not sufficient to assess their safety, Haruki Madarame, chairman of the Nuclear Safety Commission, said Monday on the test conducted on two halted reactors in central Japan.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022001138

Japan Power Firms Yet to Submit 2nd-Stage Stress Test Results

Tokyo, Feb. 20 (Jiji Press)--The industry ministry's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency has not received second-stage nuclear reactor stress test evaluation from any of Japanese power suppliers, agency officials said Monday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022001171
_____________________________________________________________
Sankei news

from Media tour

 

[makoto]

Re: Japan - Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Crisis Units 1-6 Reports, News, Graphics - January 13, 2012 +

Media tour

Media tour #2
http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showpost.php?p=443234&postcount=49

workers

plant's chief Takeshi Takahashi

 

[makoto]

Re: Japan - Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Crisis Units 1-6 Reports, News, Graphics - January 13, 2012 +

Media tour

Media tour #1
http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showpost.php?p=443233&postcount=48

 

[makoto]

Re: Japan - Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Crisis Units 1-6 Reports, News, Graphics - January 13, 2012 +

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/f1-np/camera/index-e.html

18:36
http://youtu.be/XPhr0grKqE0
__________________________________________________________
NHK world

Nuclear Safety Commission to review stress tests

Japan's Nuclear Safety Commission says the first stage of the stress test is not sufficient to asses the safety of nuclear power reactors.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012 04:02 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120221_02.html

Last nuclear reactor in western Japan shuts down

The last nuclear reactor in western Japan has shut down for regular inspections.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012 05:14 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120221_01.html

IAEA team arrives in Tehran

Tuesday, February 21, 2012 07:13 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120221_05.html

Obama, Netanyahu to meet over Iran's nuclear issue

Tuesday, February 21, 2012 08:47 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120221_07.html

Experts criticize Nuclear Safety Agency

Japan's nuclear safety agency has been criticized by its own panel of experts for rushing to approve stress tests for halted nuclear reactors.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012 10:17 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120221_11.html

Survey: 95% of disaster debris not yet disposed of

The Japanese Environment Ministry says 95 percent of debris from last year's disaster in northeastern Japan has yet to be disposed of more than 11 months on.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012 13:25 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120221_20.html

N.Korea nuclear envoy arrives in Beijing

Tuesday, February 21, 2012 15:49 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120221_25.html

Lithuania PM hopes for nuclear plant

Lithuania's prime minister has expressed hope for early agreement with a Japanese company on building a nuclear power plant in his country.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012 16:45 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120221_27.html

Radiation monitoring system launched at schools

Japan's government has begun monitoring radiation levels on a real-time basis at schools, parks and other sites frequently visited by children in disaster-hit Fukushima Prefecture.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012 19:09 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120221_35.html
______________________________________________________
Yomiuri online

Editorial: Don't neglect Fukushima farmers, whose way of life is in jeopardy

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry's excessively harsh new limits on radiation in food are hindering the restoration of agriculture in Fukushima Prefecture.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/editorial/T120220003960.htm

Student numbers set to fall / Enrollment drops at primary schools affected by Fukushima N-crisis

FUKUSHIMA--The number of new students enrolling in primary schools this spring in six municipalities affected by the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant is expected to be half that of the children currently in the first grade, it has been learned.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120220004440.htm

Survey reveals radiation doses / 58% of Fukushima residents likely exposed to less than 1 millisievert

FUKUSHIMA--About 58 percent of Fukushima Prefecture residents were likely externally exposed to radiation measuring less than 1 millisievert during the first four months of the Fukushima nuclear crisis, according to a survey released Monday by the prefectural government.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120220004953.htm
________________________________________________________
AJW

EDITORIAL: Utilities must give more accurate supply-demand data

The No. 3 reactor at Kansai Electric Power Co.’s Takahama nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture has been stopped for regular maintenance, leaving the utility, which depended on atomic energy for more than half of its power generation, with all of its 11 reactors out of operation.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/views/editorial/AJ201202210050

Wind power on pace to zip past nuclear power worldwide

With the wind at its back, global wind power generation capacity has increased 10-fold over the past decade and is on pace to surpass nuclear power output within five years, according to industry experts.

Wind power turbines in Yura, Wakayama Prefecture (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/economy/environment/AJ201202210042

Cesium in Tokyo Bay focus of new study

The government is trying to get a clearer picture of radioactive cesium accumulations at the bottom of Tokyo Bay, which derive from the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201202210005

Struggling utilities now down to 2 reactors online

Electric power companies are warning of impending blackouts while eagerly awaiting approval of “stress test” reports to restart their reactors. But they also have to win over local governments and are now facing growing calls for further safety tests that would all but ensure Japan would be without nuclear energy this summer.

The No. 3 reactor, left, of the Takahama nuclear power plant in Takahama, Fukui Prefecture, awaits shutdown for regular inspection on the evening of Feb. 20. The No. 4 reactor, right, is already offline. (Shigetaka Kodama)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201202210033

Amid lingering devastation, next stage starts at Fukushima plant

Overturned cars remain stuck in holes. Collapsed roads and mangled steel towers are still visible, as are twisted steel frames, shattered wood and crumbling concrete hanging precariously from the skeletons of buildings.

Pumps are laid out on the beds of trucks on higher ground to provide water for the reactors at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant on Feb. 20. (Pool)

Radiation levels are checked on a worker after completing a day's work at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant on Feb. 20. (Pool)

Workers wearing full-face masks head for work at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant on Feb 20. (Pool)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201202210036
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Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Tourism agency chief wants Japanese to become more traveler friendly

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/travel/news/20120221p2a00m0na013000c.html

Mongolia seeks tie-ups with Japan in nuclear energy, rare earths

ULAN BATOR (Kyodo) -- Mongolian Prime Minister Sukhbaataryn Batbold has called for boosting economic cooperation with Japan in the areas of nuclear energy and development of natural resources such as rare earth minerals.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/02/21/20120221p2g00m0bu108000c.html

Toshiba wins order for thermal power plant equipment in India

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/02/21/20120221p2g00m0bu123000c.html

China starts program to beef up nuclear safety

SHANGHAI (AP) -- China's National Energy Administration plans to beef up safety at nuclear power plants after months of assessments and inspections in the wake of Japan's Fukushima disaster.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/international/archive/news/2012/02/21/20120221p2g00m0in101000c.html

North Korean envoy arrives for U.S. nuclear talks

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/international/archive/news/2012/02/21/20120221p2g00m0in105000c.html

U.N. nuclear inspectors to press Iran on weapons

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/international/archive/news/2012/02/21/20120221p2g00m0in140000c.html

Belarus to continue cooperating with Japan over nuclear crisis

MOSCOW (Kyodo) -- Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko told Japanese Ambassador to Belarus Chikahito Harada on Monday that his country will continue to provide information about the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster to help Japan overcome the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, Japanese officials said.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/21/20120221p2g00m0dm016000c.html

Japan-France committee on nuclear safety holds 1st meeting

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan and France agreed Monday to enhance their cooperation to minimize the effects of the Fukushima nuclear crisis on human beings and the environment at their first joint committee meeting of senior government officials in the field of nuclear power.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/21/20120221p2g00m0dm017000c.html

Reactor safety not confirmed by first-round stress tests: Madarame

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The head of Japan's Nuclear Safety Commission said Monday that the safety of nuclear reactors cannot be determined by the first round of stress tests alone, although the government does not require the second round of tests for the reactivation of reactors idled for periodic maintenance.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/21/20120221p2g00m0dm018000c.html

Takahama reactor shuts down, leaving only 2 units online in Japan

FUKUI, Japan (Kyodo) -- Kansai Electric Power Co. suspended the No. 3 reactor of its Takahama nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture early Tuesday for a scheduled checkup, leaving only two out of a total 54 commercial reactors operating in Japan.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/21/20120221p2g00m0dm019000c.html

Media allowed into Fukushima plant again, but situation far from resolved

OKUMA, Japan (Kyodo) -- The crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was shown to the media on Monday for the second time since the crisis began in March last year, revealing that the situation is far from resolved as claimed by the government.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/21/20120221p2g00m0dm020000c.html

Only 5% of debris generated in March disasters disposed of

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Only 5 percent of the debris generated by the devastating earthquake and tsunami last March has been incinerated or otherwise disposed of, Environment Minister Goshi Hosono said Tuesday, as he called for more cooperation on the massive task from local governments nationwide.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/21/20120221p2g00m0dm080000c.html

Fukushima nuclear plant shown to media, plant chief apologizes for water leaks

OKUMA, Fukushima -- The crippled Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant was shown to the media on Feb. 20 for the first time since the government declared in December that the nuclear facility had achieved a stable "cold shutdown" state.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/21/20120221p2a00m0na014000c.html

Gov't emergency headquarters refused to conduct additional thyroid testing on children

The government's Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters did not fulfill requests from the Cabinet's Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan (NSC) to conduct further testing on the internal radioactive exposure of children whose levels were within the maximum allowable amount, but nonetheless high, it has emerged.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/21/20120221p2a00m0na018000c.html
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Jiji press

Kansai Electric's Remaining N-Reactor Goes Offline

Osaka, Feb. 21 (Jiji Press)--Kansai Electric Power Co.'s <9503> only remaining nuclear reactor stopped producing power Monday night, leaving the western half of Japan without any active nuclear reactors.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022001119

(Update) Kansai Electric's Remaining N-Reactor Goes Offline

Osaka, Feb. 21 (Jiji Press)--Kansai Electric Power Co.'s <9503> only remaining nuclear reactor went offline for regular inspections in the small hours of Tuesday, leaving the western half of Japan without any active nuclear reactors.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022100652

Govt to Closely Examine N-Reactor Safety Margins: Hosono

Tokyo, Feb. 21 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government will decide whether to resume operations of nuclear reactors suspended for routine inspections after closely examining how strongly they can resist huge disasters like the one on March 11 last year, Nuclear Disaster Management Minister Goshi Hosono said Tuesday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022100727

Japan to Launch Campaign of Gratitude for Foreign Tourists

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022100788

Only 5 Pct of Debris Disposed of in 3 Disaster-Hit Tohoku Prefectures

Tokyo, Feb. 21 (Jiji Press)--Only 5 pct of debris in the three Tohoku prefectures devastated by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami has been disposed of, the Environment Ministry said Tuesday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022100793

Radiation-Measuring System Begins Operating in Fukushima

Tokyo, Feb. 21 (Jiji Press)--A radiation-measuring system installed by the Japanese government started operations on Tuesday in the northeastern prefecture of Fukushima, home to Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s <9501> disaster-hit Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022101085

High Levels of Radiation Detected at Tokyo Park

Tokyo, Feb. 21 (Jiji Press)--Up to 23,300 becquerels of radioactive cesium per kilogram have been detected in soil at a park in Tokyo's Katsushika Ward, Japanese Communist Party members of the Tokyo metropolitan assembly said Tuesday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022101169

Mizumoto park 35.794616,139.861168


Over 150 Minamisoma Municipal Employees Quitting After Disaster

Tokyo, Feb. 21 (Jiji Press)--The number of Minamisoma municipal government employees who are quitting since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami last year and the subsequent nuclear crisis is expected to reach over 150 by the end of next month, the mayor of the northeastern Japan city said Tuesday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022101237

TEPCO to Cover Radioactive Undersea Sludge at Fukushima N-Plant

Tokyo, Feb. 21 (Jiji Press)--Tokyo Electric Power Co. <9501> said Tuesday that it will cover highly radioactive undersea sludge near a port at its disaster-crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant with solidified soil.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022101259
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Sankei news

Media tour
http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showpost.php?p=443233&postcount=48
http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showpost.php?p=443234&postcount=49

Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant, Shizuoka pref

 

[makoto]

Re: Japan - Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Crisis Units 1-6 Reports, News, Graphics - January 13, 2012 +

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/f1-np/camera/index-e.html

Press Release (Feb 22,2012)
Shutdown of the Stage 2 of the Group 4 of Futtsu Thermal Power Plant

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/12022205-e.html

Press Release (Feb 22,2012)
Status of TEPCO's Facilities and its services after the Tohoku-Chihou-Taiheiyou-Oki Earthquake (as of 3:00 pm, February 22)
*excerpt
*The updates are underlined

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/12022206-e.html

Press Release (Feb 22,2012)
Situation of storing and treatment of accumulated water including highly concentrated radioactive materials at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station(35th Release)

Attachment http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/betu12_e/images/120222e4.pdf
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/12022207-e.html

<iframe width="300" height="233" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sQEpZEf3p14?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushima-np/images/handouts_120221_02-e.pdf

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushima-np/images/handouts_120222_01-e.pdf
_____________________________________________________________
NHK world

Seabed near nuke plant to be covered with cement

Tokyo Electric Power Company will begin cementing the seabed near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant to prevent radioactive materials from spreading at sea.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 06:07 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120222_01.html

IAEA inspection in Iran ends, no progress likely

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 08:59 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120222_10.html

IAEA disappointed with Iran

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 12:17 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120222_22.html

US nuke regulator releases March 11 transcripts

Newly released transcripts of the US nuclear regulator show it contemplated an evacuation advisory for US citizens near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant soon after the March 11th earthquake and tsunami.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 13:41 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120222_23.html

Japan to release record of nuke crisis responses

Japan's top government spokesman says they will compile the minutes of the meetings held by the country's leadership just after the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima plant last March. The minutes will be released by the end of this month.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 19:15 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120222_36.html

US envoy in Beijing for N.Korean nuke talks

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 20:26 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120222_38.html

US was worried about cooling of spent fuel pools

Newly released minutes from a US nuclear commission show a US regulator had concerns about the cooling of spent fuel pools at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant one day after the accident took place on March 11th.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 22:16 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120222_41.html

IAEA inspectors leave Iran empty handed

A UN nuclear agency team has left Iran without finding out whether the country is developing nuclear weapons.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 23:37 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120223_01.html
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Yomiuri online

REFLECTIONS ON LEADERSHIP -- PART 1 / Leaders should consider how science and technology will develop

This is the sixth installment of a series of interviews on leadership. For this article, former Education Minister Akito Arima spoke with Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer Hiroshi Masumitsu.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120221005580.htm

N-shutdowns may leave firms starved for juice

Only two out of 54 nuclear reactors in the nation remain online following the suspension of operations on Monday at the Takahama nuclear power plant's No. 3 reactor in Fukui Prefecture.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120221004877.htm

Animal victims of N-crisis find new homes

When the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant forced Goro Oe to evacuate his home in Minami-Soma, Fukushima Prefecture, he reluctantly left his 3-year-old Shiba dog Aya behind, thinking he would be able to return soon.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120221003546.htm
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AJW

Fukushima owner finds her dog but still cannot live together

MINAMI-SOMA, Fukushima Prefecture--It won't rival "Lassie Come Home," but a dog named Johnny beat the odds when his owner, Yoshiko Umeda, had to release him when she became an evacuee following the Great East Japan Earthquake and the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant.

Johnny is shown in a photo carried in the March 24 morning edition of The Asahi Shimbun. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201202220003

Radiation levels in Fukushima now available in real time

The science ministry has begun posting real-time radiation levels on its website at 2,700 locations across Fukushima Prefecture, including schools and parks.

A measurement station of the real-time radiation level measurement system (Provided by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201202220028

Government sat on survey of radiation in Fukushima children's thyroid glands

The thyroid glands of children in Fukushima Prefecture were exposed to radiation doses of up to 35 millisieverts following the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, the Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan said Feb. 21.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201202220053

Government puzzled by Madarame's remarks on stress tests

Senior government officials are worried that a state panel set up to oversee the safety of nuclear facilities may get in the way of plans to restart suspended nuclear reactors to avoid power shortages this summer.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201202220069

Nuke plant operators slow to implement tsunami safeguards

Operators of nuclear power plants across Japan are dawdling in efforts to make their facilities safer, despite government calls nearly a year ago to immediately start work on emergency protective measures.


A coastal levee is under construction at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture on Feb. 21. (Eiji Hori)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201202220030
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ANN

NRC on 11 March
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/kqkE_iOTLF8?#t=14s" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Japan in talks with U.S. over importing LNG: Fujimura

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan has been actively negotiating with the U.S. government on importing liquefied natural gas from the U.S. mainland, top government spokesman Osamu Fujimura said Wednesday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/02/22/20120222p2g00m0bu149000c.html

U.N. nuclear agency reports failed Iran talks

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/international/archive/news/2012/02/22/20120222p2g00m0in124000c.html

Utilities to send radiation decontamination experts to Fukushima

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Eight of Japan's 10 regional electric utilities will send nuclear engineers to Fukushima Prefecture to support local radiation decontamination from around April, an industry group said Tuesday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/22/20120222p2g00m0dm004000c.html

Fukushima's 'most influential' mayor to run in Tokyo Marathon

MINAMISOMA, Japan (Kyodo) -- The mayor mentioned as the "most influential" in the midst of the Fukushima nuclear crisis caused by last year's earthquake and tsunami is now toning up to run in Sunday's Tokyo Marathon.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/22/20120222p2g00m0dm011000c.html

U.S. worried about Fukushima meltdown early on: commission transcript

WASHINGTON (Kyodo) -- The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission released Tuesday some 3,000 pages of transcripts from the days following Japan's tsunami and nuclear disaster last March, showing that U.S. officials were concerned at an early stage about possible meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant and their debate over the scope of the evacuation zone.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/22/20120222p2g00m0dm025000c.html

Real-time release of radiation readings at 2,700 Fukushima sites starts

FUKUSHIMA, Japan (Kyodo) -- The government said Tuesday it has started releasing in real time airborne radiation readings taken at around 2,700 locations in Fukushima Prefecture, where the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is located.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/22/20120222p2g00m0dm026000c.html

TEPCO to cover seabed near Fukushima plant to prevent radiation spread

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Tuesday it will cover the seabed near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant with cement and clay to prevent the spread of large concentrations of radioactive substances that have accumulated there following the leak last April of highly radioactive water from the plant.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/22/20120222p2g00m0dm027000c.html

Naha city cancels event using snow from Aomori amid radiation fears

NAHA, Japan (Kyodo) -- The municipal government of Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, decided Tuesday to cancel an event using snow from Aomori Prefecture amid concern that the snow might be tainted with radiation emitted by the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/22/20120222p2g00m0dm028000c.html

Radiation from disaster detected off Japan's coast

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Radioactive contamination from the Fukushima power plant disaster has been detected as far as almost 400 miles (643 kilometers) off Japan in the Pacific Ocean, with water showing readings of up to 1,000 times more than prior levels, scientists reported Tuesday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/22/20120222p2g00m0dm029000c.html

Nuclear commission holds 1st panel meeting on Oi plant stress tests

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan on Tuesday held its first meeting to examine stress test results for two idled reactors at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Oi plant, with some members of the public raising voices in protest from time to time and disrupting discussions.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/22/20120222p2g00m0dm030000c.html

Kuwait scraps nuclear power in light of Fukushima crisis

KUWAIT (Kyodo) -- Kuwait is no longer pursuing nuclear power following the disaster in Japan, scrapping a plan last July to build four reactors by 2022, an official of a Kuwaiti government research body told Kyodo News and other media Tuesday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/22/20120222p2g00m0dm102000c.html

Christchurch restaurant owner owes recovery to encouragement from Fukushima

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand -- A year after a large earthquake here killed 185 people, the Japanese owner of a local restaurant has reopened his business and vows to "support the (Japanese) reconstruction from here."

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/22/20120222p2a00m0na015000c.html
samurai bowl in Christchurch
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Samurai-Bowl-Japanese-Restaurant/160315464044958

Safety certification system for plant factories to be launched with view to disaster areas

A private-sector safety certification system for plant factories that can produce high-quality vegetables all year round through artificially controlled cultivation environments is set to be launched next month in what could be a fresh move to help ensure the safety of groceries produced in northeastern Japan, which was heavily damaged by seawater and radiation in the March 11 triple disasters.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/22/20120222p2a00m0na021000c.html
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Jiji press

Tohoku Electric Mulling 1st Bond Issue since N-Accident

Tokyo, Feb. 22 (Jiji Press)--Tohoku Electric Power Co. <9506> is considering issuing straight bonds worth some 250 billion yen next week, it was learned Wednesday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=ind&k=2012022200440

U.S. NRC Releases Records of Meetings after Japan N-Crisis

Washington, Feb. 21 (Jiji Press)--The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Tuesday released transcripts of emergency meetings the agency held over the first 10 days of Japan's nuclear crisis from March 11 last year.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022200677

Most Host Prefectures Expect No N-Fuel Tax Revenue for FY 2012

Tokyo, Feb. 22 (Jiji Press)--Eleven of 13 Japanese prefectures that host nuclear power plants are not planning to secure any nuclear fuel tax revenue under their initial budgets for fiscal 2012 that starts in April, it was learned Wednesday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022200680

Budget Proposals Surge in 3 Most Disaster-Affected Japan Prefs

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022200733

Foreign Residents Decrease 14.3 Pct in 3 Disaster-Hit Prefs

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022201016
_______________________________________________________________
Sankei news

Nuclear disaster drill in Tokai daini nuclear power plant, Ibaraki pref

Media tour
http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showpost.php?p=443233&postcount=48
http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showpost.php?p=443234&postcount=49

 

[makoto]

Re: Japan - Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Crisis Units 1-6 Reports, News, Graphics - January 13, 2012 +

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/f1-np/camera/index-e.html

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/betu12_e/images/120223e5.pdf

Press Release (Feb 23,2012)
Operational Change of Wearing Protective Equipment at the Site of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

Appendix
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/betu12_e/images/120223e4.pdf
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/betu12_e/images/120223e5.pdf
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/betu12_e/images/120223e6.pdf
Reference
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/betu12_e/images/120223e7.pdf
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/12022305-e.html
____________________________________________________________
NHK world

US criticizes Iran's inspection refusal

Thursday, February 23, 2012 09:55 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120223_11.html

Foreign registrants in Japan down for third year

The number of foreigners registered in Japan has dropped for the third straight year.

Thursday, February 23, 2012 09:56 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120223_13.html

Khamenei: Iran's nuclear course to continue

Thursday, February 23, 2012 11:22 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120223_15.html

US, N.Korea begin nuclear talks in Beijing

Thursday, February 23, 2012 11:53 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120223_18.html

US, N.Korea end 1st day of talks in Beijing

Thursday, February 23, 2012 19:49 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120223_30.html
______________________________________________________________
Yomiuri online

Editorial: Govt must present clear nuclear safety measures

The government needs to explain explicitly how it will ensure nuclear power plants are safe.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/editorial/T120222005167.htm

Ministry tackles disaster debris fears / Public relations campaign launched to speed up the disposal of March 11 waste

The Environment Ministry has launched a public relations campaign to ease concerns about radiation and win wider public support for debris-disposal efforts, as only 5 percent of the waste left by the March 11 disaster has been disposed of so far.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120222005753.htm

Seabed near nuke plant to be paved

Tokyo Electric Power Co. has announced a plan to cover the seabed adjacent to the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant with a coating material composed of clay and cement as a new measure to prevent the spread of soil contaminated with radioactive substances.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120222005379.htm

Naha snow event axed due to radiation fears

NAHA--A children's event in Naha that was to have used snow shipped in from Aomori Prefecture has been canceled after some March 11 disaster evacuees living in the city raised concerns that the snow might be contaminated with radiation.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120222005456.htm
____________________________________________________________
AJW

EDITORIAL: Sense of urgency needed in nuclear compensation payment process

The process of paying compensation to victims of the Fukushima nuclear disaster has not been moving as fast as expected.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/views/editorial/AJ201202230041

Hosono sees bigger government role in nuclear power
*REUTERS

The government should play a bigger part in managing Japan's nuclear power industry, its role currently being questioned following the Fukushima radiation crisis, Environment Minister Goshi Hosono said on Feb. 23.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201202230071

U.S. assumed spent fuel pool dried up, ordered evacuation

U.S. evacuation orders in the early stage of the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant were based on the mistaken assumption that a spent fuel rod pool had dried up, documents showed.

The documents released by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Feb. 21 (Satoru Ogawa)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201202230053
The entire "Official Transcript of Proceedings" is available at http://pbadupws.nrc.gov/docs/ML1205/ML12052A108.pdf
a recording of the proceedings can be heard at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciRRsCIAy6A&list=UU9FZGPhjQXkmcDbFgoomsDw&index=1&feature=plcp
__________________________________________________________
Mainichi jp(kyodo, AP)

Tohoku Electric may issue bonds for 1st time after Fukushima crisis

SENDAI (Kyodo) -- Tohoku Electric Power Co. is preparing to issue bonds worth 25 billion yen, in what would be the first bond issuance by a Japanese utility operating a nuclear power plant since the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi power complex last March, sources close to the matter said Wednesday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/02/23/20120223p2g00m0bu140000c.html

Regulators discuss Neb. nuclear plant recovery

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/international/archive/news/2012/02/23/20120223p2g00m0in070000c.html

U.S., North Korea in first nuclear talks since Kim death

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/international/archive/news/2012/02/23/20120223p2g00m0in102000c.html

Assembly member realtor's high rent for factory linked to promotion of nuclear power

TAKAHAMA, Fukui -- A town assembly member who runs a real estate company has received unusually high rent from a subsidiary of Kansai Electric Power Co. (KEPCO), apparently in return for promoting the utility's nuclear power plant in the town, it has been learned.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/23/20120223p2a00m0na008000c.html

Children's radiation doses to guide decontamination in Fukushima Pref. city

SOMA, Fukushima -- City authorities here will prioritize decontamination of areas where children's external radiation exposure is estimated to be 2 millisieverts or more per year, it has been learned.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/23/20120223p2a00m0na009000c.html
___________________________________________________________________________________
Jiji press

Direct Disposal of Spent N-Fuel Less Costly: Japan Panel

Tokyo, Feb. 23 (Jiji Press)--A subgroup of the government's Japan Atomic Energy Commission said Thursday direct disposal of spent nuclear fuel is far less costly than reprocessing it for reuse as fuel.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022300967

Concerns Growing over Crop Damage by Wild Animals in Disaster Areas

Tokyo, Feb. 23 (Jiji Press)--Concerns over damage to agriculture by wild animals such as boars and deer are growing in Fukushima and other prefectures devastated by the disaster last March.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022300925

 

[makoto]

Re: Japan - Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Crisis Units 1-6 Reports, News, Graphics - January 13, 2012 +

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/f1-np/camera/index-e.html

18:26

19:45
http://youtu.be/XPhr0grKqE0
___________________________________________________
NHK world

New radiation safety standards for food endorsed

The Japanese government will apply stricter standards for permissible levels of radioactive cesium in food products starting in April.

Friday, February 24, 2012 13:29 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120224_21.html

Fukui governor rejects restart of idle reactors

The governor of Fukui Prefecture has said he will not allow its nuclear reactors to restart without stricter government safety standards.

Friday, February 24, 2012 16:31 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120224_24.html

Govt asks for party support for debris disposal

Japan's environment minister has asked political parties to help break a deadlock over disposal of debris from the March 11th earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan.

Friday, February 24, 2012 17:07 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120224_30.html

US, N.Korea finish nuclear talks

Friday, February 24, 2012 19:12 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120224_33.html

N.Korea criticizes US over nuclear issues

Friday, February 24, 2012 19:48 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120224_37.html

Foreign nuclear experts discuss Fukushima

Foreign nuclear experts are discussing the Fukushima nuclear accident at a conference in Tokyo.

Friday, February 24, 2012 19:48 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120224_36.html

Death at Fukushima plant ruled from overwork

Japanese labor authorities have ruled that a man's death at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant was due to his having to carry out demanding work while wearing stress-creating protective gear.

Friday, February 24, 2012 22:00 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120224_39.html

TEPCO to use underwater robot for repair work

Tokyo Electric, or TEPCO, the operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant says it is considering using an underwater robot to probe and repair the damaged reactor containment vessels.

Friday, February 24, 2012 22:12 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120224_38.html
__________________________________________________________
Yomiuri online

Half of PPS electricity providers no longer in operation

About half of 50 companies registered with the central government as power producers and suppliers (PPS), or businesses entitled to sell electricity to large-lot users, are not operating, it has been learned.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120223007082.htm

Foreign residents decrease by 55,000

The Justice Ministry has reported that the preliminary number of registered foreign residents in Japan was 2,078,480 as of the end of 2011, down 55,671 from the previous year.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120223006804.htm

Teams to fight delinquency / Ministry to send former teachers, police to disaster-hit areas

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120223004375.htm
______________________________________________________
AJW

Parents who fled Fukushima face hurdles, including feelings of guilt

They’ve banded together in various areas around Japan to perhaps see familiar faces or be around those who truly understand their predicament.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/life_and_death/AJ201202240003

Cesium concentrations vary in river, lake sand around Fukushima

Concentrations of radioactive cesium at the bottoms of rivers and lakes vary widely, but include some with the potential to affect ecosystems, according to Environment Ministry studies on water systems.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201202240001

Village loses out as TEPCO rate system scrutinized

Higashidori Mayor Yasuo Echizen traveled from northern Aomori Prefecture to the nation’s capital to plead for the survival of his rural village. One of his first stops was the headquarters of Tokyo Electric Power Co.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201202240012

Films give world front-row seat to nuclear plant accident

BERLIN--In the 1970s, disaster films such as "Airport," "The Poseidon Adventure" and "The Towering Inferno" were huge commercial hits.

A scene from "No Man's Zone," directed by Toshifumi Fujiwara
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201202240009

Poor communications botched radiation monitoring on March 12

Japan failed to monitor the spread of radioactive materials due to a lack of communication among ministries the day after the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant was damaged by the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201202240055
____________________________________________________________
Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Town's 'lies' show stronger checks needed in gov't use of precious tax money

A report in The Mainichi Shimbun revealed that the Oi Municipal Government in Fukui Prefecture, the location of Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Oi Nuclear Power Plant, received 2.5 billion yen in "nuclear power plant grants" after submitting a fake business proposal to the central government. Naturally, one can point the finger at the town assembly whose members all kept quiet despite knowing, in the words of one town official, that the town "lied to the government." Yet at the same time, the fact that the government's screening system could not see through this "lie" is problematic.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/perspectives/news/20120224p2a00m0na019000c.html

Germany to cut subsidies for solar power

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/02/24/20120224p2g00m0bu120000c.html

U.S. envoy cites progress in North Korea nuclear talks

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/international/archive/news/2012/02/24/20120224p2g00m0in174000c.html

Last evacuation facility in 3 disaster-hit prefectures closes

FUKUSHIMA, Japan (Kyodo) -- The last of the facilities used as evacuation shelters following the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, and the ensuing nuclear crisis in the three hard-hit prefectures in northeastern Japan closed Thursday in the city of Fukushima, the Fukushima prefectural government said.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/24/20120224p2g00m0dm021000c.html

Japan to propose backup power sources in event of nuclear terrorism

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The government intends to propose at a global nuclear security summit next month the creation of backup systems to secure power supplies in the event that electricity sources are lost due to terrorist attacks against nuclear plants, government sources said Thursday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/24/20120224p2g00m0dm022000c.html

U.S. frustrated at lack of information from Japan after disaster

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- A U.S. official, who was sent to Japan shortly after last March's earthquake and tsunami as head of a Nuclear Regulatory Commission team to see what was happening with the nuclear disaster, recently recalled the frustration the U.S. side felt over the lack of information from Japan in the early days of the crisis.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/24/20120224p2g00m0dm024000c.html

Panel thinks fast-breeder reactor not realistic option for 20-30 yrs

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- A panel of experts reviewing Japan's nuclear fuel cycle policy in the wake of last year's nuclear accident agreed Thursday that while a fuel cycle involving a fast-breeder reactor has some advantages, it cannot be considered as a realistic option for the next 20 to 30 years from a technological viewpoint.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/24/20120224p2g00m0dm025000c.html

Stricter limits on radiation in food to start April 1 in Japan

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan will enforce stricter limits on radioactive cesium found in food, which come between one-20th and a quarter of the current provisional limits depending on food categories, from April 1 when the new fiscal year begins, the health ministry formally decided on Friday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/24/20120224p2g00m0dm084000c.html

Compensation for property in Fukushima's hardest-hit areas to be based on pre-tsunami value

A government panel on compensation for the Fukushima nuclear crisis is set to calculate the amount of compensation for real estate in the hardest-hit areas, where residents cannot return at an early date, based on their pre-disaster values, officials said.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/24/20120224p2a00m0na013000c.html

Nuclear accident probe panel meets with int'l experts

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- A government-appointed panel looking into the cause of the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant started a two-day meeting Friday to seek advice from international experts about its ongoing investigation.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/24/20120224p2g00m0dm171000c.html

New technology can remove 99.9 percent of radioactive cesium in soil

New technology that can remove up to 99.9 percent of radioactive cesium in contaminated soil has been developed, raising hopes for reducing radioactive waste in areas affected by the Fukushima nuclear disaster, it has been learned.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/24/20120224p2a00m0na022000c.html

________________________________________________________________
Jiji press

Japan Panel Eyes Lump Compensation for Nuclear Evacuees

Tokyo, Feb. 24 (Jiji Press)--A Japanese government panel plans to have Tokyo Electric Power Co. <9501> make lump compensation payments to residents of areas to be designated off-limits for at least five years due to the nuclear crisis in Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022400163

Japan Panel Approves New Food Cesium Limits

Tokyo, Feb. 24 (Jiji Press)--A Japanese health ministry panel approved a proposal Friday for a new, tighter guideline on limits for radioactive cesium in food.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022400640

N-Crisis Minister Meets with Parliament Probe Panel Head

Tokyo, Feb. 24 (Jiji Press)--Goshi Hosono, minister in charge of Japan's worst nuclear accident, recently met with the head of a parliamentary panel probing the accident, although Hosono is a subject of the investigation, it was learned Friday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022400689

Chernobyl Museum Attracting More Japan Visitors

Kiev, Feb. 24 (Jiji Press)--Ukraine's National Chernobyl Museum in Kiev has been attracting an increasing number of visitors from Japan since the country's nuclear crisis triggered by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami last year.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022400717

Japan Fair Opens in Shanghai

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022400864

Above-Limit Cesium Detected in Wood Stove Ash in Minamisoma

Tokyo, Feb. 24 (Jiji Press)--Radioactive cesium more than 30 times above the government's limit has been detected in ash from home wood-fired stoves in Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture, the Ministry of the Environment said Friday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022400970

Japan Ends Safety Inspection of TEPCO's Damaged N-Plant

Tokyo, Feb. 24 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency on Friday concluded its three-week safety inspection of key facilities at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s <9501> crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022400992

Japan Sets Smart Energy Management Standards for Homes

Tokyo, Feb. 24 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry adopted standards for smart energy management systems for homes at a study group meeting Friday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022401008

Fukushima Sewage Sludge Dust Highly Radioactive

Fukushima, Feb. 24 (Jiji Press)--The Fukushima prefectural government said Friday it has detected very high levels of radioactive substance in sewage sludge dust at a sewage disposal plant in the northeastern Japan city of Koriyama.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022401021
_______________________________________________________________
Sankei news

Foreign nuclear experts discuss Fukushima in Tokyo

 

[makoto]

Re: Japan - Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Crisis Units 1-6 Reports, News, Graphics - January 13, 2012 +

Tanuki(raccoon dog)

<iframe width="300" height="233" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/J2FaBsCty1Y#t=1m4s" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/f1-np/camera/index-e.html

Press Release (Feb 25,2012)
Receipt of an instruction document on correspondence for temperature increase in the lower part of the Reactor Pressure Vessel of Unit 2 at TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/12022501-e.html

Press Release (Feb 25,2012)
Plant Status of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (as of 3:00 pm, February 25)
*excerpt
*The updates are underlined

Unit 2 (Shut down)

Unit 3 (Shut down)

Others

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/12022505-e.html

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushima-np/images/handouts_120225_02-e.pdf
________________________________________________________
NHK world

Edano:Energy costs could rise

Japan's Economy minister says electricity prices could rise if Japan doesn't crank up its nuclear power plants again.

Saturday, February 25, 2012 02:34 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120225_01.html

Allies analyze N.Korea talks

Saturday, February 25, 2012 02:34 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120225_03.html

Iran accelerates nuclear enrichment

Saturday, February 25, 2012 06:18 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120225_06.html

No-fly zone over Fukushima plant scaled back

Japan's transport ministry has scaled back the no-fly zone over the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant as radioactivity over the site has dropped to a safe level.

Saturday, February 25, 2012 11:58 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120225_12.html

Decontamination info center opens in Fukushima

The Environment Ministry and Fukushima Prefecture have begun to provide people concerned about radiation with information on how to clean up contaminated property.

Saturday, February 25, 2012 13:59 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120225_14.html
_________________________________________________________
Yomiuri online

Teacher dedicates marathon to kids

FUKUSHIMA--A primary school teacher from a disaster-hit area believes his participation in the Tokyo Marathon on Sunday will give his students renewed courage to overcome the hardships they suffered after the Great East Japan Earthquake.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120224006087.htm

Blind ventriloquist retires after 23-year career

KORIYAMA, Fukushima--Blind ventriloquist Masami Sasaki, 70, recently gave the last performance of his career here, after 23 years of entertaining and encouraging many young children, elderly people and more recently survivors of the March 11 disaster.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120224005284.htm

Hosono, N-investigation commission criticized

The opposition criticized the administration and Goshi Hosono, state minister in charge of nuclear power policy, for allegedly threatening the political neutrality of a Diet panel in charge of investigating the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant crisis by contacting the panel's chairman.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120224006108.htm
_________________________________________________________
AJW

Street performers tout ‘Vibrant Japan’ in Shanghai

SHANGHAI--The streets of this bustling coastal city were alive with "chindonya," Japanese street musicians celebrating "Vibrant Japan" to mark the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Japan and China.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201202250049

Italian photographer chronicles nuclear disasters

Italian photographer Pierpaolo Mittica recalls being immediately struck by a sight that greeted him when he entered a house in the no-entry zone around the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. Greeting him was a daily calendar, still showing the date March 11, 2011.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201202250004

Namie punk rocker lashes out at nuclear power

KORIYAMA, Fukushima Prefecture--The singer on stage flipped the bird at the audience. "This is for TEPCO!" he screamed angrily amid a wall of sound produced by a furiously fast guitar riff and drumbeat.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/cool_japan/AJ201202250018

Panel: Give iodine tablets to homes near nuclear plants

Stable iodine should be provided to households within a 50-kilometer radius of nuclear power plants to give them an immediate defense if an accident occurs, a Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan subcommittee said Feb. 24.

The Kagoshima prefectural government was stockpiling iodine tablets as of December 2011. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201202250005

Oi mayor: Difficult to make early decision on nuke plant restart

Two nuclear reactors shut down for safety checks in Oi, Fukui Prefecture, are unlikely to be restarted before the end of this fiscal year.

The Oi nuclear power plant in Oi, Fukui Prefecture (The Asahi Shimbun)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201202250035

Land for radioactive soil dump to be bought at pre-disaster prices

The Environment Ministry will pay pre-disaster market rates to purchase land for a radioactive soil storage facility in Fukushima Prefecture, site of reactor meltdowns following the Great East Japan Earthquake, sources said.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201202250043
_____________________________________________________________
Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

TEPCO must be proactive in nuke crisis compensation negotiations

The government's center for settling disputes over compensation for nuclear accidents has revealed new restitution standards for the ongoing Fukushima nuclear crisis.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/perspectives/news/20120225p2a00m0na001000c.html

Kansai Electric to incur more than 250 bil. yen group net loss

OSAKA (Kyodo) -- Kansai Electric Power Co. will incur more than 250 billion yen in group net loss in the business year through March, hit by growing fuel cost for thermal power generation, informed sources said Saturday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/02/25/20120225p2g00m0bu033000c.html

UN atomic agency: Iran rapidly expands nuke work

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/international/archive/news/2012/02/25/20120225p2g00m0in067000c.html

Agency finds around 10 flaws during inspection of Fukushima plant

FUKUSHIMA (Kyodo) -- The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said after completing an inspection of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on Friday that it had found around 10 faults on the part of operator Tokyo Electric Power Co.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/25/20120225p2g00m0dm012000c.html

Safety culture analysis needed in Fukushima accident report: experts

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Nuclear experts from the United States and Europe on Friday proposed to a Japanese panel looking into the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant that an in-depth analysis of the country's safety culture be included in the final investigation report to be compiled in July.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/25/20120225p2g00m0dm013000c.html

Overwork death recognized for worker at Fukushima plant

SHIZUOKA (Kyodo) -- The death last May of a man who had engaged in work at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant after the nuclear crisis erupted there in March was recognized Friday as caused by overwork, according to a lawyer representing the man's bereaved family.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/25/20120225p2g00m0dm014000c.html

High radiation level logged in town near Fukushima plant

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- High levels of radiation have been detected in municipalities in evacuation zones around the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, with the highest reading of 470 millisieverts per year recorded in one town, a midterm report on an Environment Ministry survey showed Friday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/25/20120225p2g00m0dm015000c.html

University students run nationwide relay for Fukushima

FUKUSHIMA -- To boost the spirits of this triple disaster-stricken prefecture and to remind people beyond it not to forget, thousands of college students are taking to the streets for a one-month, cross-country relay.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/25/20120225p2a00m0na003000c.html

Gov't to demand resignation of entire TEPCO board

The government is set to demand that all 17 board members of Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), operator of the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, resign at the utility's next shareholder meeting in June, government sources said.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/25/20120225p2a00m0na011000c.html
__________________________________________________________
Jiji press

Japan Scales Back No-Fly Zone over Fukushima N-Plant

Tokyo, Feb. 25 (Jiji Press)--Japan's transport ministry scaled back the no-fly zone set above Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s <9501> crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant to areas within a radius of 3 kilometers of the plant at midnight Friday (3 p.m. GMT).

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022400959

Tokyo Govt Asks Chubu Electric to Supply Power

Tokyo, Feb. 25 (Jiji Press)--The Tokyo metropolitan government has asked Chubu Electric Power Co. <9502> to supply electricity for use at its headquarters buildings in Shinjuku Ward, informed sources said Saturday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022500194

Foreign Experts Cite Japan's Lack of Nuclear Safety Culture

Tokyo, Feb. 25 (Jiji Press)--Japanese regulators and power companies lack safety culture for nuclear power plant operations, foreign experts said at a two-day meeting here that ended Saturday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022500289
___________________________________________________________
Sankei news

inhabitants of Shimada city measure radiation of debris from Iwate pref
0.07 μSv/h

 

[makoto]

Re: Japan - Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Crisis Units 1-6 Reports, News, Graphics - January 13, 2012 +

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/f1-np/camera/index-e.html

Press Release (Feb 26,2012)
Status of TEPCO's Facilities and its services after the Tohoku-Chihou-Taiheiyou-Oki Earthquake (as of 3:00 pm, February 26)
*excerpt
*The updates are underlined

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/12022605-e.html
___________________________________________________________
NHK world

Foreign nuclear experts advise on Fukushima

Foreign experts have told a Japanese government panel that its final report on the Fukushima nuclear accident should include lessons learned and proposals for ensuring safety.

Sunday, February 26, 2012 06:42 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120226_02.html

Japan seeks nuclear cooperation with Belarus

Japan is aiming to conclude a bilateral agreement with Belarus, which will allow sharing of information on nuclear accidents.

Sunday, February 26, 2012 06:42 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120226_05.html

N.Korean, Chinese envoys discuss nuclear issue

Sunday, February 26, 2012 06:42 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120226_03.html

Israel condemns Iran following IAEA report

Sunday, February 26, 2012 13:08 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120226_10.html

NHK shows first aerial footage of Fukushima plant

An NHK helicopter has flown near the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant for the first time since the accident occurred last March. The flight took place after the no-fly zone over the plant was reduced to a 3-kilometer radius.

Namie town
Sunday, February 26, 2012 15:02 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120226_13.html

New aerial view of Fukushima plant

An NHK helicopter has flown near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant for the first time since the accident last March.

Sunday, February 26, 2012 23:36 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120226_16.html

NHK shows aerial footage of Fukushima plant http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showpost.php?p=444156&postcount=56
____________________________________________________________
Yomiuri online

TEPCO to install 'smart meters' in '13 / Open bids eyed to lower costs for consumers

As part of steps to help cut electricity consumption, Tokyo Electric Power Co. will start installing next-generation electricity meters called "smart meters" at homes around autumn next year, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120225003502.htm

Govt releases new radiation readings

The government has announced the latest radiation readings from areas in the no-entry zone and the expanded evacuation zone around the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120225003396.htm

Child evacuees show mixed reactions about town

FUKUSHIMA--Some children evacuated from a town near the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant hope to return home soon, while others doubt they will ever be able to do so, according to a survey.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120225002900.htm
_______________________________________________________
AJW

after new no-fly zone
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1x5ITv9D7_A?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
00:12 Futaba town office
00:15 Futaba hospital

Study shows potassium can reduce radioactive cesium in soil

Fertilizers rich in potassium content can drastically reduce the amount of radioactive cesium absorbed by rice, a study shows.

A rice paddy in Date, Fukushima Prefecture, where rice tainted with radioactive cesium was found. Researchers say cesium content can be sharply reduced by using fertilizers with high potassium content. (Kengo Hiyoshi)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201202260003
_____________________________________________________________
Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Tokyo eateries offer chance to support recovery efforts

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- "Help Tohoku and have a good time" could be the motto of a number of Tokyo eateries that are providing opportunities for diners to support the reconstruction of areas ravaged by last March's earthquake and tsunami by serving up food and drink from the region.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/features/archive/news/2012/02/20120226p2g00m0fe004000c.html

Tokyo asks Chubu Electric to supply power

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The Tokyo metropolitan government has asked Nagoya-based Chubu Electric Power Co. to supply electricity to its headquarters in the capital's Shinjuku area, Vice Gov. Naoki Inose said Saturday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/26/20120226p2a00m0na001000c.html

Gov't revised quake warning report on nuclear plant operators' plea

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- A government panel granted a plea nearly a year ago from three companies that operate nuclear power plants to revise wording in a draft report warning of a possible massive tsunami in the northeastern Japan region, according to interviews and documents made available Saturday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/26/20120226p2a00m0na002000c.html

Int'l nuclear experts call for transparent regulation in Japan

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- International experts tasked with advising a Japanese panel investigating the Fukushima nuclear accident stressed on Saturday the need for Japan to have not only an independent but also a transparent nuclear regulation system, as the country moves to launch a new nuclear safety agency in April.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/26/20120226p2a00m0na003000c.html

Smoke detected at suspended Kashiwazaki-Kariwa reactor

NIIGATA (Kyodo) -- Smoke was detected in a building housing heat-exchange equipment at a non-operational reactor at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant late Saturday evening, Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Sunday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/26/20120226p2a00m0na006000c.html
________________________________________________________
Jiji press

Japan Govt Fails to Talk with Fukushima Local Chiefs on Soil Storage

Fukushima, Feb. 26 (Jiji Press)--Japan's central government was not able to exchange opinions Sunday with eight municipalities in Fukushima Prefecture on the construction of a temporary facility to store radioactive soil removed from areas near the crippled nuclear power station in the northeastern prefecture.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022700004
___________________________________________________________
Sankei news

Media tour
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/aX62tSSaDmc?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> japanese, but Just look
______________________________________________________________
JMA

23:19 JST 26 Feb 2012 37.5N 142.0E 30 km M4.2 Fukushima-ken Oki


http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/2/20120226232311391-262319.html

 

[makoto]

Re: Japan - Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Crisis Units 1-6 Reports, News, Graphics - January 13, 2012 +

NHK shows aerial footage of Fukushima plant

aerial footage of Fukushima plant #2
http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showpost.php?p=444238&postcount=57

merci à tJj9ysAP et J4QsKAGQ0

 

[makoto]

Re: Japan - Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Crisis Units 1-6 Reports, News, Graphics - January 13, 2012 +

NHK shows aerial footage of Fukushima plant

aerial footage of Fukushima plant #1
http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showpost.php?p=444156&postcount=56

 

[makoto]

Re: Japan - Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Crisis Units 1-6 Reports, News, Graphics - January 13, 2012 +

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/f1-np/camera/index-e.html

Press Release (Feb 27,2012)
Fuel Cost Adjustment in Electricity Fees for April 2012

Appendix: http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/betu12_e/images/120227e3.pdf
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/customer/guide/fuelcost-e.html
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/12022704-e.html

Press Release (Feb 27,2012)
Received the directive from NISA regarding isolation condenser In Establishment Permit Application of Unit 1 at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/12022705-e.html

Press Release (Feb 27,2012)
Plant Status of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (as of 3:00 pm, February 27)
*excerpt
*The updates are underlined

Unit 2 (Shut down)

Others

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/12022706-e.html

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushima-np/images/handouts_120227_02-e.pdf
__________________________________________________________
NHK world

More nuclear response hospitals needed

Japan's Nuclear Safety Commission says hospitals outside of evacuation zones must be designated as emergency treatment facilities for people exposed to radiation after possible nuclear accidents.

Monday, February 27, 2012 09:33 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120227_09.html

Schools reopen in Fukushima's Minamisoma

More schools in Minamisoma City in Fukushima Prefecture that have been closed since the nuclear accident last March, have reopened.

Monday, February 27, 2012 14:43 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120227_22.html

Independent panel: Tokyo evacuation considered

A report by an independent panel shows that some cabinet members were bracing for the possible evacuation of Tokyo after the Fukushima nuclear accident.

Monday, February 27, 2012 19:06 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120227_29.html

N.Korea may suspend uranium enrichment for food

Monday, February 27, 2012 19:58 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120227_30.html

Former US NRC head gives views before Diet panel

A former US nuclear regulatory chief says responsibility and power to decide how to respond to an emergency situation at a nuclear reactor should be left to onsite experts.

Monday, February 27, 2012 20:25 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120227_31.html

NHK shows aerial footage of Fukushima plant http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showpost.php?p=444238&postcount=57
___________________________________________________________
Yomiuri online

300 pets still in Fukushima facilities

FUKUSHIMA--More than 300 dogs and cats rescued from around the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant were still being kept at animal shelters and other facilities in Fukushima Prefecture as of Friday, according to a prefectural government-led group taking care of such animals.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120226003822.htm
____________________________________________________________
AJW

JX Nippon Oil develops new material for cooling, heating

With the oil market shrinking in Japan, JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corp. is tapping into the field of chemical products and has developed a chemical material that can cool or warm objects by solidifying at different temperatures.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/economy/technology/AJ201202270054

'Miracle yeast' saves 300-year-old Fukushima sake tradition

For almost three centuries, the Tomizawa Shuzoten sake brewery has thrived in the quiet seaside town of Futaba, Fukushima Prefecture, providing locals and beyond with its specialty, Shirafuji, a sake renowned for its pronounced flavor produced by a special family-grown yeast and the local hard water.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201202270028

U.S. museums cite safety in saying no to Fukushima exhibition

An exhibition by a U.S. painter, who captured the horrors of nuclear power after a Japanese fishing ship was caught in an H-bomb test, will be scaled back at a Fukushima museum after U.S. museums declined to lend works for it, some citing radiation concerns.

The Fukushima Prefectural Museum of Art (From the website of the Fukushima Prefectural Museum of Art)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201202270003

Aerial photos of Fukushima nuke plant an eerie sight

A cold eerie quietness envelops the stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. There is no activity among the snow-dusted buildings, and reminders of the devastation caused by last year's Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami are everywhere.

The tsunami-battered northern shore of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant on Feb. 25. (Eiji Hori)

Snow-dusted buildings at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant on Feb. 25. The large white building, center-right, is the No. 1 reactor building. (Eiji Hori)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201202270024

Director documents hometown in Fukushima's no-entry zone

Takemitsu Sato has filmed a powerful documentary about the lives of evacuees from the no-entry zone around the stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.

Director Takemitsu Sato enters the no-entry zone in Namie, Fukushima Prefecture, in protective gear about a month after the Great East Japan Earthquake. (Provided by the "Fukushima Futaba" documentary production committee)
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201202270036

Mayor skips meeting on Fukushima storage facility

Saying he distrusted the government, a mayor skipped a key meeting with Cabinet ministers on Feb. 26 on hosting a temporary storage facility for radioactive soil, further frustrating decontamination efforts in Fukushima Prefecture.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201202270041
____________________________________________________________
Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Mayor near Fukushima nuclear plant runs Tokyo marathon to show city not giving up

The mayor of a Fukushima Prefecture city with over half of its area within the 20-kilometer evacuation zone from the stricken nuclear plant ran the Tokyo Marathon on Feb. 26, finishing the race in four hours and nine minutes.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/sports/archive/news/2012/02/27/20120227p2a00m0na009000c.html

Kansai Electric to log its largest-ever net loss

OSAKA (Kyodo) -- Kansai Electric Power Co. said Monday it expects to log its highest-ever group net loss of 253 billion yen for fiscal 2011 ending next month due to expanding fossil fuel purchases to cover a fall in nuclear power generation.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/archive/news/2012/02/27/20120227p2g00m0bu138000c.html

3 major Kansai cities aim to break dependence on nuclear power

OSAKA (Kyodo) -- Three major cities in the Kansai region -- Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe -- jointly urged Kansai Electric Power Co. on Monday to promote efforts to break dependence on nuclear power in the wake of the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/27/20120227p2g00m0dm044000c.html

3 Fukushima mayors boycott meeting with gov't ministers

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- A meeting between the government and municipalities located near the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant was cancelled Sunday after three mayors boycotted it protesting that the government had informed the media of the specifics of the meeting's agenda prior to informing them.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/27/20120227p2g00m0dm046000c.html

Fertilizer mixed with potassium helps cut down amount of cesium in brown rice

TSUKUBA, Ibaraki -- Fertilizer mixed with potassium can greatly reduce the amount of radioactive cesium absorbed by brown rice from contaminated rice paddies, researchers at the National Agricultural Research Center have found.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/27/20120227p2a00m0na002000c.html

700 form human chain calling for decommissioning of Tokai No. 2 nuclear power plant

TOKAI, Ibaraki -- About 700 protesters surrounded the Tokai No. 2 nuclear power plant on Feb. 26, making calls against reactivating the plant and demanding the plant be decommissioned.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/27/20120227p2a00m0na005000c.html

Fukushima city welcomes return of last four schools after evacuation

MINAMISOMA, Fukushima -- The last four of this city's 12 elementary and junior high schools, which were evacuated to other locations as a result of the nuclear crisis, returned to their original premises and restarted classes here on Feb. 27.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/27/20120227p2a00m0na007000c.html

Patients fell victim as Fukushima hospitals were isolated in wake of nuclear disaster

On March 15, 2011, four days after the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami hit, the government ordered residents within 20 to 30 kilometers of the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant to stay indoors following hydrogen explosions at the plant a day earlier.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/27/20120227p2a00m0na010000c.html

Shrine building donated for worshippers who lost shrine to tsunami

MINAMISOMA, Fukushima -- A vocational high school on Feb. 26 donated a shrine for temporary use by worshippers who lost their shrine to the March 11 tsunami.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/27/20120227p2a00m0na017000c.html
____________________________________________________________
Jiji press

Kagoshima Firm to Make, Sell Wind Power Generators in Indonesia

Kagoshima, Feb. 27 (Jiji Press)--Renewable energy business firm Birumen Kagoshima Co. plans to produce and sell small wind power generators in Indonesia, company sources have said.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=ind&k=2012022700419

TEPCO to Accelerate Real Estate Sales

Tokyo, Feb. 27 (Jiji Press)--Tokyo Electric Power Co. <9501> Monday agreed to implement 70-80 pct of its planned real estate sales in fiscal 2012 starting in April to step up its restructuring.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=ind&k=2012022700732

All Japan Power, Gas Utilities to Raise Rates in April

Tokyo, Feb. 27 (Jiji Press)--All of Japan's major electricity and gas suppliers said Monday that they will raise their monthly charges for April.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=ind&k=2012022700771

Kansai Electric Bracing for Record Net Loss

Osaka, Feb. 27 (Jiji Press)--Kansai Electric Power Co. <9503> said Monday it expects to suffer a record group net loss in the year to March as Japan's nuclear crisis led to a surge in fuel costs for thermal power generation.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=ind&k=2012022700844

3 Cities Seek Kansai Electric's Shift Away from Nuclear Power

Osaka, Feb. 27 (Jiji Press)--The three western Japan cities of Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto on Monday called on Kansai Electric Power Co. <9503> to establish a power supply system that does not depend on nuclear energy at an early time.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022700403

Radiation Leaks from Fukushima Drastically Reduced

Tokyo, Feb. 27 (Jiji Press)--Tokyo Electric Power Co. <9501> said Monday the amount of radiation leaking from the crippled No. 1 to 3 reactors of its Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power station has fallen to 10 million becquerels per hour.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022700829

TEPCO Settles with Resident over Nuclear Damages

Tokyo, Feb. 27 (Jiji Press)--Tokyo Electric Power Co. <9501> on Monday reached a compensation settlement with a resident near its Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power station over the disaster-crippled plant's accident.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022700874

Japan Ocean Policy to Include Debris, Radioactive Water Measures

Tokyo, Feb. 27 (Jiji Press)--Japan plans to include measures to deal with debris from the March 11 disaster and radioactive water leaked into the sea from the stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant in its basic ocean policy, officials said Monday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022700894

Chubu Electric Declines Request for Power Supply to Tokyo

Tokyo, Feb. 27 (Jiji Press)--Chubu Electric Power Co. <9502> on Monday declined a request from the Tokyo metropolitan government to supply electricity for use at its headquarters buildings.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022700938

(Update) Cesium Leaks from Fukushima N-Plant Drastically Reduced

Tokyo, Feb. 27 (Jiji Press)--Tokyo Electric Power Co. <9501> said Monday the amount of radioactive cesium leaking from the crippled No. 1 to 3 reactors of its Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power station has fallen to 10 million becquerels per hour.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022700942

Hokkaido Electric May Continue Operating Remaining N-Reactor until May

Sapporo, Feb. 27 (Jiji Press)--Hokkaido Electric Power Co. <9509> is considering continuing operating its remaining nuclear reactor until early May, instead of its current plants to shut it down for routine checkups in late April, sources familiar with the matter said Monday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022700939

(Update) TEPCO Settles with Resident over Nuclear Damages

Tokyo, Feb. 27 (Jiji Press)--Tokyo Electric Power Co. <9501> on Monday reached a compensation settlement with a resident near its Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power station over the disaster-crippled plant's accident.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022800014
_____________________________________________________________
Sankei news

Yanagawa schools reopens in Date city, Fukushima

 

[makoto]

Re: Japan - Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Crisis Units 1-6 Reports, News, Graphics - January 13, 2012 +

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/f1-np/camera/index-e.html

Press Release (Feb 28,2012)
Start of inviting proposals for the specification of smart meters

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/12022801-e.html

Press Release (Feb 28,2012)
Regarding start of reparation payouts for losses due to Voluntary Evacuation

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/12022803-e.html

Press Release (Feb 28,2012)
Status of TEPCO's Facilities and its services after the Tohoku-Chihou-Taiheiyou-Oki Earthquake (as of 3:00 pm, February 28)
*excerpt
*The updates are underlined

Unit 2 (Shut down)

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/12022807-e.html
______________________________________________________________
NHK world

Panel: Cabinet members unaware of SPEEDI

An independent panel investigating the Fukushima nuclear accident has found that the prime minister did not know about the government's system that can predict the spread of radioactive materials quickly.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012 06:01 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120228_05.html

Noda prioritizes getting Fukushima evacuees home

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has instructed ministers to work with each other so residents of evacuation zones in Fukushima can return home as soon as possible.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012 12:51 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120228_18.html

Panel issues report on Fukushima nuclear accident

An independent panel investigating the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has issued a report based on interviews with about 300 people, including Japanese and US government officials and nuclear experts.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012 18:57 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120228_23.html

Govt. unveils stricter rice planting policy

Japan's agriculture ministry says it will conditionally allow farmers to plant rice where soil is possibly contaminated with radioactive substances.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012 20:36 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120228_29.html

Panel blasts Kan's response to disaster

An independent panel investigating last March's nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi plant has criticized former Japanese prime minister Naoto Kan over his response to the disaster.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012 20:36 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120228_30.html

Nuclear accident "off-site" center under review

A Japanese government panel is proposing the setting up of 2 separate centers to help local communities respond to any future nuclear power plant accident.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012 20:36 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120228_25.html

Panel denounces govt. handling of disaster

An independent panel investigating the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has criticized the government's responses as ad-hoc, stopgap measures.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012 21:52 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120228_32.html

Edano advised Kan not to visit Fukushima

The morning after last year's March 11th Fukushima nuclear disaster, then Prime Minister Naoto Kan flew to the disaster site by helicopter, although his spokesman advised him not to do so, warning of criticism from the opposition.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012 21:52 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120228_31.html

Miscommunications made things worse

An independent panel investigating the accident at the Fukushima nuclear plant has issued a report showing in detail how miscommunications helped deepen mistrust among key players in the crisis management.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012 22:05 +0900 (JST)
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120228_33.html
__________________________________________________________
Yomiuri online

Futaba mayor declares distrust of govt / Boycotts meeting over report of planned purchase for Fukushima waste sites

Futaba Mayor Katsutaka Idogawa, who boycotted a meeting between the central government and municipalities near the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant on Sunday, said he strongly mistrusts the government regarding the planned construction of intermediate storage facilities for contaminated soil.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120227005177.htm

Photos from jet show devastated N-plant

FUKUSHIMA--The heavily damaged upper framework of the buildings housing the Nos. 3 and 4 reactors at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant were photographed from a Yomiuri Shimbun jet Sunday, one day after the easing of restrictions on the area's no-fly zone.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120227004796.htm

Bulletin details Fukushima life

In the hopes of narrowing the information gap between people living in and outside of Fukushima Prefecture, a Buddhist priest has begun publishing bulletins describing the hardships caused by the March 11 nuclear disaster suffered by residents living in the disaster-hit area.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120227004478.htm
___________________________________________________________
AJW

Classes finally resume in municipal Minami-Soma schools

MINAMI-SOMA, Fukushima Prefecture--Almost a year after the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant forced the closure of Ishigami Daini Elementary School, students could finally return on Feb. 27 to their beloved school.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/recovery/AJ201202280003

Private panel blames TEPCO's 'systematic negligence'

Systematic negligence by Tokyo Electric Power Co. contributed to the Fukushima nuclear disaster, according to a non-government panel.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201202280030

Radioactivity levels leaking at nuke plant fall sharply

The amount of radioactivity leaking from the damaged Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant has fallen dramatically after an opening at one of the reactors was sealed shut.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201202280048
___________________________________________________
ANN

after new no-fly zone
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/d8HhYFQv1dA?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/uG79XwtsS_U?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> japanese
_____________________________________________________
Mainichi jp(Kyodo, AP)

Disaster-hit kids' photos express affection for hometowns

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/arts/news/20120228p2g00m0et090000c.html

Letters from Caribbean kids delivered to Fukushima nursery

FUKUSHIMA, Japan (Kyodo) -- About 250 letters written by children in the Dominican Republic were delivered Tuesday to a nursery school in Fukushima City as part of a UNICEF project to cheer up children in areas hit by last year's March 11 earthquake and tsunami disaster.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/28/20120228p2g00m0dm001000c.html

TEPCO vows to cut more costs, accelerate sales of real estate assets

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Tokyo Electric Power Co. on Monday promised to a state-backed bailout fund to further cut costs and sell a large part of the real estate assets it plans to give up by fiscal 2012, amid criticism of its decision to raise electricity rates for certain users to address its tough business conditions.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/28/20120228p2g00m0dm006000c.html

Fukushima farmer asks TEPCO to take steps for animals in evacuation zone

FUKUSHIMA, Japan (Kyodo) -- A farmer staying in the evacuation zone in Tomioka, Fukushima Prefecture, after the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant asked its operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. on Monday to take measures for livestock and pet animals left in the zone.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/28/20120228p2g00m0dm007000c.html

TEPCO ordered to report on change in piping layout at Fukushima plant

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The government's nuclear safety agency said Monday that the layout of piping for an emergency cooling system at the crisis-hit Fukushima Daiichi power plant's No. 1 reactor had changed from the structure originally registered in 1966 before the start of the reactor's operation and ordered Tokyo Electric Power Co. to report the reason for the change.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/28/20120228p2g00m0dm010000c.html

Gist of private-sector panel report on Fukushima crisis

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The following is the gist of a report on the crisis at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, compiled on Monday by a private commission consisting of experts with knowledge of nuclear and other issues.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/28/20120228p2g00m0dm011000c.html

Kan's response to Fukushima crisis only created chaos: panel

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- A private-sector panel looking into the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant said in its report Monday that efforts by then Prime Minister Naoto Kan to contain the emergency "only caused unnecessary confusion and increased the risk of aggravating the situation."

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/28/20120228p2g00m0dm012000c.html

Shanghai students join Fukushima evacuees in 'gyoza' fry-up

KORIYAMA (Kyodo) -- Former exchange students in Japan from Shanghai cooked "gyoza" dumplings at temporary housing units in Fukushima Prefecture on Tuesday to share with evacuees still living there in the wake of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami and subsequent nuclear crisis.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/28/20120228p2g00m0dm133000c.html

TEPCO to pay 600,000 yen to pregnant woman who voluntarily evacuated

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Tokyo Electric Power Co. has decided to pay 600,000 yen each to pregnant women and children aged 18 or under who have voluntarily evacuated their homes because of the nuclear meltdown at its Fukushima Daiichi power plant, sources close to the company said Tuesday.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/28/20120228p2g00m0dm136000c.html

METI to introduce equipment to remove most radioactive materials at Fukushima plant

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) said on Feb. 27 that it would introduce equipment in the first half of next fiscal year that is capable of removing almost all kinds of radioactive substances from contaminated water piled up or stored on the premises of the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/28/20120228p2a00m0na007000c.html

Panel on nuclear crisis criticizes inspections conducted merely as formality

An independent fact-finding panel on the crisis at the tsunami-hit Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant has pointed the finger at safety inspections that are conducted on nuclear plants merely as a formality as well as the government's vertically-structured administrative system.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/28/20120228p2a00m0na012000c.html

'Lonely death' in evacuee community prompts renewed look at safety check system

FUKUSHIMA -- In January this year, a 73-year-old nuclear disaster refugee was found dead in his temporary housing unit in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture. He had died alone.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/28/20120228p2a00m0na014000c.html

Report takes former PM Kan to task over Fukushima nuke disaster handling

The office of former Prime Minister Naoto Kan came in for scathing criticism in a Feb. 27 report on the handling of the Fukushima nuclear crisis' opening days, with the document accusing the PM's office of "grandstanding" and causing "useless confusion."

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/archive/news/2012/02/28/20120228p2a00m0na016000c.html
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Jiji press

INTERVIEW: Kan Says Japan Govt Botched N-Crisis Response

Tokyo, Feb. 28 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government failed in its response to the nuclear crisis due to poor preparation for such an accident, former Prime Minister Naoto Kan said in a recent interview with Jiji Press.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022800733

Japan OKs Rice Planting in Fukushima Radioactive Areas

Tokyo, Feb. 28 (Jiji Press)--Japan's agriculture ministry said Tuesday it will allow farmers in areas where 100-500 becquerels of radioactive cesium per kilogram were found in rice harvested in 2011 to plant rice this year if they meet certain requirements.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022800988

Japan Govt Interference Increased Risks in N-Crisis: Panel

Tokyo, Feb. 28 (Jiji Press)--Interference by then Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan and his aides in efforts to contain the nuclear crisis caused unnecessary confusion and increased risks that could have led to a worsening of the situation, an independent investigation panel said Tuesday.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022801001

TEPCO to Begin Damage Payments to Certain Fukushima Residents in late March

Tokyo, Feb. 28 (Jiji Press)--Tokyo Electric Power Co. <9501> said Tuesday that it will start paying compensation in late March to certain local residents affected by the nuclear accident at its Fukushima No. 1 power plant.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2012022801006

 

[makoto]

Re: Japan - Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Crisis Units 1-6 Reports, News, Graphics - January 13, 2012 +

http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushima-np/images/handouts_120228_04-e.pdf

5th floor of the Reactor Building of Unit 2, Fukushima Daiichi Investigation status of Robot (quince2)

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(Video on February 27, 2012)