Fukushima Daiichi: Highly radioactive water confirmed in trench near Unit 2

Unit 2

WNN confirms that rates of

up to 1000 mSv/hr

has been detected in a trench for power cables and pipes near Unit 2’s turbine building. The concrete trench is 76 metres long, four metres high and three metres wide and full with water to one meter from the top.

Unit 1

A similar trench at Unit 1 is full to within ten centimeters of the top.  But it’s radiation dosage reading is much less.

0.4 mSv/hr

Unit 3

A similar trench at Unit 3 is full to within 1.5 meters of the top.  But but this trench was too clogged with debris to measure. 

TEPCO says the trenches are outside the normal radiation control area of the site but do not lead to the sea. TEPCO has sandbagged the trench outside Unit 2 to ensure it will not overflow.

There is still no confirmed information on the source of the contamination.  But two of five soil samples from within the plant perimeter contain plutonium isotopes that suggest that containment may be leaking at one or more of the reactors at Units 1,2,3.

NISA has ordered TEPCO to closely monitor radiation and water levels in all three trenches.

Geoff Zeiss

Geoff Zeiss

Geoff Zeiss has more than 20 years experience in the geospatial software industry and 15 years experience developing enterprise geospatial solutions for the utilities, communications, and public works industries. His particular interests include the convergence of BIM, CAD, geospatial, and 3D. In recognition of his efforts to evangelize geospatial in vertical industries such as utilities and construction, Geoff received the Geospatial Ambassador Award at Geospatial World Forum 2014. Currently Geoff is Principal at Between the Poles, a thought leadership consulting firm. From 2001 to 2012 Geoff was Director of Utility Industry Program at Autodesk Inc, where he was responsible for thought leadership for the utility industry program. From 1999 to 2001 he was Director of Enterprise Software Development at Autodesk. He received one of ten annual global technology awards in 2004 from Oracle Corporation for technical innovation and leadership in the use of Oracle. Prior to Autodesk Geoff was Director of Product Development at VISION* Solutions. VISION* Solutions is credited with pioneering relational spatial data management, CAD/GIS integration, and long transactions (data versioning) in the utility, communications, and public works industries. Geoff is a frequent speaker at geospatial and utility events around the world including Geospatial World Forum, Where 2.0, MundoGeo Connect (Brazil), Middle East Spatial Geospatial Forum, India Geospatial Forum, Location Intelligence, Asia Geospatial Forum, and GITA events in US, Japan and Australia. Geoff received Speaker Excellence Awards at GITA 2007-2009.

View article by Geoff Zeiss

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