Robotic probes descending into the flooded ruins of the Fukushima nuclear power plant have revealed critical support structures that appear to be damaged.
Image captured by a robotic probe reveals exposed rebar at the reactor support pedestal. (Photo: AP).
Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) is utilizing remotely operated probes to explore the submerged areas of the nuclear plant and monitor the ongoing costly cleanup efforts, according to IFL Science. In a statement released on April 4, TEPCO reported that a robot recently photographed the support pedestal for Unit 1, the supporting structure beneath one of the reactor cores that melted down during the 2011 disaster. The thick concrete wall, measuring 120cm, of the pedestal shows significant damage at the base, exposing the rebar inside. Although this discovery does not pose an immediate threat, authorities fear it could become a major issue if another earthquake strikes the area.
The three reactors are estimated to contain a total of 880 tons of highly radioactive melted fuel debris. According to Asahi Shimbun, TEPCO obtained the first images of the molten nuclear fuel in the reactor of Unit 1 last week. The cleanup operations continue to struggle with the removal of fuel debris. If the supporting structure fails, it will create additional complications for TEPCO.
Reports regarding the damage have prompted Fukushima Mayor Masao Uchibori to call for TEPCO to immediately assess whether the structure can withstand another similar earthquake to that of 2011. The powerful 9.0 magnitude earthquake that struck on March 11, 2011, shook the eastern coastal region of Japan, generating tsunamis up to 15 meters high and causing over 18,000 fatalities across the northeastern part of the country. The tsunami also inundated the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, cutting off power supplies and crucial cooling systems, leading to three reactor meltdowns and the release of significant amounts of radiation into the atmosphere. Based on the scale of the accident, this is regarded as the worst nuclear disaster since the Chernobyl event in 1986.
However, the spent fuel in the reactors is only part of the problem. Following the accident, the plant was flooded, producing approximately 1.3 million tons of wastewater stored in over 1,000 tanks in the area. After a prolonged period of intense debate, TEPCO recently announced plans to release the wastewater into the Pacific Ocean, despite opposition from local fishing communities and neighboring countries.
