Dear Friends,
 
I attach great importance to this message.
 
According to the Asahi News Paper of 27 January,
Tepco is reported to envisage the removing the nuclear fuel  debris from the Unit 2 only in 2021.
In the meantime,as Professor Shuzo Takemoto,Honorary Professor of Kyoto University, warns (cf.P.S. below), intensity 7class earthquakes are certain to take place, which could bring about the collapse of the building of the Unit 2.
The number of nuclear fuel rods in the cooling pools are as follows; Unit 1--- 392, Unit 2---615,Unit 3---566.
 
As Professor Akira Hasegawa( Maxwell Prize Winner) points out,Japan is at a loss what to do.
International cooperation is of absolute necessity.
The mobilization of  human wisdom on the widest possible scale is urgently needed.
 
Prime Minister Abe,asked in the Parlamentary deliberations on 25 January,surprisingly reconfirmed his assertion "under control".
 
It is now entirely up to the international community to reassure the safety of the Tokyo Olympic Games 2020.
 
Please allow me to count on your increased understanding and support.
 
With highest regards,
Mitsuhei Murata
Former Ambassador to Switzerland
 
 
P.S. Professor Takemoto's warning.
 
The earthquake of 22 November 2016 off the coast of the Fukushima Prefecture (M7.4) and the earthquake of 28 December 2016 in the Northern part of the Ibaragi Prefecture are situated in the aftershock area of the 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of T?hoku. In this area, we must foresee a number of magnitude 7 class earthquakes. Consequently, we cannot exclude the possibility of intensity 6 and intensity 7 earthquakes befalling the Fukushima Daiichi. What is most dreaded is what could happen to the Unit 2 whose pressure vessel contain a large volume of nuclear fuel debris(615 fuel rods).
This pressure vessel has endured the sudden change of temperature and pressure in the accident of March 2011. However, in view of its possible weakening due to irradiation, it will be destroyed,if it should meet with a big earth tremor, and scatter the remaining nuclear fuel and its debris, making the Tokyo metropolitan area uninhabitable. The Tokyo Olympic 2020 will then be utterly out of the question.



The Problem of the Unit 2 building of the Fukushima Daiichi

On 24 May, 2012, a year and 2 months after the accident, Tepco made public “the estimations of “the release into the atmosphere of radioactive materials”, according to which, of the total volume, around 20% from the Unit 1,a little more than 40 % from the Unit 4, and a little less than 40% from the Unit 3 were released respectively.

On 28 July,2016,Tepco made public the images of the F1 Unit 2 reactor screened by muon particles coming from the universe, like by X ray. They showed the shadow of materials equivalent to 180~210 tons at the lower part of the pressure vessel. Consequently, Tepco concludes “Most of nuclear fuels are estimated to remain in the vessel.”

It can hardly be said that the Fukushima accident is heading toward a solution. The problem of the Unit 2 where a large volume of nuclear fuels remain as stated above is particularly crucial. The Unit 2 started its commercial operation in July 1974.It held out severe circumstances of high temperature and high pressure emanating from the 3/11 accident without being destroyed. However, years long use of the pressure vessel must have brought about its weakening due to irradiation. If it should meet with a big earth tremor, it will be destroyed and scatter the remaining nuclear fuel and its debris, making the Tokyo metropolitan area uninhabitable. The Tokyo Olympic 2020 will then be utterly out of the question.

The number of nuclear fuel rods in the cooling pool are as follows; Unit 1--- 392, Unit 2---615,Unit 3---566.In ordinary times, these fuel rods can continue to be cooled if electricity is secured. We are filled with anxiety when we think of a power failure and of a strong earthquake befalling them, and of their consequences.

The earthquake of 22 November 2016 off the coast of the Fukushima Prefecture (M7.4) and the earthquake of 28 December 2016 in the Northern part of the Ibaragi Prefecture  are situated in the aftershock area of the 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tōhoku. In this area, we must foresee a number of magnitude 7 class earthquakes. Consequently, we cannot exclude the possibility of intensity 6 and intensity 7 earthquakes befalling the Fukushima Daiichi. What is most dreaded is what could happen to the Unit 2 whose pressure vessel contain a large volume of nuclear fuel debris.


This pressure vessel has endured the sudden change of temperature and pressure in the  accident of March 2011,but in view of its possible weakening due to irradiation, it could be seriously damaged if a new big earth tremor befalls it.







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