TEPCO balks at constructing underground dam to save groundwater and sea from radiation

By Takao Yamada, Expert Senior Writer, Mainichi Japan
20 June 2011 […] One figure who has entered the public spotlight in the wake of the nuclear crisis is 61-year-old Hiroaki Koide, an assistant professor at the Kyoto University Research Reactor Institute and a controversialist in the anti-nuclear debate. A specialist in nuclear power, Koide has garnered attention as a persistent researcher who has sounded the alarm over the dangers of this form of energy without seeking fame. In a TV Asahi program on June 16, Koide made the following comment: “As far as I can tell from the announcements made by Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), the nuclear fuel that has melted down inside reactors at the Fukushima nuclear plant has gone through the bottom of the containers, which are like pressure cookers, and is lying on the concrete foundations, sinking into the ground below. We have to install a barrier deep in the soil and build a subterranean dam as soon as possible to prevent groundwater contaminated with radioactive materials from leaking into the ocean.” His comment captured public interest and when I asked a high-ranking government official about it, the official said that construction of an underground dam was indeed being prepared. But when I probed further, I found that the project was in limbo due to opposition from TEPCO. Sumio Mabuchi, an aide to Prime Minister Naoto Kan who is dealing with nuclear power plant issues, holds the same concerns as those expressed by Koide and has sought an announcement on construction of an underground dam, but TEPCO has resisted such a move. The reason is funding. It would cost about 100 billion yen to build such a dam, but there is no guarantee that the government would cover the amount. If an announcement were made and TEPCO were seen as incurring more liabilities, then its shares would fall once again, and the company might not be able to make it through its next general shareholders’ meeting. In my possession, I have a copy of the guidelines that TEPCO presented to the government on how to handle press releases. The title of the document, dated June 13, is “Underground boundary’ — Regarding the press.” It is split into five categories on how to handle the announcement of construction of an underground boundary. In essence, it says, “We are considering the issue under the guidance of prime ministerial aide Mabuchi, but we don’t want to be seen as having excess liabilities, so we’re keeping the details confidential.” Possibly the silliest response to envisioned questions from reporters is TEPCO’s suggestion for a reply to the question, “Why hasn’t construction been quickly started?” The response reads: “Underground water flows at a speed of about 5 to 10 centimeters a day, so we have more than a year before it reaches the shore.” […]

Preventing radiation contamination more important than TEPCO’s stock prices