Washington, D.C.–(ENEWSPF)–March 27, 2011 – UPDATE AS OF 1:30 P.M. EDT.
U.S. Navy barges carrying 500,000 gallons of fresh water were nearing the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant Sunday as workers continued to pump cooling water into reactors and spent fuel pools.
Beginning Friday, workers began to switch from sea water to fresh water to cool reactors 1, 2 and 3. The arrival of the barges will maintain the fresh water supply. Engineers are concerned that continued use of sea water will cause corrosion inside the reactors and hinder the cooling process.
Dose rates at the site boundary continued to range from 1 to 3 millirem per hour.
UPDATE AS OF 9:30 A.M. EDT, MARCH 27:
Tokyo Electric Power Co. workers on Sunday were using pumps to remove highly contaminated water from the basement of the turbine building of reactors 1 and 2 at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
TEPCO also was preparing to remove water from the turbine building of reactor 3. Removal of the contaminated water is necessary to continue power restoration to the plant.
By Sunday, water injection to the pressure vessels at reactors 1, 2 and 3 had been switched from seawater to freshwater.
Off-site power has been restored to all units and work to connect equipment is ongoing. Progress is being slowed by high radiation levels and wet equipment.
TEPCO said that earlier reports of extremely high radiation levels measured in the water in the basement of the reactor 2 turbine building were inaccurate, according to news reports.
Source: nei.org
