Japan's leaky nuclear plant
No end in sight
By The Economist
From The Economist
Published: August 28, 2013
From The Economist
Published: August 28, 2013
The Fukushima nightmare lingers.
THE agonising efforts to clean up the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant hit new obstacles this week. On August 21st the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) said that leaks of radioactive water were a level three, or "serious", incident on a scale that goes up to seven. Some help from American experts aside, Japan has been dealing with the disaster itself. Now, even Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO), the plant's owner, would welcome foreign help.
TEPCO is under intense fire at home. It "has no sense of crisis at all", grumbled Shunichi Tanaka, chairman of the NRA, as the leaks worsened. Another NRA commissioner questioned whether TEPCO's data could even be trusted. After months of denial, the firm has only just admitted that contaminated water is leaking into the Pacific. China and South Korea have both expressed concern.
The plant's melted reactor cores are tainting both the hundreds of tonnes of water pumped into them each day and the groundwater, producing vast quantities of radioactive liquid. After underground pools leaked, TEPCO has hastily built around 1,000 surface storage tanks. Several are leaking from joints sealed with plastic. The most recent leak, of 300 tonnes, prompted the NRA alert. Experts say many more tanks are at risk.
A shortage of cash may have heightened the crisis. TEPCO faces massive bills for replacement fuels and compensating evacuees. It failed to install even the most basic system to monitor water leaks. Its workers stand on tanks and memorise water levels. The NRA this week ordered TEPCO to install water gauges at once. "What's needed is tanks with stainless-steel seals, but that would take time and money," says Neil Hyatt, professor of radioactive-waste management at the University of Sheffield.
Another explanation for the neglect at Fukushima Dai-ichi is that Japan, under the pro-nuclear Liberal Democratic Party, is rushing to turn its nuclear reactors back on. All but two are now closed. Importing energy hits Japan's trade balance as well as TEPCO. Instead of scrutinising the operator's jerry-rigged water tanks, the NRA has been busy drafting new safety regulations. Public opposition already meant that restarting reactors would cause a big fight. With Fukushima Dai-ichi ever more visibly out of control, Japan's energy conundrum just got worse.
困難的福島核一廠清理工作，本周面臨了新的阻礙。原子力規制委員會於8月21號表示，福島核一廠輻射水外洩為第三級事件（最高為七級）。雖然有少數美國專家協助，但先前仍主要是由日本自行處理此災難；現在，就連東電都歡迎外國能夠伸出援手。
東電在國內遭受大眾猛烈抨擊。原子力規制委員會委員長田中俊一在外洩惡化之時表示，東電完全沒有危機意識；另一名委員甚至質疑東電資料的可信度。東電在否認數月之後，才終於坦承汙染水已洩入太平洋；中國和南韓皆對此公開表示憂慮。
核一廠的熔化爐心汙染了地下水以及每天灌注的數百噸水，產生大量輻射水。地下水池外洩之後，東電急忙建造約1,000座地表儲存槽，少數儲存槽的塑膠密封接縫也發生了外洩。最近一次外洩汙水量達300噸，引起原子力規制委員會的注意；專家指出，還有更多水槽有外洩風險。
缺 乏現金或許加劇了此次危機。東電面臨巨大的替代燃料及補償支出，甚至連最基本的汙水外洩監控系統都沒有安裝，員工得站上水槽上靠記憶力記住水位。原子力規 制委員會本周命令東電立即安裝水位監控系統。雪菲爾大學的輻射廢料管理教授海雅特（Neil Hyatt）表示，東電需要的是以不鏽鋼密封接縫的水槽，但那需要錢和時間。
福島核一廠問題之所以被忽視的另一個原因則是，在支持核電的自 民黨執政之際，日本正忙著重啟核電廠；目前只剩兩座核電廠並未重啟。進口能源不但影響了東電，也衝擊了日本的貿易餘額。原子力規制委員會忙著起草新的安全 規定 ，無暇檢視東電那些臨時拼湊而成的水槽。民眾的反對聲浪已經讓重啟核電爭議不斷，福島核一廠失控日益明朗，也使得日本的能源困局更加惡化。（黃維德譯）
©The Economist Newspaper Limited 2013
經濟學人英文原文
核一廠的熔化爐心汙染了地下水以及每天灌注的數百噸水，產生大量輻射水。地下水池外洩之後，東電急忙建造約1,000座地表儲存槽，少數儲存槽的塑膠密封接縫也發生了外洩。最近一次外洩汙水量達300噸，引起原子力規制委員會的注意；專家指出，還有更多水槽有外洩風險。
缺 乏現金或許加劇了此次危機。東電面臨巨大的替代燃料及補償支出，甚至連最基本的汙水外洩監控系統都沒有安裝，員工得站上水槽上靠記憶力記住水位。原子力規 制委員會本周命令東電立即安裝水位監控系統。雪菲爾大學的輻射廢料管理教授海雅特（Neil Hyatt）表示，東電需要的是以不鏽鋼密封接縫的水槽，但那需要錢和時間。
福島核一廠問題之所以被忽視的另一個原因則是，在支持核電的自 民黨執政之際，日本正忙著重啟核電廠；目前只剩兩座核電廠並未重啟。進口能源不但影響了東電，也衝擊了日本的貿易餘額。原子力規制委員會忙著起草新的安全 規定 ，無暇檢視東電那些臨時拼湊而成的水槽。民眾的反對聲浪已經讓重啟核電爭議不斷，福島核一廠失控日益明朗，也使得日本的能源困局更加惡化。（黃維德譯）
©The Economist Newspaper Limited 2013
經濟學人英文原文
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