Japan:Drill confirms safety of Fukushima nuclear plant
Laaska News Oct. 13,2011
The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant says the facility could be kept safe even if its reactor-cooling system is knocked out by another huge earthquake.
Tokyo Electric Power Company conducted a drill on Wednesday based on the scenario that its pumps and tanks were damaged by a magnitude-8 quake near the plant. It was the first such drill since trouble began at the plant in March.
Reactors at the plant must receive a continuous injection of water to be kept in a state of cold shutdown, with temperatures below 100 degrees Celsius.
During the drill, about 40 workers attached a 300-meter hose to a fire truck, and pumped up seawater to inject into the reactors.
It took about an hour and 10 minutes for water to resume being injected into a mock facility after fire trucks arrived at the scene.
Tokyo Electric says water injection at the three reactors, No.1 through No. 3, could be restarted in about 3 hours.
NHK.
Laaska News.
www.laaska.wordpress.com
