Fukushima Spent Fuel Pools: 80 Damaged Spent Fuel Assemblies Are Leaking Radioactive Materials

– Now revealed there’s 80 damaged spent fuel assemblies leaking radioactive materials in Fukushima storage pools — Kyodo: Removal attempt at Unit 4 starts later today — Japan nuclear official ‘nervous’, as one slip could result in monumental chain reaction (AUDIO) (ENENews, Nov 17, 2013):

Excerpts from Kahoku Shinpo article translated by EXSKF, Nov. 16, 2013: Fukushima I Nuke Plant Reactor 1 has 70 fuel assemblies damaged before the March 11, 2011 disaster, a quarter of the total spent fuel […] It was revealed on November 15 […] Technologies to remove damaged fuel haven’t been established […] According to TEPCO, these 70 fuel assemblies had series of problems including leakage of radioactive materials […] There are three damaged fuel assemblies inside the Reactor 4 Spent Fuel Pool […] Reactor 2 Spent Fuel Pool has three damaged […] Reactor 3 Spent Fuel Pool has four, making the total of damaged fuel assemblies 80 […]

Kyodo News, Nov. 18, 2013: TEPCO to start fuel removal from Fukushima No. 4 spent fuel pool […] later Monday […] to address one of the major hazards […] the work will require careful attention so as not to result in another radiation-leaking incident.

ABC Radio National (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), Nov. 18, 2013: […] The Japan Atomic Energy Commission has described Fukushima as an unprecedented, and deepening, crisis. […] Host: One slip could result in monumental chain reaction. Are you nervous? Dr. Tatsujiro Suzuki is currently a Vice Chairman of the Japan Atomic Energy Commission: “Yes, this this is one of the most difficult tasks, that they are going to start this week or next week. […] This is a challenging task, not a regular operation.”

Full interview with Suzuki here