Shukan Asahi, one of the major weekly magazines in Japan by one of Japan's mainstream media (Asahi), has a scoop on Fukushima II (Daini) Nuclear Power Plant. I have no reason to believe this is true, but I also have no reason not to believe this is true. According to the person who used to work at Fuku II, it is more likely to be true.

According to the reporter, Fukushima II has sustained extensive damage from the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami, and that hasn't been properly disclosed by any party (TEPCO or the government). He also says TEPCO knows there is no way the plant can be restarted anytime soon, if at all.

The reporter, Shun Kirishima (probably a pseudonym), works at Fukushima II and filed this report, according to Shukan Asahi. The article has several photographs, but the quality is rather bad.

Information from Shukan Asahi May 9, 2012 issue (the images of the article are posted at the end of the post):

1. Reactor 1 building still has no electricity restored after more than 1 year since the March 11, 2011 disaster. Aluminum window frames bend inward. (Photo 1)

2. Reactor 1 building basement is all rusted - pipes, light shades, equipment. Sands on the floor, mud caked on the cables on the ceiling (3-meter high).

3. The industry insiders had told the reporter earlier that TEPCO had informed them right after the March 11, 2011 disaster that Fukushima II wouldn't be operational for 5 years. It is a wishful thinking on TEPCO's headquarters' part that Fukushima II is anywhere near operational. It isn't, and it is damaged badly.

4. The office building is badly damaged, with ceiling collapsed and walls fallen down. (Photo 4)

5. Even though Fukushima II achieved cold shutdown 4 days after the earthquake/tsunami, it was a very close call. Some of the pumps for the heat exchanger didn't work, and some of the emergency diesel generators in Reactors 1 through 4 didn't work after the tsunami. In Reactor 1 building, 2 out of 3 diesel generators couldn't be used because they were damaged by the tsunami, even though they were in the reactor building above the 1st floor. (Photo 6)

6. Reactor 3 turbine building basement was flooded with water, even though TEPCO announced in March this year that there was no damage in the turbine building basements of Reactors 3 and 4. The reporter claims there is a handwritten note in the 2nd basement floor of Reactor 3 that says "2011.3.11 (inundated with water) 430 centimeters from the floor surface" - i.e. 4.3 meters of water in the basement (Photo 7). In the report in August last year, TEPCO says the water was from the skimmer surge tank overflow, but the reporter says it is hard to believe, because the 2nd floor of the basement was not just flooded but completely filled with water.

7. TEPCO says the damage at Fukushima II is due to the tsunami. But the pipes in the heat exchanger building on the 2nd floor, which was not flooded with the tsunami, show extensive damage, and they are being repaired or replaced. (Photos 9 and 10)

The Shukan Asahi article:

(UPDATE) Just as I posted, I also found TEPCO's newly released photographs (5/9/2012) of Fukushima II Nuclear Power Plant. Everything looks great as far as these photographs show. There are photographs of Reactor 1's diesel generators.

http://ex-skf.blogspot.com/2012/05/shukan-asahi-fukushima-ii-daini.html