Japan Society of Civil Engineers, JSCE has established a study committee on toxic water leak at Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant. To make a concrete action to stop contaminated water leaking, matters on supplementary technologies to existing counteractions and technologies to be necessary in terms of future decommissioning based on long term perspective will be discussed.Chaired by President of the society, Kotaro Hashimoto, the committee aims to give propositions to the government and TEPCO, starting with consideration to submit proposals to Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry which is now requesting information on applicable technologies for the toxic water.

The committee’s action plan provides that it addresses both technical supports for on-going actions froma short-term viewpoint and problems to be abstracted and solved from a middle and long term viewpoint. Problems in wider area surrounding the plant are included in addition to ones inside buildings and in the area of the plant.

Ministry of ETI is now conducting public invitation of technologiesin six areas-1) Accumulation of contaminated water, 2) Treatment of contaminated water, 3) Removal of radioactive materials from the seawater in the harbor, 4) Management of contaminated water inside the buildings, 5) Management measures to block groundwater from flowing into the site, 6) Understanding the groundwater flow.JSCE has assignedthe study committeeresponding to Ministry’s request in these areas for now. Studies on additional research, monitoring and maintenance methods are to be undertaken.

The committee consists of 22 engineers and researchers in the related fields such as geotechnology and structure engineering. A task force of 16 members is established under the committee. (2013/10/09)