Fukushima water storage tanks flawed, workers say

What a shock. Not.

“We should assume any tank could leak sooner or later,” said Toyoshi Fuketa, a Nuclear Regulation Authority commissioner and nuclear fuel expert."

I'm not an expert but I assume "later" is better.

I wonder when we will have the first mass collapse of tanks at the same time.

I feel so sorry for these workers, when will it be the end?

The workers who have put themselves at risk for a continuing messed up system is more than a crime.

This shouldn't be happening.

If TEPCO would step down and hand this responsibility to a more competant entity, it would save potentially more workers' lives. Not to mention the sea creatures and other living beings effected by the radiation.

And Off course TEPCO is fully aware of the effects of radiation exposure on third rate materials.

Jeeze, I hope they're MUCH more careful, and hire MUCH more skilled and experienced personnel when they remove all those fuel rods. A mistake there could LITERALLY be deadly for a LOT of people.

But somehow, I don't see that happening. Which means the chances of a mistake, and the resulting SPIKE in radiation is very real.

This is NOT going to end well.

All those surprised raise your hands.

Reminds me of that movie quote, "I'm out of order?! You're out of order! This whole court is out of order!"

how about a news section "leak of the day"

All those surprised raise your hands.

All those who think that they could do a better job raise there hands - and then get on the bus for Fukushima where you will find your coveralls and rubber gloves waiting...

They basically ran out of money, so they bolted the tanks together haphazardly - instead of seam welding them shut like you're supposed to.

So, Japanese have to live with unimaginable and unforeknown risks for years ahead as the TEPCO's attempt will be the world's first ever task in the nuclear field. Wisdom from the world is hoped for.

Fredster: "All those who think that they could do a better job raise there hands"

You're seriously asking this while using 'there' instead of 'their'?

"and then get on the bus for Fukushima where you will find your coveralls and rubber gloves waiting..."

Why? So some yakuza group can skim 90% of my pay and TEPCO can say they have no idea whom they are employing and sub-contracting to?

He’s an auto mechanic. He was a tour-bus driver for a while. He had no experience building tanks or working at a nuclear plant,

Wow he seems so much more qualified than his bosses ! What if we named him CEO of Tepco or PM of Japan ? He'd surely do better. I guess that like anybody with common sense, he'd buy tanks from a tank maker. Yes, that exist, my relatives all buy theirs for their farms and businesses, many models on the catalog, all sizes, they deliver worldwide and usually install them for you (for a nuke plant, they'd charge extra, ask a mitsumori), warranty them and come for after-service.

They basically ran out of money,

No. The head office decided to cut their budget... they've done that for 20 years. Tepco is not out of money at all, since they serve themselves in our wallets whenever they are in the red. They simply consider it's more important to spend of Tokyo's bonenkai than on Fukushima's tanks.

Cheez ... now this is a real comforting story. Bet the Liberal Democratic Party can't wait to get its national security bill passed so that a secret veil can be dropped over the crippled nuclear power plant.

The more we hear about what is happening up there at the Fukushima N-site, the more we should be wondering ... why the heck hasn't the whole place blown to smithereens ...

Incompetent morons.

Slice or dice it anyway you want,the simple fact is that those hastily-built radiation water storage tanks are the ticking (as we are speaking) time-bombs place by TEPCO.If they are left alone there without being properly defused, they will, well ,go off as they are supposed to do , it's just a matter of time.

The interesting and troublesome about this situation including the heavily contaminated water table is that Japanese Government was advised and cautioned by foreign SMEs (subject matter experts) but, the administration has chosen to look the other way. Why? beats me.

So why not make new ones that aren't shoddy? Consider these temporary and make new ones. Instead I think the plan is to hope for a typhoon to take it all out to ocean

All those who think that they could do a better job raise there hands - and then get on the bus for Fukushima where you will find your coveralls and rubber gloves waiting...

^ So much this...

@gaijin6000 Very true, but the question is where to find that "more competent entity", no to mention where to find sufficient competent, willing workers and on-site supervisors/managers for a task that is going to take many years, and which in many cases renders the workers unable to continue, once their exposure limit has been reached. They have to be replaced, and there isn't--as far as I can see, anyway--a huge pool of willing, competent workers waiting in the wings.

And if anyone is thinking of importing foreign workers for any kind of on-site help (assuming that the willing/competent/sufficiently numerous hurdles could be overcome, which I think is highly unlikely), there's the very significant language barrier to consider. The Tower of Babel myth comes to mind, but in a very, very risky environment where any miscommunication carries a potentially very severe penalty. I don't see it as being feasible, IMHO.