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Bechtel’s Impact Report

Fukushima

Japan
Fukushima plant yard

Helping address contaminated water in the wake of a natural disaster

  • view of Fukushima Daiichi plant

    Collaboration to progress cleanup efforts

    In 2011, a 49-foot (15-meter) tsunami, triggered by a powerful offshore earthquake, caused extensive damage to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant located 102.5 miles (165 kilometers) north of Tokyo. Since then, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) has made good progress in stabilizing the site and taking forward the clean-up effort.

    One of the continuing challenges is how best to safely and efficiently manage the significant volumes of contaminated water that accumulate in the reactor building basements. Based on our 40 years of experience in environmental clean-up and management at more than 500 contaminated sites across the world — including Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and helping the U.S. Department of Energy address radiologically contaminated water — Bechtel is well qualified to assist in the management of water issues at Fukushima. Over the past year, we have collaborated with TEPCO on a series of tests to optimize existing water treatment strategies and develop solutions for the treatment of future waste streams.