Tuesday,
11 March marks the 4th anniversary of the earthquake,
tsunami and the triple nulcear meltdown at Fukushima Daiichi
Radioactive water found in Fukushima, source unknown
RT,
6
March, 2015
The
operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has started an
investigation of newly detected ditch water containing relatively
high levels of radioactive contamination. Officials aren’t ruling
out that polluted water spilled into the sea.
The
contaminated water was found in a ditch in the upper part of a
drainage channel at the complex. The ditch is close to the tanks
containing highly contaminated substances. The specialists of the
Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) which operates the plant
discovered 1,900 becquerels of beta ray-emitting radioactive
materials per liter in the samples taken on Tuesday. Still,
radioactivity levels of water in a downstream portion of the drainage
ditch showed about 100 becquerels, or even lower on March 3.
The
contaminated water is kept in special tanks in the plant. The TEPCO
specialists said on Thursday no leaks were found in the tanks and the
levels of their contents did not change.
Nevertheless,
TEPCO is still investigating the possibility of leakage and is trying
to define the source of the radioactive substance.
The
experts say a certain amount of contaminated water could have flowed
to the sea after rain.
Last
month, TEPCO admitted there was a leak of highly contaminated water
from the roof of Sector 2 of the plant for 10 months. The amount of
contamination was 10 times the normal figures. The company failed to
report the incident at the time and has been severely criticized for
keeping information about the leaks secret.
Fukushima
fishermen ‘absolutely shocked’ at TEPCO failing to report leakfor
10 months
The
nuclear operator has been trying different strategies to halt the
spread of radioactive materials for four years now, with multiple
hurdles to overcome and costs spiraling out of control. The
protracted cleanup is said to require decades to fix before people
can return and start farms in the vicinity again. The costs are
projected to be in the billions, with the government stepping in to
help as well.
In
February, the UN nuclear watchdog (IAEA) said Japan had made
significant progress, but there is still a radioactive threat, and a
“very complex” scenario at Fukushima.
Japan
is battling the consequences of the three meltdowns at the Fukushima
Daiichi nuclear power plant that was destroyed in March 2011, when a
9.0 earthquake triggered a devastating tsunami. More than 18,000 were
killed in the catastrophe called the world’s worst nuclear disaster
since Chernobyl in 1986.
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