Contaminated Water Leaks At Fukushima Daiichi
Channel: OTWTE
Date: 2013-08-26

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/

TEPCO, GOVERNMENT BRIEF FISHERMEN ON WATER LEAK

Officials from the operator of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant and the government have briefed local fishermen on how to deal with the ongoing leakage of radioactive groundwater into the sea.

 About 200 fishermen attended Tuesday's briefing in Iwaki City, organized by Tokyo Electric Power Company and the Natural Resources and Energy Agency.

 Tokyo Electric explained that it has begun pumping up the contaminated groundwater to prevent it from seeping into the sea. The utility also briefed the fishermen on a plan to create an underground shielding wall around the reactor building over the next year or so.

 The session also covered Monday's disclosure that 300 tons of wastewater has been leaked from a storage tank.

 The fishermen criticized what they described as the utility's stop-gap measures, and demanded to know when they can resume catching fish.

 Some fishermen supported Tokyo Electric's plan to pump up uncontaminated groundwater and release it into the ocean before it is polluted by radioactive substances.
 The head of the local fishermen's association, Tetsu Nozaki, said he will sum up members' opinions on whether to back the plan.

Aug. 20, 2013 - Updated 10:58 UTC

TEPCO ESTIMATES LEAK AT 300 TONS

The operator of the disabled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant says about 300 tons of highly radioactive water appears to have leaked from a storage tank. It says some of the water could have seeped into the ground.

 The tank is one of 26 installed on the inland side of the No.4 reactor. The tanks are surrounded by a low barrier.

 Tokyo Electric Power Company initially found water forming a puddle near the barrier on Monday morning. The water had apparently leaked through the barrier's rainwater drainage pipe.

 TEPCO officials say an inspection showed a drop in the water level inside one of the 26 tanks. They estimate that the tank has lost about 300 out of the roughly 1,000 tons of water it held.
 Officials say water inside the tanks has been treated to reduce radioactive cesium. But a test of the leaked water found it contained up to 80-million becquerels per liter of beta-ray emitting substances, including strontium.

 The utility plans to remove soil near the tank. It will also measure radiation levels in the area to determine the scale of the latest water leakage at the troubled nuclear plant.

Aug. 20, 2013 - Updated 03:29 UTC

TEPCO REVEALS NEW RADIOACTIVE WATER LEAKS

Officials with Tokyo Electric Power Company say they will study storage tanks to find out why radioactive water is leaking at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

 The officials said on Monday about 120 liters of highly-radioactive water had leaked from a tank near the number 4 reactor.

 They detected 100 millisieverts per hour of radiation on the surface of puddles near the tanks. The maximum annual exposure limit for nuclear plant workers is 50 millisieverts.

 The water apparently leaked from a valve in a short barrier around the tanks. The barrier was installed to contain any leaking water.

 But TEPCO officials say the valve was left open to discharge rainwater so that workers can spot radioactive leaks.

 The workers closed the valve. Utility officials say they will find another way to locate leaks.

 Officials from the Nuclear Regulation Authority assessed the problem as a level one incident on an 8-point international scale.

 They have instructed TEPCO to quickly determine the cause and collect soil samples. They also ordered the company to examine seawater around the plant.

Aug. 19, 2013 - Updated 21:24 UTC

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