Radiation at Japan's damaged  yesterday spiked to lethal levels around a leaking tank. Today the national  (NRA) said contaminated water may be pumped into the sea. Tanks holding contaminated water at the site continue to leak; operator  (TEPCO) says up to 300 s may have leaked from one tank alone. Radiation at that tank soared to 1,800 per hour yesterday, a rate lethal to an exposed human in about four hours. Japanese law says nuclear workers cannot be exposed to more than 50 millisieverts in a year. A diagram marking the various points of the power plant where accidents occurred in the wake of the 2011 tsunami. TEPCO says other locations at the plant have readings of 70–230 millisieverts per hour. Waste water totalling more than 300,000 tons has already been collected at the site; more is being stored at a rate of 400 tons per day. An unknown quantity of radioactive groundwater is flowing into the sea. Prosecutors brought criminal charges against TEPCO and government officials including then-Prime Minister  for their handling of the crisis formed after the tsunami. Daily newspaper today claimed all charges, brought after local residents complained, were to be dropped. Sankei Shimbun suggests a formal announcement may come within days.
Radiation at Japan's damaged Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant yesterday spiked to lethal levels around a leaking tank. Today the national Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) said contaminated water may be pumped into the sea. Tanks holding contaminated water at the site continue to leak; operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) says up to 300 may have leaked from one tank alone. Radiation at that tank soared to 1,800 per hour yesterday, a rate lethal to an exposed human in about four hours. Japanese law says nuclear workers cannot be exposed to more than 50 millisieverts in a year. A diagram marking the various points of the power plant where accidents occurred in the wake of the 2011 tsunami. TEPCO says other locations at the plant have readings of 70–230 millisieverts per hour. Waste water totalling more than 300,000 tons has already been collected at the site; more is being stored at a rate of 400 tons per day. An unknown quantity of radioactive groundwater is flowing into the sea. Prosecutors brought criminal charges against TEPCO and government officials including then-Prime Minister Naoto Kan for their handling of the crisis formed after the tsunami. Daily newspaper today claimed all charges, brought after local residents complained, were to be dropped. Sankei Shimbun suggests a formal announcement may come within days.
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Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant
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Nuclear Regulation Authority
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Tokyo Electric Power Company
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s
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Naoto Kan