Four tonnes of radioactive water spilled in Fukushima. PHOTO: AFP
TOKYO: The operator of the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant said Tuesday workers had spilled four tonnes of radioactive water, likely contaminating the soil and possibly groundwater.
Workers were pumping rain water that was trapped in a concrete gutter into an empty 12-tonne tank that sat on open soil, said a spokesman for Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO).
"Work crew started operating the pump around 10:38 am. At 11:50 am, they found water was spilling from the manhole on top of the tank," the spokesman said.
TEPCO has estimated roughly four tonnes of collected rain water might have escaped. The extent of contamination was unclear, the spokesman added, although it was not thought to be highly polluted.
"The water itself was rain water. But it was from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant and could contain radioactive materials," he said, adding: "The water seeped into the ground".
TEPCO has long struggled to control waste water at the plant.
The company poured thousands of tonnes of water onto runaway reactors to keep them cool, and continues to douse them.
TEPCO has so far disclosed no clear plan for disposing of the huge amounts of stored polluted water, which is stored at hundreds of tanks at the plant.
Some tanks have leaked highly radioactive waste water, which might have washed to sea.
COMMENTS (6)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
Since the accident the international community has mobilized to assess and apply lessons learned. It has discussed the issue at numerous forums and taken concrete steps, including the adoption by the IAEA of an action plan to strengthen nuclear safety. The action plan includes agreement for a “stress test” of nuclear power plants in all countries with active nuclear programmes, the strengthening of the IAEA peer review system on operational safety, and a review of relevant safety standards and conventions.
The effect on the environment is very much, sea life and fish can be contaminated by radiation, which could concentrate as it moves up the food chain. In a society like Japan, where fish is a larger part of the diet, this could lead to serious health concerns.
No doubt Indian gluttony for nuclear plants is becoming the concern to the whole world and major countries before nuclear proliferation and involving India in any nuclear export program, should realize that nuclear disaster can be a threat to the public in India.
A huge disaster for marine life, there are similar more threats awaiting but in different regions including kudankulam power plant which is the biggest threat due to its seismological sensitivity. A tsunami like accident can have fukoshima like destruction due to kudankulam project. Hence we all need to take pre-emptive measures against such disasters.
Even than India is more and more inclined to be nuclear as much as it can. India is blindly indulging itself with nuclear deals all over. Just surpassing the opinions and wills of its nationals and change laws in order to have more nuclear expeditions. No body knows sooner or bit later, same can be happened in India also. India is blindly developing power plants all over the country without concerning the necessary safety and security measures. Indian people would suffer not the government which is signing nuclear deals rapidly.