Japan: Officials estimate that 300 tons of contaminated water is leaking into the ocean each day from Fukushima; Strontium-90 new finding in affected

[Emily]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/07/us-japan-fukushima-pm-idUSBRE97601K20130807

Japan government to take bigger role in Fukushima clean-up


By Osamu Tsukimori and Antoni Slodkowski

TOKYO | Wed Aug 7, 2013 3:05am EDT

(Reuters) - The Japanese government will get directly involved in containing rising levels of radioactive water at the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant instead of relying solely on the operator, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Wednesday, calling it an "urgent issue".

Almost 2-1/2 years after an earthquake and tsunami caused reactor meltdowns at Tokyo Electric Power Co's Fukushima Daiichi station, the toxic water that has plagued the clean-up from the start now threatens to flood out of the plant's confines Into the Pacific Ocean.

The Fukushima disaster is the world's worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl, and the delays in getting to grips with the clean-up have caused global concern...

 

[Emily]

Re: Japan: Prime Minister Shinzo Abe calls rising levels of radioactive water at Fukushima an "urgent issue" - government will take bigger role in containment

Re: Japan: Prime Minister Shinzo Abe calls rising levels of radioactive water at Fukushima an "urgent issue" - government will take bigger role in containment

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201308070093

Fukushima plant leaks 300 tons of contaminated water daily


August 07, 2013

REUTERS

A Japanese government official said an estimated 300 tons of contaminated water is leaking into the ocean each day from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged on Aug. 7 to step up government efforts to stem radioactive water leakage.

Abe ordered the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry to urgently deal with the water situation and ensure the plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co, takes appropriate action to deal with the cleanup, which is expected to take more than 40 years and cost $11 billion...

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/a-fukushima-fishermans-tale-radioactive-water-from-the-daiichi-plant-is-flowing-into-the-ocean-at-a-rate-of-300-tons-a-day-8750780.html

A Fukushima fisherman?s tale: Radioactive water from the Daiichi plant is flowing into the ocean at a rate of 300 tons a day


David McNeill Author Biography

Soma, eastern Japan

Wednesday 07 August 2013
[snip]
That news is a disaster to fishermen like Mr Ichida. Every Thursday he and his colleagues learn the latest radioactive readings from the sea. ?Until recently, we only detected caesium, but now we detect strontium, which has a much longer life-span,? he says...