300 tons of nuclear water leaks to sea daily
Japan’s industry ministry estimates that about 300 tons of radioactive water leaks from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea daily. The ministry says some 1,000 tons of groundwater flows from a mountainside into the plant premises every day. Of the volume, 300 tons is contaminated with radioactive substances when it flows through an area near wells before leaking into the sea. High levels of radioactive materials have been detected in the wells. Some 400 of the remaining 700 tons flows into the basements of the plant’s No.1 to No.4 reactor buildings. 300 tons of untainted water flows into the sea. The plant’s operator Tokyo Electric Power Company has been solidifying an embankment of ground at the plant to prevent contaminated water leakage into the sea. Source
That was the news coming out of Japan yesterday. Today we learn “TEPCO to pump out contaminated groundwater” –
The operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant says it will start pumping out contaminated groundwater in an attempt to stop it from leaking into the ocean.
Tokyo Electric Power Company says it will begin work on Friday.
The company has been solidifying an embankment to prevent groundwater from leaking into the ocean.
But there are concerns that the level of tainted groundwater has already overflowed the embankment.The company says it will bore a small-scale well near the embankment and then pump out contaminated water in an effort to lower the water level.
The utility says it will then sink nearly 30 pipes measuring 5 meters long into the ground along the embankment and pump out groundwater from them as well starting next week.
It hopes to drain 100 tons of water per day.Industry ministry officials said on Wednesday that 300 tons of tainted water is estimated to be leaking into the ocean daily.
TEPCO says it still does not know the exact amount of water that is leaking.The utility has also failed so far to identify the cause of a recent surge in the radiation levels of groundwater in a well in the plant. The well was newly built near an underground tunnel where highly radioactive water had collected.
A government panel will meet on Thursday to discuss how best to deal with the contaminated groundwater.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.