New radiation hotspots found at Fukushima nuclear plant
North Asia correspondent Mark Willacy, wires
Updated 3 hours 17 minutes ago
The operator of Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear plant says it has found new radiation hotspots, one with levels so high it could kill a person within a few hours.
TEPCO has long struggled to deal with the growing volume of contaminated water it has used to cool reactors that went into meltdown after being struck by an earthquake and tsunami in 2011.
The company says workers have discovered high levels of radioactivity on three tanks and one pipe at the Fukushima plant.
It says one reading was 1,800 millisieverts per hour - a level that can kill a person in four hours.
Although no change in water level was detected in the tanks, TEPCO does believe that new leaks could be possible.
Last week, the company admitted that 300 tonnes of highly radioactive water had seeped out of one of the tanks and could have leaked into the sea.
In response to growing domestic and international criticism over TEPCO's handling of the crisis, Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe has promised the world his government would play a greater role in stopping leaks of highly radioactive water.
Mr Abe's pledge came as the world's nuclear watchdog urged Japan to explain more clearly what is happening at Fukushima and avoid sending "confusing messages" about the disaster.
ABC/AFP
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-01/an-new-radiation-hotspots-found-at-fukushima/4927684
- Forums
- General
- boiling waters adjacent to fukushima reactors
New radiation hotspots found at Fukushima nuclear plantNorth...
-
- There are more pages in this discussion • 1 more message in this thread...
You’re viewing a single post only. To view the entire thread just sign in or Join Now (FREE)