Post date: Apr 02, 2011 9:35:45 AM
The operator of Japan's stricken nuclear plant says it has found radioactive water leaking into the sea from a cracked concrete pit at its No. 2 reactor in Fukushima.
TOMIOKA, FUKUSHIMA PREFECTURE, JAPAN (APRIL 1, 2011) NHK - The operator of Japan's quake-stricken nuclear plant said on Saturday (April 2) it had found radioactive water leaking into the sea from a cracked concrete pit at its No. 2 reactor in Fukushima.
Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) officials said it was possible that the crack may be the source of recent radiation contamination in the sea off the northeast coast."As for the amount of water, in the first report that we have had, we have only confirmed that there is a leak and but there is no concrete, in fact there is no information on the amount of water at this point and we will get back to you on this later," said an unidentified TEPCO official.
The radiation in the pit measured 1,000 millisieverts per hour. It was not clear whether the water had come from the reactor itself nor how much has been leaking from the pit into the sea.
Another unidentified TEPCO official said the company was planning to pour concrete into the pit to seal the crack.
"In this part and around this area, if we pour concrete into the area then we can prevent the water from going in that direction and that will stop the water. So we are going to do this as an emergency measure, this is what we are trying to do," he said.
The news of the leak comes as the embattled company is trying to contain the worst nuclear disaster in 25 years. Workers and engineers have been battling to stabilize the plant which was damaged in a massive earthquake and tsunami that hit northeastern Japan on March 11.
In order to remove some of the excess radioactive water, TEPCO was also planning to use a pontoon-type structure which can hold a maximum of 18,000 tonnes of water, local media reported on Friday (April 1).
The huge steel floating structure, called a "mega-float", measuring 136 metres (450 feet) long, 46 metres wide and three metres high can hold up 10,000 tonnes of water without sinking.
A TEPCO spokesman was quoted saying that the mega-float was one of the options to contain radioactive water from the plant, besides barges, tanks and storage buildings.
A mega-float used to as a floating park for anglers in the coastal city of Shimizu, Shizuoka prefecture southwest of Tokyo, is set to be dispatched to Fukushima.