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Japan: Six Fukushima workers tested after exposure radioactive water
Posted by Guardian: Justin McCurry on October 9th, 2013
Guardian: Six workers at the Fukushima nuclear power plant have been exposed to radiation in the latest water leak in a week.
The plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco), said several tonnes of radioactive water had spilled from a treatment facility after one of the workers mistakenly removed a pipe.
The workers, who were wearing protective clothing and masks, came into contact with the water and were being checked for any external and internal contamination, a Tepco spokesman said.
The accident...
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Future of Japan depends on stopping Fukushima leaks, PM tells workers
Posted by Guardian: Justin McCurry on September 19th, 2013
Guardian: Japan's prime minister, Shinzo Abe, has told workers at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant that "the future of Japan" depends on their ongoing struggle to contain leaks of highly radioactive water at the site.
Abe's brief visit to the stricken plant on Thursday – his second since he became prime minister last December – comes weeks after he reassured the world that the situation at the facility was under control, amid reports that large quantities of contaminated water were seeping into...
South Korea bans fish imports from Japan’s Fukushima region
Posted by Guardian: Justin McCurry on September 6th, 2013
Guardian: South Korea has banned all fish imports from a large area of Japan in response to growing concern over the possible environmental impact of recent leaks of highly toxic water at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
In Japan, the row over the plant operator's handling of the leaks deepened on Friday when the head of the country's nuclear watchdog issued a stern rebuke to Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) for causing unnecessary alarm overseas by releasing "scientifically unacceptable" information...
Fukushima radiation levels 18 times higher than previously thought
Posted by Guardian: Justin McCurry on September 1st, 2013
Guardian: Radiation levels 18 times higher than previously reported have been found near a water storage tank at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, prompting fresh concern over safety at the wrecked facility.
The plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco), said radiation near the bottom of the tank measured 1,800 millisieverts an hour – high enough to kill an exposed person in four hours.
Tepco said water levels inside the tank had not changed, indicating there had not been a leak. But the...
Japan: Fukushima operator reveals leak of 300 tonnes of highly contaminated water
Posted by Guardian: Justin McCurry on August 20th, 2013
Guardian: Frantic efforts to contain radioactive leaks at the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant have been dealt another blow after its operator said about 300 tonnes of highly contaminated water had seeped out of a storage tank at the site.
The leak is the worst such incident since the March 2011 meltdown and is separate from the contaminated water leaks, also of about 300 tonnes a day, reported recently.
Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco) said it did not know how the water leaked out or where...
Japan: Fukushima rainfall caused steam above reactor, says Tepco
Posted by Guardian: Justin McCurry on July 18th, 2013
Guardian: The operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant said on Thursday that radiation levels were stable after vapour was detected coming from one of the three reactors that went into meltdown after the triple disaster in Japan in March 2011.
Video images showed the vapour, which is thought to be steam, rising from the damaged building housing reactor No 3.
Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco), reeling from recent criticism of its handling of contaminated water at the plant, said the reactor's...
Fukushima reactor readings raise reheating concern
Posted by Guardian: Justin McCurry on February 12th, 2012
Guardian: Concern is growing that the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan is no longer stable after temperature readings suggested one of its damaged reactors was reheating.
The plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco), said the temperature inside No 2 reactor – one of three that suffered meltdown after last year's earthquake and tsunami – may have reached 82C on Sunday.
Tepco said there was no evidence that the melted fuel inside had reached criticality. The utility reportedly increased...
Japan PM tells Fukushima nuclear plant workers to hold firm
Posted by Guardian: Justin McCurry on April 2nd, 2011
Guardian: Japan's prime minister, Naoto Kan, has told workers at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to hold firm in the belief that disaster can be averted, as highly radioactive water continued to seep into the sea.
Nuclear officials' discovery of a crack in a concrete pit at the number two core could offer an explanation for the flow of contaminated water that has jeopardised the operation to calm the reactors and raised fears about radiation finding its way into the sea and soil near the facility....
Japan begins water drop on stricken reactor
Posted by Guardian: Justin McCurry on March 17th, 2011
Guardian: Attempts to cool down a stricken reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan have suffered an early setback after seawater dumped from the air failed to bring down radiation levels.
Radiation readings taken 20 minutes after self-defence force helicopters doused the plant's No 3 reactor on Thursday remained unchanged, Tokyo Electric Power [Tepco] said, according to Kyodo news agcncy.
The use of Japanese military helicopters to drop seawater onto the plant's reactor marked the opening...