Radiation level spikes in seawater at nuclear plant

Radiation levels have soared in seawaters near Japan's crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Engineers are still struggling to stabilize the power station two weeks after the country was hit by a massive earthquake and tsunami.

Tests on Friday showed iodine 131 levels in seawater 30 kilometers from the coastal nuclear complex had spiked 1,250 times higher than normal.

Officials said monitoring of seawater contamination would have to be strengthened and expanded.

Yukio Edano, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary, said, "There is no doubt that we need to strengthen and expand the area to monitor seawater contamination. But, we have not received a report saying there was an observable impact on marine life in the area outside the 20 kilometer exclusion zone."

The Japanese government also urged Tokyo Electric Power Co. to be more transparent after three workers sustained burns at reactor No. 3.

March 26: In this photo released by Tokyo Electric Power Co. via
Kyodo News, lighting becomes available in the control room of Unit
2 reactor at the stricken Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant
in Okumamachi, Fukushima prefecture, Japan.(AP/TEPCO)

Yukio Edano said, "Unless all the information is reported to authorities accurately and promptly, the government cannot give appropriate instructions and distrust among the workers and the public will increase. So, we asked Tokyo Electric Power Co. to provide information consistently to the public and to the government."

Two of the plant's reactors have now been declared safe but the other four are volatile, oc! casional ly emitting steam and smoke.

However, the country's nuclear safety agency said on Saturday that temperatures and pressure in all reactors had stabilized.

Engineers have been trying to pump radioactive water out of the power plant, after it was found in buildings, housing three of the six reactors.

Editor:Du Xiaodan |Source: CNTV.CN


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