Japan quake-hit nuclear plant "may still be leaking radiation" into sea

[Bosonic]

Source: Reuters

TOKYO Oct 26 (Reuters) - The operator of Japan's quake-struck Fukushima nuclear power plant said on Friday it could not rule out the possibility that it may still be leaking radiation into the sea.

A massive earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 triggered fuelrod meltdowns at the plant, causing radiation leakage, contamination of food and water and mass evacuations, although the government declared in December that the disaster was under control.

The comment by Tokyo Electric Power Co follows a U.S. academic journal Science article that said high radiation levels in bottom-dwelling fish caught off Fukushima prefecture indicate continued radiation leaking from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Asked if Tokyo Electric, also known as Tepco, could confirm that the plant is not leaking radiation into the sea any more, a spokeswoman said: "Tepco cannot say such a thing, but we have confirmed that radiation levels are declining in both the sea water and seabed soil around the plant."

Read more: http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL3E8LQ4HC20121026

[PoliticAverse]

1. Of course it is. n/t

[marions ghost]

2. It hasn't been contained so...

[silvershadow]

3. Translation: We still haven't stopped it yet. n/t

[Anthony McCarthy]

4. While Fukushima was melting down

While Fukushima was melting down I had a series of blog rumbles with several nuke fans on Eschaton. The one who was the most febrile of "science" defenders, pooh-poohing the dangers of a nuclear discharge from them -using a, undoubtedly infallible, xkcd cartoon as his proof - announced he'd been diagnosed with thyroid cancer a few weeks later. I don't know if he's still around but I barely managed to restrain myself from point out the intense irony of the situation. I'm sorry he had cancer but can't help remarking on the coincidence that it is exactly the kind of cancer many could be expected to get from a nuclear discharge weeks after he denied that well known possibility. I have to admit that I'm too busy feeling bad about the people and animals who don't promote nuclear pollution who are in danger to have much sympathy left over for those who do.

That the law doesn't prosecute and fully punish nuclear polluters is a crime in itself.

[Tx4obama]

5. Kick! n/t

[bananas]

6. k&r - I didn't see this and posted a dupe thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014281088

[bananas]

7. Octafish linked to a longer WSJ article in the other thread

so it's good to know that WSJ readers are seeing this.
http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2012/10/26/fukushima-watch-the-riddle-of-the-radioactive-fish/

[argiel1234]

8. what a clusterfuck

n/t