Japan: Radiation still high, evacuation zone extended - Xinhua

(Beijing, April 23 Xinhuanet)-more people live in the vicinity of damaged nuclear plant, Fukushima's must next month to evacuate their homes. The decision comes after experts warned that over a large area of the levels of emissions would remain dangerous high.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano confirmed that five cities outside of the existing 20 km exclusion zone in the zone evacuation due to the radiation risks involved.

Yukio Edano, Japanese Cabinet Chief Secretary, said "There is a chance that the accumulation of radiation exposure in the area over a year is exceeded 20 millisieverts." "Therefore we have called zone the area fixed evacuation"

The announcement is a day after the Government explained the exclusion zone 20 kilometres a no go area.

Before the order went into effect, residents drove to again deserted hometown in their what I have and well access they could.

People, that the zone type now face fines of up to 12 - hundred dollars, or possible imprisonment for up to 30 days.

Tokyo electric power company President, Masataka Shimizu, visited now an evacuation Center for the first time since the disaster struck.

Few evacuated in the middle of her voice, which him most raised, but did not shy away, him a piece of their mind.

Masataka Shimizu, President, tOKYO electric power company, said, "I am very aware, today, that the relationship and the trust we build with native has completely collapsed." "It is therefore very important, even if it takes a long time now rebuild find ways to get this confidence."

TEPCO is ignoring warnings about the risk one Quake and tsunami striking the plant, and respond poorly to last month's disaster been accused.

The company delivered to stabilize a six to nine - month time frame for the four worst-affected reactors.

(Source: CNTV.CN)

Special report: Massive Quake Shakes Japan

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Risk of radiation leaks from Japan's N plant receding - Indian Express

Grappling with its worst atomic crisis triggered by last month's mega-Quake and tsunami, Japanese authorities have said the imminent threat of the blasts or large radiation leaks at the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant zurГ?ckgetreten has.

The Government cannot say that the situation at the nuclear power plant was Fukushima Daiichi has stabilised completely, Goshi Hosono, Prime Minister Naoto Kan Special Adviser responsible for the handling of the accident, said ' the Wall Street Journal'.

However, Japan is policy evacuate comfortable even after studying the different possibilities of deterioration in the work, he said, adding direct danger of explosions or large radiation leaks at the site has retired.

"There is no way to Tokyo or Kyoto come in harm's way," Hosono said the journal, six weeks after the disaster of twin nearly 30,000 people dead or missing.

He said that install cooling functions outside the radiation facility is a component of Japan's efforts to stabilize the situation.

?Our goal is very clear: prevents further spread of radiation in the atmosphere and the ocean, ? Hosono, a legislator with the Democratic Party of Japan, decision was quoted as saying.

The Japanese Government plans, Fukushima send a progress report on the result of his investigations in the Prefecture disaster at an IAEA ministerial meeting in June, he said.

Japanese officials and lawmakers begin to investigate potential causes and the handling of the accident, said Hosono. The investigation is performed by a specific independent Committee consisting of experts with subpoena power,

set up outside Parliament.

... Continuation

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Robots TEPCO found high levels of radiation in the reactor buildings

April 19, 2011, 1: 40 pm EDT by Yuji Okada, Michio Nakayama and Tsuyoshi Inajima

(Adds comments in the fourth paragraph).

April 19 (Bloomberg) - Robots sent in three buildings at the nuclear Fukushima Dai-Ichi crippled detected Japan radiation too toxic for humans after the plant operator with a plan to end the crisis in the six to nine months.Measurements show an hour in the building of the reactor No. 3 would expose humans to more than one-fifth of the radiation that the Japan has said is that most workers can withstand a year, the Atomic security agency said yesterday. The buildings were damaged by explosions in the days after a magnitude-9 quake and tsunami March 11 assommé air conditioners, triggering the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl 1986.A radiation in Fukushima Dai-Ichi station sustained decline can be achieved in the three moisTokyo Electric Power Co. said in a statement establishing his plans. After a judgment of the cold, where basic reactor temperatures drop below 100 degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit), can be reached in six months, he said. "TEPCO should be faster than its described on two particular areas: circulate radioactive water in pressure vessels and covering the reactor buildings to avoid releases of radiation,"Tadashi Narabayashi, Professor of nuclear engineering at the University of Hokkaido said today.Over the next three months, Tepco, as the utility is known, plans to fill the vessels of containment of the reactor No. 1 and no. 3 units with water, the company said in its statement on April 17. The utility seal the vessel of the No. 2 reactor, which is probably damaged, before flooding it.Leak at sea "If flood us the ship damaged, contaminated water leakage increases", Tepco Vice President Sakae Muto told journalists in Tokyo on April 17. "We will continue to inject water with care and monitor the volume of water filtered.".Water pumped far overflowed in basements and the trenches, with some of them leaking into the ocean.TEPCO said earlier that it will begin draining the highly radioactive water in a trench near the No. 2 reactor today, Junichi Matsumoto, an official at Tokyo Electric, said to journalists. The power utility plans to move from 10 000 tonnes of contaminated water, a waste treatment unit and expects to finalize the transfer, Matsumoto said.Robots, RadiationTwo iRobot Corp. robots sent April 17 to check if humans can enter again the site found as high as 49 millisieverts per hour of radiation levels in the building of the No. 1 engine and up to 57 millisieverts in building No. 3said the nuclear and industrial safety agency.The cumulative maximum level of nuclear workers was raised 250 100 millisieverts millisieverts by the Ministry of health of the Japan on March 15. Exhibition totalling more than 100 millisieverts a year is the level below which any increase in cancer is obvious, according to the world nuclear Association in robot London.Another was sent in the reactor No. 2 building yesterday and recorded levels of 4.1 millisieverts per hourspokesman Tetsuya Terasawa told journalists today.TEPCO shares fell 8.4% 428 yen in Tokyo today and Exchange to 449 yen at 1: 46 pm. The stock is down by almost 80 percent since the earthquake and tsunami, which left people approximately 28,000 dead or missing.Pellets of fuel in no. 1, 2 and 3 reactors can melt at the plant, the nuclear safety agency, said today, in the first official confirmation of damage to the nuclei.Nitrogen injection "Believed that pellets of fuel in the reactors have melted", the Agency said in a report. "The extent of melting cannot be confirmed until the fuel rods have been removed."TEPCO provides inject nitrogen into the vessels of containment of the No. 2 and no. 3 reactor late April, said Muto. The injected utility inert gas in no. 1 unit this month to prevent explosions hydrogen. "Injection of nitrogen is not evil, but has no meaning, it has just one like that you do something,"said Michael Friedlander, a former nuclear engineer U.S. based in Hong Kong. "It's a question of resources and the population;" These people could be better used. "Three to six months after the initial phase of its plan, Tepco will attempt a closure cold reactors No. 1, 2 and 3, the company said. 4, 5 And 6 reactors were closed at the time of the disaster.The utility will also cover the No. 1, 3 and reactor buildings 4 as a temporary measure to reduce emissions of radiation after structures were damaged by hydrogen explosions last month, according to the Declaration. "TEPCO should cover buildings as soon as possible, at least before the typhoon season of Japan, because the rain and wind can cause leakage of radioactive water in spent fuel pools,"stated Narabayashi at the University of Hokkaido."

-With the help of Kyung Bok Cho and Taku Kato in Tokyo. Editors: Aaron Sheldrick, Amit Prakash

To contact the reporters on this story: Yuji Okada at Tokyo to the yokada6@bloomberg.net; Michio Nakayama in Tokyo at the mnakayama4@bloomberg.net. Tsuyoshi Inajima in Tokyo at the tinajima@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Amit Prakash to aprakash1@bloomberg.net

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Japanese workers defied radiation for a temp work

Fukushima Daiichi plant, above, describe Tokyo electric power, ReutersCurrent and former workers located in dangerous conditions and lax security practices.

Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station KAZO, Japan - ground started, buck and could remain Masayuki Ishizawa hardly on his feet. Helmet in hand, he ran from a worker standby space outside of the plant No. 3 reactor, near where he and a group of workers repair work had done. He saw swaying like weeds a chimney and a crane. All screaming in panic was, he recalled.

Workers a portable power generator at the nuclear power plant in Fukushima Daiichi refuelled last month.

Mr Ishizawa, 55, was central gate of the plant. But a security guard let him not from the complex. One had long established line of cars at the gate, and some drivers were blaring their horns. "Show me your IDs," Mr Ishizawa reminds that say guard, insisting that he follow the correct logoff page procedure. And where the guard demanded that his superiors were?

"What do you say?" Mr Ishizawa said he called in the guard. He looked over his shoulder and looked at sea, a dark shadow on the horizon, he said. He shouted back: "You know coming no tsunami is?"

Mr Ishizawa, which could finally leave is no nuclear specialist; He is not even an employee of Tokyo electric power company, the operator of the crippled plant. He is one of thousands of untrained, outpatient, temporary workers, which here and in other countries, lured by higher wages offered handle most of the dangerous work in nuclear power plants for the work with radiation. Together these contractors were exposed to radiation about 16 times as high as the levels facing, Tokyo Electric employees last year, according to Japan's nuclear and industrial Agency, which regulates the industry. These workers remain important efforts to the nuclear crisis in Fukushima Prefecture, include nuclear power plants.

They are highly paid employees at top companies and a subclass of workers who work for less pay class symptomatic stage for Japan's work force, with an elite, have less job security and fewer benefits to receive. Such practices have both critics charge the health of these workers at risk and undermine safety at the Japan 55 nuclear reactors.

"This is the hidden world of nuclear power," said Yuko Fujita, a former physics professor at Keio University in Tokyo and a longtime campaigner for improved working conditions in the nuclear industry. "Where there are dangerous conditions, these workers are told to go to." "It is dangerous for them, and it is dangerous for nuclear safety."

Of approximately 83,000 workers at Japan's 18 commercial nuclear power plants were 88 percent of contract workers in the year, which ended in March 2010, the nuclear agency said. In this work of Fukushima Daiichi, 89 percent of 10,303 workers were contractor during this period. Are the elite in Japan's nuclear industry operators such as Tokyo Electric and the producers who create and maintain the plants such as Toshiba and Hitachi. But among these companies are contractors, subcontractors, and sub-subcontractors - with wages, benefits and protection from radiation schwindender with each step down the ladder.

Interviews with over a half dozen past and current employees for Fukushima Daiichi and other plants to paint a gloomy picture of workers on the nuclear cycle: fight against heat as radiation from the reactors Drywells and spent fuel pools with mops and rags remove, the way for inspectors, technicians, and Tokyo Electric staff to clear and work in the cold to fill drums with contaminated waste.

Some workers are employed by construction sites, and some are farmers looking for extra income. Others are by local gangster, depending on the number of workers employed, not to their name type.

To avoid languages by the constant fear of eviction, hiding of injuries to difficulties for their employer, trying bandages cuts and bruises with skin colored glue to cover up.

In the most dangerous places current and former employees said, radiation, it would be turning the order the levels so high that workers would take turns only to open approach to a valve, for a few seconds, before a supervisor with a stop-watch ordered, to be passed to the next person. Similar work would be required in the Fukushima Daiichi plant now, where the three reactors in operation at the time of the earthquake automatically shut down say workers.

"Their first priority is Pan-Ku to avoid", said a current workers in the Prefecture of Fukushima Daini Pierce plant, with a Japanese expression based on the English word. Workers use the term, their dosimeter, explain, radiation exposure, reached the daily cumulative limit of 50 millisieverts measures. "If you have reached the limit, there is no longer work," the workers, said his name out of fear of dismissal by his employer not to give.

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Radiation from nuclear plant millions times over limit

Workers try to stop the spread of radiation on the damaged nuclear power plant in Fukushima Daiichi.The levels of emissions hot offshore deleted, but are often had the legal LimitWater in a pit, 7.5 million times on the standard radiation is a fish in the sea leaking is radiation and radiation in the seafood are now recognized RegulatedAn are official is "sorry", to be flip 11,500 tons of radioactive water into the sea

Tokyo (CNN) --japanische utility and Government authorities suffered fresh setbacks Tuesday detecting radiation in fish and news, that water gushing from the nuclear power plant Fukushima Daiichi in the Pacific radiation had more than a million times on the border and regulatory levels.

Readings of samples Saturday in the concrete pit outside the building the plant No.2 turbine reactor-one of six at the site of crisis geplagten-- radiation said 7.5 million times the legal limits, an official with the Tokyo electric power company, which runs the plant. Newer findings, showed 5 million times from Tuesday afternoon, a considerable decrease in the standard.

The company said also Tuesday that reduces the levels of emissions strongly could have a few dozen metres from the leak, with their assessment that the spill is a minimal effect on Sealife. But even in these spots, the levels of emissions, several hundred - thousand times the permitted remained.

Pointed out the problem, that getting a handle on how to minimize the radiation in the Pacific Ocean is the new, primary Battlefront in the week long crisis at the nuclear plant.

At about the same time as the said message Tokyo Electric Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano the presence of radioactive iodine "in a pattern of fresh fish" authorities, to regulate the radiation on seafood for the first time invited.

While fishing within 20 kilometres (12 miles) from Fukushima Daiichi was banned, it had no restrictions on seafood, was for some vegetables and milk from specific locales. Now, apply the same radiation standards, for vegetables apply ocean products as well.

"The" provisional swallowed limit, synonymous with vegetables and applied to fish and shellfish, will take effect immediately, "said the Minister."

Tuesday, Edano excused earlier for the decision, deliberately dump 11,500 tons of radioactive water in the sea-all part of the effort to the river of the more toxic liquid discovered before noise from outside the unit No. 2 days put an end to areas.

The process of the designation of contaminated water in the plant water treatment facility and some of its nuclear reactors began Monday and five days, a Tokyo Electric of official said.

"The water contains high levels of radiation," said Edano of the liquid dumped in the Pacific Ocean. "We are sorry for this decision, which we have to make."

The most contaminated batches of this water comes from outside of the reactor No. 6, said probably got via groundwater (and no breach in the device itself) officials. It has a concentration of iodine-131, which was 100 times more than the maximum number of tap water, drink the babies, and 10 times more than what would be OK in food.

As a whole is the dump is equivalent to about 3 million gallons, Gary was, nuclear engineering professor at the University of Michigan.

But Hidehiko Nishiyama, an official with Japan's nuclear and industrial Agency, said: "we have decided that unloaded the contaminated water into the sea poses no threat to the great health."

Experts say this is given a fair assessment, the probability that the contamination quickly diluted should, above all, when the tainted material mainly loses iodine-131, half of his radiation every eight days.

"To put this in perspective, keeps 300 trillion swimming pools full of water, and they go around the Pacific Ocean, full to about five swimming pools, share", said Timothy J?rgensen, Chairman of the Committee for radiation safety at the Georgetown University Medical Center. "So hopefully that quickly churning of the ocean and the streams that will dissipate so that it gets too much you dilute concentrations relatively quickly."

John till, President of South Carolina-based risk assessment Corp., said that he was not expected to see any permanent effects on marine life, even close to the plant. However, he added that officials radiation levels available - which reached oceans as should monitor as seafood, restaurants and markets.

A piece of good news, is reported to Japanese Government, that airborne radiation seems ever will fall to North-Eastern Japan. Quantities of radioactive iodine-131 two measures 15 km or less from the plant showed in between 2 and 3, 7 times of legal standards, with a much longer lasting caesium isotopic below the official limit.

Utility and Government officials have also described conditions in the Fukushima Prefecture Daiichi plant reactors and spent nuclear fuel pool as a generally stable. Exceptions only - such as the new must pump 3-meter-deep water in a drain outside the number increase 5 and 6 units out of fear that it could enter turbine building and short from power for the units close to nuclear fuel cooling systems. But not occurring in the same tempo, or with the same apparent heavy, how obvious weeks was such problems before.

However, the priority is that water stop, directly into the Pacific Ocean a broken concrete through shaft outside the reactor No. 2 was gushing has.

Edano said Monday that the decision, poisoned water from other reactors, and the waste water treatment facility No. 2 was dump "inevitable" to ensure "Safety" of the reactor core.

The idea is the tainted water from all around the No. 2 reactor turbine construction, reduction in so water no longer crashes into the sea off quickly to pumps, said an official of the Japanese nuclear safety. This comes after two failed the problematic anbrechen-- one of plug concrete walls, the other a chemical compound with sawdust and newspaper use mixed.

Reactors No. 1 and no. 3, which have lower levels of the water, must also be drained. Tokyo Electric's plan, that the water to other tanks, including some that are still set up to pump. Water in and around the No. 5 and 6 reactors is dropped directly into the sea, officials said.

A major problem could be that still do not know how got contaminated the bubbling water authorities, where it came from or how to fix potential holes and cracks deep in the reactor complex and nuclear fuel.

Michael Friedlander, a former senior U.S. nuclear engineer, said late Monday that authorities still, some problems related to excess, radioactive water - and the need to outrun - dump as long as they avoid large quantities in fuel to inject cores overheating in reactors and spent fuel pools.

"This is not a one-off thing," said Friedlander dumping radioactive water in the ocean. "This issue of water and water management will torture them until they can get (fully operational) long-term core cooling." CNN's Whitney Hurst, Matt Smith and Kyung LAH and journalist Hiroo SASO contributed to this report.

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Japan sets radiation safety limits for fish

The Japanese Government has imposed a legal limit for radioactive iodine in fish. Workers at the nuclear power plant in Fukushima pumps have radioactive water in the ocean. Movement has concerns about marine life in the country, according to where a major source of protein is seafood.

Japan on Tuesday imposed a permitted for radioactive iodine in fish, as the operator of the Fukushima nuclear plants toxic water for a second day in the Pacific Ocean pumped.

The Government also said it would look, cover expanding their tests, to a greater range of radioactive iodine into a small fish caught off Ibaraki Prefecture elevated levels, discovered south of the plant.

The move came as shares in Tokyo Electric Power Co. to a new low of 362 Yen stürzte-- their lowest ever level-in the midst of concerns that the operator of Japan's crippled nuclear power plant huge compensation bills will be exposed to.

The embattled company has lost more than 80 percent of its value since the March 11 Quake and tsunami reactor knocked cooling systems explosions and releasing radiation on the nuclear power plant in Fukushima, triggering.

On Monday, low-level radioactive water into the sea to much-needed safe storage for water began as toxic free crucial being repairs curb its operators.

The company has said it concerns the cause of marine life in the island nation, where seafood is an important source of protein to dump 11,500 tons or more than four Olympic pools worth, the radioactive liquid.

Some radioactive runoff increase the iodine-131 to more than 4,000 times the permitted is leaked in a measure already in the Pacific Ocean.

On Tuesday chief Government spokesman Yukio Edano announced 2,000 becquerels per kilogram for radioactive iodine in seafood legal maximum, the first time, which it has imposed such a restriction on fish.

"Because it has no set limit for radioactive iodine in fish, the Government decided, temporarily take the same limit for vegetables," he said at a press conference.

The move came more than twice as high for radioactive iodine that concentration in a variety of small fish, known surprised was detected as Konago or sand Lance, Ibaraki Prefecture, South of the plant.

Fishing of the species was local, held at media reports that, but no larger ban was issued.

Radioactive iodine about legal limits in the dairy products, vegetables, mushrooms, triggering sending detected prohibitions, but officials had said, seafood was less at risk, because dilute sea currents and tides of the dangerous isotopes.

Fishermen in the area expressed outrage over the decision to dump radioactive water in the ocean, saying they had not been consulted.

"We have been reported..." You can believe? ", said Yoshihiro Niizuma Fukushima fisheries cooperative." "Was we heard, radioactive substances into the sea leaking." "Now they dumping are contaminated water on purpose."

Seoul questioned the decision, pump radioactive water in the ocean, say that made close to the two neighbors of Japan's action "a pressing issue" for South Korea.

Fishing is prohibited within 20 kilometres (12 miles) of the affected plant, matching the radius of the evacuation zone in the country, where tens of thousands of residents from have been moved.

The Yomiuri Shimbun on the Tuesday reported TEPCO has decided to offer preliminary damage payments inhabitants and farmers in the vicinity of the plant before the official damage amounts later be estimated.

But the dumping of radioactive water into the sea has also post concerns the result of the fishing industry, and some analysts estimate that TEPCO was claims for damages of more than 10 trillion yen ($ 120 billion).

The company said last week it had secured a 2 trillion yen ($ 24 billion) in funding but warned that this would be not enough.

The larger economic impact of Japan's triple Calamity--the massive March 11 earthquake, huge tsunami and the nuclear crisis-probably said a survey of economists drive the country into recession in the coming months.

The disaster which has left more than 12,000 dead and missing of 15,000, has taken also exports, business confidence and consumer spending, the Nikkei said daily in the overview of the 11 large private economic institutions.

On Tuesday, would Tokyo two police, arrested for the sale of one drug use, which protect them alleged people leaking from the radiation from the plant.

The couple, a 50-year old health food retailer and his assistant, 29-year-old the unlicensed sale of medicine accused, a police spokesman said.

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Radiation from nuclear plant millions times over limit

Workers try to stop the spread of radiation on the damaged nuclear power plant in Fukushima Daiichi.The levels of emissions hot offshore deleted, but are often had the legal LimitWater in a pit, 7.5 million times on the standard radiation is a fish in the sea leaking is radiation and radiation in the seafood are now recognized RegulatedAn are official is "sorry", to be flip 11,500 tons of radioactive water into the sea

Tokyo (CNN) --japanische utility and Government authorities suffered fresh setbacks Tuesday detecting radiation in fish and news, that water gushing from the nuclear power plant Fukushima Daiichi in the Pacific radiation had more than a million times on the border and regulatory levels.

Readings of samples Saturday in the concrete pit outside the building the plant No.2 turbine reactor-one of six at the site of crisis geplagten-- radiation said 7.5 million times the legal limits, an official with the Tokyo electric power company, which runs the plant. Newer findings, showed 5 million times from Tuesday afternoon, a considerable decrease in the standard.

The company said also Tuesday that reduces the levels of emissions strongly could have a few dozen metres from the leak, with their assessment that the spill is a minimal effect on Sealife. But even in these spots, the levels of emissions, several hundred - thousand times the permitted remained.

Pointed out the problem, that getting a handle on how to minimize the radiation in the Pacific Ocean is the new, primary Battlefront in the week long crisis at the nuclear plant.

At about the same time as the said message Tokyo Electric Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano the presence of radioactive iodine "in a pattern of fresh fish" authorities, to regulate the radiation on seafood for the first time invited.

While fishing within 20 kilometres (12 miles) from Fukushima Daiichi was banned, it had no restrictions on seafood, was for some vegetables and milk from specific locales. Now, apply the same radiation standards, for vegetables apply ocean products as well.

"The" provisional swallowed limit, synonymous with vegetables and applied to fish and shellfish, will take effect immediately, "said the Minister."

Tuesday, Edano excused earlier for the decision, deliberately dump 11,500 tons of radioactive water in the sea-all part of the effort to the river of the more toxic liquid discovered before noise from outside the unit No. 2 days put an end to areas.

The process of the designation of contaminated water in the plant water treatment facility and some of its nuclear reactors began Monday and five days, a Tokyo Electric of official said.

"The water contains high levels of radiation," said Edano of the liquid dumped in the Pacific Ocean. "We are sorry for this decision, which we have to make."

The most contaminated batches of this water comes from outside of the reactor No. 6, said probably got via groundwater (and no breach in the device itself) officials. It has a concentration of iodine-131, which was 100 times more than the maximum number of tap water, drink the babies, and 10 times more than what would be OK in food.

As a whole is the dump is equivalent to about 3 million gallons, Gary was, nuclear engineering professor at the University of Michigan.

But Hidehiko Nishiyama, an official with Japan's nuclear and industrial Agency, said: "we have decided that unloaded the contaminated water into the sea poses no threat to the great health."

Experts say this is given a fair assessment, the probability that the contamination quickly diluted should, above all, when the tainted material mainly loses iodine-131, half of his radiation every eight days.

"To put this in perspective, keeps 300 trillion swimming pools full of water, and they go around the Pacific Ocean, full to about five swimming pools, share", said Timothy J?rgensen, Chairman of the Committee for radiation safety at the Georgetown University Medical Center. "So hopefully that quickly churning of the ocean and the streams that will dissipate so that it gets too much you dilute concentrations relatively quickly."

John till, President of South Carolina-based risk assessment Corp., said that he was not expected to see any permanent effects on marine life, even close to the plant. However, he added that officials radiation levels available - which reached oceans as should monitor as seafood, restaurants and markets.

A piece of good news, is reported to Japanese Government, that airborne radiation seems ever will fall to North-Eastern Japan. Quantities of radioactive iodine-131 two measures 15 km or less from the plant showed in between 2 and 3, 7 times of legal standards, with a much longer lasting caesium isotopic below the official limit.

Utility and Government officials have also described conditions in the Fukushima Prefecture Daiichi plant reactors and spent nuclear fuel pool as a generally stable. Exceptions only - such as the new must pump 3-meter-deep water in a drain outside the number increase 5 and 6 units out of fear that it could enter turbine building and short from power for the units close to nuclear fuel cooling systems. But not occurring in the same tempo, or with the same apparent heavy, how obvious weeks was such problems before.

However, the priority is that water stop, directly into the Pacific Ocean a broken concrete through shaft outside the reactor No. 2 was gushing has.

Edano said Monday that the decision, poisoned water from other reactors, and the waste water treatment facility No. 2 was dump "inevitable" to ensure "Safety" of the reactor core.

The idea is the tainted water from all around the No. 2 reactor turbine construction, reduction in so water no longer crashes into the sea off quickly to pumps, said an official of the Japanese nuclear safety. This comes after two failed the problematic anbrechen-- one of plug concrete walls, the other a chemical compound with sawdust and newspaper use mixed.

Reactors No. 1 and no. 3, which have lower levels of the water, must also be drained. Tokyo Electric's plan, that the water to other tanks, including some that are still set up to pump. Water in and around the No. 5 and 6 reactors is dropped directly into the sea, officials said.

A major problem could be that still do not know how got contaminated the bubbling water authorities, where it came from or how to fix potential holes and cracks deep in the reactor complex and nuclear fuel.

Michael Friedlander, a former senior U.S. nuclear engineer, said late Monday that authorities still, some problems related to excess, radioactive water - and the need to outrun - dump as long as they avoid large quantities in fuel to inject cores overheating in reactors and spent fuel pools.

"This is not a one-off thing," said Friedlander dumping radioactive water in the ocean. "This issue of water and water management will torture them until they can get (fully operational) long-term core cooling." CNN's Whitney Hurst, Matt Smith and Kyung LAH and journalist Hiroo SASO contributed to this report.

View the original article here

Radiation from nuclear plant millions times over limit

Workers try to stop the spread of radiation on the damaged nuclear power plant in Fukushima Daiichi.The levels of emissions hot offshore deleted, but are often had the legal LimitWater in a pit, 7.5 million times on the standard radiation is a fish in the sea leaking is radiation and radiation in the seafood are now recognized RegulatedAn are official is "sorry", to be flip 11,500 tons of radioactive water into the sea

Tokyo (CNN) --japanische utility and Government authorities suffered fresh setbacks Tuesday detecting radiation in fish and news, that water gushing from the nuclear power plant Fukushima Daiichi in the Pacific radiation had more than a million times on the border and regulatory levels.

Readings of samples Saturday in the concrete pit outside the building the plant No.2 turbine reactor-one of six at the site of crisis geplagten-- radiation said 7.5 million times the legal limits, an official with the Tokyo electric power company, which runs the plant. Newer findings, showed 5 million times from Tuesday afternoon, a considerable decrease in the standard.

The company said also Tuesday that reduces the levels of emissions strongly could have a few dozen metres from the leak, with their assessment that the spill is a minimal effect on Sealife. But even in these spots, the levels of emissions, several hundred - thousand times the permitted remained.

Pointed out the problem, that getting a handle on how to minimize the radiation in the Pacific Ocean is the new, primary Battlefront in the week long crisis at the nuclear plant.

At about the same time as the said message Tokyo Electric Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano the presence of radioactive iodine "in a pattern of fresh fish" authorities, to regulate the radiation on seafood for the first time invited.

While fishing within 20 kilometres (12 miles) from Fukushima Daiichi was banned, it had no restrictions on seafood, was for some vegetables and milk from specific locales. Now, apply the same radiation standards, for vegetables apply ocean products as well.

"The" provisional swallowed limit, synonymous with vegetables and applied to fish and shellfish, will take effect immediately, "said the Minister."

Tuesday, Edano excused earlier for the decision, deliberately dump 11,500 tons of radioactive water in the sea-all part of the effort to the river of the more toxic liquid discovered before noise from outside the unit No. 2 days put an end to areas.

The process of the designation of contaminated water in the plant water treatment facility and some of its nuclear reactors began Monday and five days, a Tokyo Electric of official said.

"The water contains high levels of radiation," said Edano of the liquid dumped in the Pacific Ocean. "We are sorry for this decision, which we have to make."

The most contaminated batches of this water comes from outside of the reactor No. 6, said probably got via groundwater (and no breach in the device itself) officials. It has a concentration of iodine-131, which was 100 times more than the maximum number of tap water, drink the babies, and 10 times more than what would be OK in food.

As a whole is the dump is equivalent to about 3 million gallons, Gary was, nuclear engineering professor at the University of Michigan.

But Hidehiko Nishiyama, an official with Japan's nuclear and industrial Agency, said: "we have decided that unloaded the contaminated water into the sea poses no threat to the great health."

Experts say this is given a fair assessment, the probability that the contamination quickly diluted should, above all, when the tainted material mainly loses iodine-131, half of his radiation every eight days.

"To put this in perspective, keeps 300 trillion swimming pools full of water, and they go around the Pacific Ocean, full to about five swimming pools, share", said Timothy J?rgensen, Chairman of the Committee for radiation safety at the Georgetown University Medical Center. "So hopefully that quickly churning of the ocean and the streams that will dissipate so that it gets too much you dilute concentrations relatively quickly."

John till, President of South Carolina-based risk assessment Corp., said that he was not expected to see any permanent effects on marine life, even close to the plant. However, he added that officials radiation levels available - which reached oceans as should monitor as seafood, restaurants and markets.

A piece of good news, is reported to Japanese Government, that airborne radiation seems ever will fall to North-Eastern Japan. Quantities of radioactive iodine-131 two measures 15 km or less from the plant showed in between 2 and 3, 7 times of legal standards, with a much longer lasting caesium isotopic below the official limit.

Utility and Government officials have also described conditions in the Fukushima Prefecture Daiichi plant reactors and spent nuclear fuel pool as a generally stable. Exceptions only - such as the new must pump 3-meter-deep water in a drain outside the number increase 5 and 6 units out of fear that it could enter turbine building and short from power for the units close to nuclear fuel cooling systems. But not occurring in the same tempo, or with the same apparent heavy, how obvious weeks was such problems before.

However, the priority is that water stop, directly into the Pacific Ocean a broken concrete through shaft outside the reactor No. 2 was gushing has.

Edano said Monday that the decision, poisoned water from other reactors, and the waste water treatment facility No. 2 was dump "inevitable" to ensure "Safety" of the reactor core.

The idea is the tainted water from all around the No. 2 reactor turbine construction, reduction in so water no longer crashes into the sea off quickly to pumps, said an official of the Japanese nuclear safety. This comes after two failed the problematic anbrechen-- one of plug concrete walls, the other a chemical compound with sawdust and newspaper use mixed.

Reactors No. 1 and no. 3, which have lower levels of the water, must also be drained. Tokyo Electric's plan, that the water to other tanks, including some that are still set up to pump. Water in and around the No. 5 and 6 reactors is dropped directly into the sea, officials said.

A major problem could be that still do not know how got contaminated the bubbling water authorities, where it came from or how to fix potential holes and cracks deep in the reactor complex and nuclear fuel.

Michael Friedlander, a former senior U.S. nuclear engineer, said late Monday that authorities still, some problems related to excess, radioactive water - and the need to outrun - dump as long as they avoid large quantities in fuel to inject cores overheating in reactors and spent fuel pools.

"This is not a one-off thing," said Friedlander dumping radioactive water in the ocean. "This issue of water and water management will torture them until they can get (fully operational) long-term core cooling." CNN's Whitney Hurst, Matt Smith and Kyung LAH and journalist Hiroo SASO contributed to this report.

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Japan's Ocean meets radiation 7.5 million times legal limit - Los Angeles Times

A broker leads earthquake and tsunami disaster between fish at the fish market of Hirakata, Osaka in Kita, Japan, trade, for the first time since the March 11. (Toru Yamanaka / AFP/Getty Images / Bongarts / April 5, 2011)The operator of Japan's Fukushima knit nuclear plant said Tuesday, that it radioactive iodine to 7.5 million times of the permitted in sea water sample in the vicinity of the plant had found, and Government officials imposed a new health limit for radioactivity in fish.

The reading of the iodine-131 was recorded Saturday, said Tokyo Electric Power Co.. Another example taken Monday found on 5 million times of the permitted. The Monday examples were also found contain radioactive caesium in 1.1 million times of the permitted.

The exact source of the radiation was not immediately clear, although Tepco has said that strongly contaminated water from a mine close to the No. 2 reactor were leaking has. The utility initially believed, that was the leak of a crack, but several attempts, the crack seal has failed.

On Tuesday, the company that leak could come instead from a faulty joint said the pit is a tube, so that radioactive water in a layer of gravel under penetrate. The utility said that this would fit "liquid glass" into gravel in an effort to stop more leakage.

In the meantime further Tepco share, what it than water with low radiation into the sea to make room in on-site storage tanks for more highly contaminated water. In all the company said it planned, but on Tuesday morning, it had 11,500 tons of water, less than 25% of that amount will appear.

Although the Government which authorized release of 11,500 tons and said that radiation would quickly diluted and dispersed into the ocean, fish with high readings of iodine are found.

On Monday officials recognized that more than 4,000 Bequerels iodine-131 / kg in a kind of fish called a sand eels caught less than three miles off the coast of the city Kitaibaraki, Ibaraki. The juveniles contained also 447 Bequerels of caesium-137, as problematic regarded as iodine-131, because it has a much longer half-life.

On Tuesday, chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said that the Government was establishing a standard of 2,000 Bequerels of iodine Atom per kilogram fish, allows the same level in vegetables. Previously, the Government had no specific level for fish. An another haul of the eels with 526 Bequerels of cesium was detected Tuesday, about the standard of 500 Bequerels per kilogram.

Fishing of sand removed lances. Local fishermen calls Tepco to stop the release of radioactive water into the sea and demanded that the company they compensate for their losses.

Fishing has in the close to been the plant banned, and the vast majority of fishing activities in the region has stopped tsunami and earthquake damage to boats and port on 11 March was. However, some fishermen are making catches, only to a few buyers due to concerns about the radiation to be found.

It is not clear, which could provide the Fischer Tepco, but has the company Tuesday saying that it "condolence payments" residents to local amounting to 180 million yen ($ 2 million) had to evacuate their homes due to the radiation of the Fukushima plant had offered. A city, refused payment.

The company has yet to decide as residents in the vicinity of the facility for damage, make up for it would, while financial analysts say, the claims could be in the tens of billions of dollars. TEPCO's executive Vice President said on hinges decision on damages Takashi Fujimoto of the company how much the Government are parts of the load.

Edano asked the company to speed up that his decisions on compensation.

For now the company has offered 20 million yen ($240,000) for each 10 villages, towns and cities within 12 miles of the plant give Fujimoto said.

"We hope that they will find it useful for now," he said.

Namie, a city of about 6 miles north of the plant, refused to take the money 20,600. city official Kosei Negishi said, that he and other government officials from a makeshift Office in nihonmatsu, Fukushima city, somewhere else in Fukushima Prefecture, worked and that she faced more pressing issues.

"The coastal areas of Namie hard hit we were by the earthquake and the tsunami but due to the radiation and the evacuation had order still no chance to the 200 people perform a search, are missing," said Negishi. "Why should we use our resources less than 1,000 yen ($12) to everyone, residents spent?"

Tokyo electric power Fujimoto recognised, that was a "gap" in the views of businesses and Namie officials.

TEPCO's shares fell to an all-time low Tuesday covered by the maximum daily trading Grenze--about 18%--362 yen, below the previous record low of 393 Yen in 1951 reached. Share of the company has 80% of their Wertes--nearly 1.1 trillion Yen--since the Quake and tsunami, lost after the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Fujimoto said "We share prices decline very seriously," reporters.

Fujimoto said the company's annual earnings report, which was originally scheduled for April 28, would be moved, but he declined it, all other information.

Julie.Makinen@LATimes.com

Hall is a special correspondent.

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Top 5 questions on radiation exposure

Is our water safe to drink? It is safe to eat seafood Pacific? Experts from the Union of concerned scientists answer questions about the radiation exposure.

Japan's fight for control of the nuclear power plants damaged in the tsunami, on 11 March followed regain a 9.0 earthquake which questions, and that has people worldwide thought about the effects of radioactive fallout. Here is our top 5 questions and answers from experts of the Union of concerned scientists, an advocacy group culled nuclear safety.

1. Should people in the United States worried about their drinking water?

Edwin Lyman, senior scientist: "I believe that at this time no.." "We need to use a disclaimer no level of radiation is safe, but the risk is proportional to the dose and dilution, who travels thousands of miles as a plume is experienced very significantly."

2. As radioactive water in the cellar and in some tunnel to the reactor building at the end?

Lyman: "it is not clear where it came from." During the last week or the last two weeks, workers on a regular basis have lifted the ship reactor in secondary or into the primary containment structure. It seems that some it deflated the, occurred after fuel damage has occurred. So, that would have a way for highly radioactive water in the containment building. It is possible that it came from that structured and ventilated pathway of the vessel reactor or some other breach of containment, in contrast to some holes on the bottom.

(3) Are the weaknesses of radioactive water expected to continue or deteriorate?

David hole tree, nuclear security program director, "in the last few weeks, the focus was on the reactor cores and the spent fuel pools." You have done by a non-preferred method, that only more and more added to water. The preferred method would be something water from the reactor vessel or spent fuel pool, remove and cool it back, so that your inventory of water remain the same. But they not this option so that you add only water reactor vessels and the spent fuel pools.

The water had somewhere to go, so that it has found its way into the containment building, the cellar, the reactor building, the turbine building. Themselves or floods piling it up all kinds of places that it should be so, and because it now radioactively contaminated everything carries out leaks is that radioactivity with him. For the reactor building and the turbine building, next to the leakage pathways for water you have to also vaporization of material with radioactive isotopes. So, it will be a problem, and it will be a while for them to, first of all, get their hands around it, and second, to clean up.

4. What is the detection of plutonium. Is it a problem?

Hole tree: "plutonium is isotope a default certificate also caesium pose an additional threat 137, and so the presence of plutonium and would require more difficult there and more expensive cleanup." There were sites in the United States, in the plutonium contamination, which successfully, are been restored as the Rocky flats plant (in Colorado), and a company that you know is expensive and difficult. Plutonium, if it is the finest and inhaled, is a particularly strong carcinogen, and you need additional respiratory protection if it substantial plutonium, which potentially could be inhaled. So, I think, it is added to a different folds of the problem.

5. Is Pacific is safe to eat seafood?

Lyman: I would think it is unlikely that for seafood, which are relatively close littered along the Japanese Coast not caught is, but we have done any analysis on this. Even dilute levels of contamination can marine life in particular, how such as mercury in large fish such as tuna focuses to be improved. Also plants such as algae is known that certain isotopes focus, and so are certain types of shells. But I would think certainly in the fishing industry in the region, they are most likely need to take measures to make their catches.

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