TEPCO says 300 tons of contaminated water leaking from Fukushima tank

Yesterday it was just puddles....

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Virtually all the leaked water from the Fukushima NPP ends up in the sea, we can't expect this 'leak' to be any different, despite the usual TEPCO denials...

I'd love to see an analytical piece explaining the significance of this leakage. The paucity of real information (other than basic facts) is disheartening.

It's like they're not even trying anymore.

Tomorrows headline: "Actually it was 50000 tons" .....

There were no significant changes in radiation levels outside the plant, he added.

Translation: The site is so unbelievably radioactive that what normally would constitute a complete disaster doesn't rise above background noise.

A scientist whose paycheck does not depend on TEPCO had this to say:

The solution that I proposed two years ago was to surround the plant with a trench filled with material called zeolite. That’s just the volcanic ash. The volcanic ash is very good at absorbing radiation. But the solution isn’t to keep the water from getting out. The solution is to keep the water from getting in. So, outside the trench that they surround the plant, if they pull the water level down (the clean water outside the trench) that would prevent further water from leaking into the Daiichi site.

The Japanese haven’t been willing to spend the money. I approached them two years ago with this and I was told that Tokyo Electric doesn’t have the money to spend. But of course, the problem now is that we are contaminating the Pacific Ocean which is extraordinarily serious.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/there-is-no-way-to-stop-fukushima-radioactive-water-leaking-into-the-pacific/5345909

This is a very, very serious matter that has to be addressed RIGHT NOW.

If we care about much of Japan turning into a radioactive waste land, this has to be confronted and people who have the knowledge and experience put in to deal with it.

Here are two excellent articles on the topic:

http://www.japanfocus.org/-Jeff-Kingston/3986

http://www.japanfocus.org/-Andrew-DeWit/3987

A puddle that formed near the tank that leaked is emitting a radiation dose of 100 millisieverts an hour measured about 50 centimeters above the surface, Kyodo News reported, citing TEPCO.

This radiation level is deadly. If a man stays in that area for 10 hours, he is likely to die immediately thereafter. That means no one can go near the tank for repair. Things can get totally out of control.

80 million becquerels of radiation per liter!!!

Good on ya TEPCO! At least you are consistent. Consistently lying, covering up and trucking up!

Well the contaminated water is gone so is the problem good job TEPCO, free round of fukushima bay kaitensushi from me.

lol - why dont they have a template for this kind of news :P except the amount, everything is the same since 2 yrs

Is this the beginning of the end?

Are they sure of the figures? They always seem to be hiding something.

At 1000 litres per tonne, that's a lot of contaminated water. Funny how they always describe the amounts in tonnes instead of litres to make it sound less. 300,000 litres is a lot of water.

It's been leaking and pouring into the ocean from the beginning...end of story.

and they are more than likely a low estimate!

TEPCO says 300 tons of contaminated water leaked from tank

So double that then. It pains me to say this but TEPCO has lost all credibility. I fear they also lack the capability to handle the next phases of the situation and for some reason are unwilling to ask for help.

feel vindicated in removing my family from japan inc. didn't trust em then. still don't.

feel good that I at least live in Kansai. According to a friend in the housing business, Tepco employees' family members have been moving to Kansai because they know the Tokyo area isn't safe.

There's not much left to be said because since 3/11 there has been nothing but a catalogue of abject failure at the remains of the Fukushima nuclear plant. It may even be worse than what has been made public. Personally, I find it amazing that the government has left it solely up to TEPCO to try to bring the situation under control when it is patently obvious TEPCO does not have the ability to do that. The incompetence and greed of the company meant not fortifying and modernizing the plant prior to the disaster. Even if the greed has been reined in somewhat, why would anyone think TEPCO suddenly has been able to overcome its incompetence? The government (the present and the previous) has been weak in dealing with this national crisis (perhaps stymied by its own culture?) because the number one consideration has to be making the plant as safe as possible by bringing in an international team of experts even at the expense of upsetting the bosses at TEPCO, local fishermen, local farmers and even local residents.

billyshearsAug. 20, 2013 - 05:43PM JST

by bringing in an international team of experts

Read news release from IAEA.

http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/2013/missionfukushima.html

Puddles yesterday, 300 tons today...it's as though they are building up in stages to a very bad piece of news! I really hope this isn't the case. I'm worried for the people of Japan!

CH3CHO, did you even read your link? It says nothing about helping with the NPP. Geesh!

FizzBitAug. 20, 2013 - 06:39PM JST

CH3CHO, did you even read your link? It says nothing about helping with the NPP. Geesh!

That is my point. Some people keep believing that there are supermen out there in Europe and North America that can help clean up the site. The reality is there are not. "Experts" from IAEA come to Fukushima to check the radiation levels and to learn from TEPCO without giving any practical advice.

The IAEA's goal is promoting the safe use of nuclear power; they bring very little real support to Fukushima NPP other than some monitoring of radiation. They are the pinnacle of the nuclear village.

There is a video clip of one of the staff on the site expressing how he was so impressed that the Director General convened a meeting so that they could organise a Ministerial meeting to discuss how they could prepare some guidelines to address the safety issues worldwide in June 2011, and how at that meeting they prepared a ministerial guideline to ask the Director General to draft a safety action plan to present to the board of governors in September! They have no sense of urgency, other than to post pictures of themselves at meetings.

Amano, the Director General is a career politician, law graduate from Todai, with no knowledge of nuclear power, but with many connections, especially with Washington...

they let it all leak into the ocean, then fishermen catch all the sealife and feed it back to the japanese...circle of life

@CH3CHO, got it. Though I agree there are no superman, there might be some who wouldn't have to follow everything by the book and get things rolling, some critical thinking skills. The use of sub sub sub sub contractors hired by the Yakuza doesn't sound very professional.

I just saw the movie "World War Z." One scene in there shows what looks like nuclear bombs going off. Then I began wondering ... would a nuclear bomb dropped on the Fukushima nuclear power plant obliterate everything, leaving nothing there? If so, why don't those in charge just evacuate the entire area, nuke it ... and hope that nothing is left.

Otherwise ... guess we're going to have to wait for the TEPCO guys to nuke the place piece by piece over the next 40 years or whatever time it is they expect to be working on removing the ruined nuclear reactors. And their way of nuking it seems to be to let the contaminated water drip into everything drop by drop ...

TEPCO ... a new four-letter word ... plus one letter for emphasis ...

can someone fix this already !

Hahhaha they better buy inflatable pools

Everyone's ocean, not just Japan's!

Whatever.

Brave New World.

Yesterday we were told a few liters, today we are told 300 tons of contaminated water.

Hummmm, this country has became just about lies and denial.

If TEPCO admits it's 300 TONNES then the reality is that it has been 300 tonnes daily for a year or so. Get those suspended sentences and golden parachutes ready!!

The problems have led the Japanese government and its nuclear regulator to say they would get more directly involved in the cleanup at Fukushima, rather than leaving it to the operator.

Perish the thought that the government might actually get involved in the world's 2nd worst nuclear accident. Surely it should be left to a company of incompitent liars instead.

So, the government and nuclear watchdog agency are gonna get more involved? When? And, how? They have let this BS farce go on for over two and a half years and it is just getting worse. What exactly do the Gov and W/dog intend to do? Stand back and scold the TEPCO management when the stuff up? If they were serious they would send the SDF up there and get something done instead of sitting back and scolding TEPCO. They are using untrained long-term employed workers on the world's worst nuclear disaster and they are still bitching about costs. TEPCO should be barred from ever making a profit. FFS! Send the army in and get this shit cleaned up ASAP! What is gonna happen when they have to start removing the 1,300 fuel rods one at a time? That is 1,300 chances for a mistake. Any mistake can cause a rod to go critical and start an unstoppable chain reaction. Are the long-term unemployed temp workers skilled enough to handle the most dangerous job in the history of nuclear power? Somehow, I doubt it! One mistake is all it will take!

Notice the run on admissions from TEPCO recently? It's all starting to come out now, even though "it" all started to come out - and never stopped - two years ago. Deceivers ever.

Leaking like a sieve, the workers there must be terrified by the massive levels of radiation. It will be only a matter of weeks now before the first typhoons start to cause heavy rain and high winds will cause structures to sway. How good is duct tape in a typhoon?

billyshears,

There's not much left to be said because since 3/11 there has been nothing but a catalogue of abject failure at the remains of the Fukushima nuclear plant. It may even be worse than what has been made public.

You don't imagine that it would be less bad than what had been made public, do you?

For sure it's going to be worse.

Notice the run on admissions from TEPCO recently?

Yes. But why? And why now? It seems to me this is forward-looking preparation for much higher figures at a later date - you know, the sort that would have people grabbing their precious belongings and running south!

this company has people with a long history of lies and denial- the biggest one is that the Japanese nuclear industry would never have an accident. wonder what the next one will be.....

Too littlel too late, result exasperation. There are storm clouds that are just waiting to crash down. This is the best reason you need to get out, you and your family get out.. Plan now and do it! Difficult time Vs Death....?

So, elephant in the room...

... when are we going to get some IAEA intervention and some arrests? Hmm?

They seemed resigned to losing the battle. And every time there is a leak the say it is 300 tons. That seems to be the go to number, meaning they Don't have a clue.

Given the last 3 years of lies, oops spin? I wait for the next release...pun intended. The whole area is a death zone that continues to spread. One more mistake, or "Regrettable" unforeseen accidedet and half of Japan or more is a waist zone. But do not worry...it's not on TV.

Fricking nuts! Last night's news said this 300 ton leakage was realized at 9am. But by 3pm, there was a sign of more leakage - putting the total to 500 ton.

Looking at photos of the site, the reactors are RIGHT on the sea front.

With radioactive elements pouring into the sea, this is not only Japan's problem. It's going to spread.

I have absolutely no idea how it should be done - well, nor does TEPCO or the Japanese government - but people who actually know what they are doing need to be called in to fix it.

An earthquake prone country like Japan doesn't need nuclear power.

It is not safe.

Fukushima is a time bomb.

And we are sitting on it.

Fukushima is a time bomb.

And we are sitting on it.

I totally agree.

We thought about moving back to the states but our home would be the West Coast. With this crap spreading into the Pacific Ocean, not even the West Coast is safe....