Cleanup at Japan nuke plant halted
Source: Agencies |
June 19, 2011, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A rise in radiation halted the cleanup of radioactive water at Japan's Fukushima nuclear power station yesterday hours after it got under way, a fresh setback to efforts to restore control over the quake-stricken plant.
The power plant has been leaking radiation into the atmosphere ever since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami and both China and South Korea have expressed concern over the possibility of further leaks into the sea.
Tokyo Electric Power Company, the operator of the Fukushima Daiichi plant, said it expected to resume the cleanup within a week.
The plan hit a new hurdle as Japan marked 100 days since the quake and tsunami left nearly 24,000 dead or missing and knocked out cooling systems at the plant. Buddhist memorial services were held throughout the country on the day when the bereaved traditionally seek closure from grief.
A statement issued by the utility, known as TEPCO, said the suspension was prompted by a faster than expected rise in radiation in a part of the system intended to absorb caesium. "At the moment, we haven't specified the reason," a spokesman said. "So we can't say when we can resume the operation. But I'd say it's not something that would take weeks."
The official said teams working at the plant believed the radiation rise could be linked either to sludge flowing into the machinery absorbing caesium or a monitoring error caused by nearby pipes carrying contaminated water.
But a resumption, he said, was critical to deal with the highly radioactive water. Officials say 110,000 tons of water is stored at the plant.
"Unless we can resume the operation within a week, we will have problems in disposing of the bad water."
The power plant has been leaking radiation into the atmosphere ever since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami and both China and South Korea have expressed concern over the possibility of further leaks into the sea.
Tokyo Electric Power Company, the operator of the Fukushima Daiichi plant, said it expected to resume the cleanup within a week.
The plan hit a new hurdle as Japan marked 100 days since the quake and tsunami left nearly 24,000 dead or missing and knocked out cooling systems at the plant. Buddhist memorial services were held throughout the country on the day when the bereaved traditionally seek closure from grief.
A statement issued by the utility, known as TEPCO, said the suspension was prompted by a faster than expected rise in radiation in a part of the system intended to absorb caesium. "At the moment, we haven't specified the reason," a spokesman said. "So we can't say when we can resume the operation. But I'd say it's not something that would take weeks."
The official said teams working at the plant believed the radiation rise could be linked either to sludge flowing into the machinery absorbing caesium or a monitoring error caused by nearby pipes carrying contaminated water.
But a resumption, he said, was critical to deal with the highly radioactive water. Officials say 110,000 tons of water is stored at the plant.
"Unless we can resume the operation within a week, we will have problems in disposing of the bad water."
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
