Japan to stop pumping water into ocean today
Source: Agencies |
April 11, 2011, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
Japanese nuclear power plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co hopes to stop pumping radioactive water into the ocean today, days later than planned, a step that should help ease international concern about the spread of radiation from a smashed nuclear plant.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Naoto Kan's Democratic Party was likely to be punished at yesterday's local polls for his handling of the earthquake and tsunami that ravaged Japan's northeastern coast on March 11, triggering the world's worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl in 1986.
China and South Korea have criticized Japan's handling of the nuclear crisis.
Japan is struggling to regain control of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant that was damaged by the quake and tsunami.
TEPCO has been pumping sea water into the reactors to cool the nuclear core, and then discharging the water, after it has become contaminated, back into the Pacific Ocean.
It had planned to stop the discharge on Saturday, but work was interrupted by a powerful aftershock on Thursday. The firm then pushed the target back to yesterday, a goal it failed to meet.
"We are making checks on remaining water, and the final check is scheduled for tomorrow," a company spokesman said late last night.
TEPCO was forced to start pumping sea water into the plant after failing to restart the reactors' cooling systems. It has been pumping in nitrogen to cool the core, but officials say they are unsure of what to do next.
Yesterday, Kan paid another visit to the tsunami-devastated coast, promising officials in a fishing-dependent city that his government will do whatever it can to help.
Kan visited Ishinomaki, a coastal city of 163,000 people in Miyagi, one of the prefectures hardest hit.
"The government will do its utmost to help you," Kan told local people gathered near the sea. "We will support you so that you can resume fishing."
Meanwhile, Japanese and US troops fanned out along the coast in another all-out search for bodies.
Only 13,000 deaths have been confirmed so far, but many bodies will likely never be found.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Naoto Kan's Democratic Party was likely to be punished at yesterday's local polls for his handling of the earthquake and tsunami that ravaged Japan's northeastern coast on March 11, triggering the world's worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl in 1986.
China and South Korea have criticized Japan's handling of the nuclear crisis.
Japan is struggling to regain control of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant that was damaged by the quake and tsunami.
TEPCO has been pumping sea water into the reactors to cool the nuclear core, and then discharging the water, after it has become contaminated, back into the Pacific Ocean.
It had planned to stop the discharge on Saturday, but work was interrupted by a powerful aftershock on Thursday. The firm then pushed the target back to yesterday, a goal it failed to meet.
"We are making checks on remaining water, and the final check is scheduled for tomorrow," a company spokesman said late last night.
TEPCO was forced to start pumping sea water into the plant after failing to restart the reactors' cooling systems. It has been pumping in nitrogen to cool the core, but officials say they are unsure of what to do next.
Yesterday, Kan paid another visit to the tsunami-devastated coast, promising officials in a fishing-dependent city that his government will do whatever it can to help.
Kan visited Ishinomaki, a coastal city of 163,000 people in Miyagi, one of the prefectures hardest hit.
"The government will do its utmost to help you," Kan told local people gathered near the sea. "We will support you so that you can resume fishing."
Meanwhile, Japanese and US troops fanned out along the coast in another all-out search for bodies.
Only 13,000 deaths have been confirmed so far, but many bodies will likely never be found.
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