Plant owner apologizes
Source: Agencies |
April 10, 2011, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
A JAPANESE power company executive apologized yesterday for spreading radiation into the air and sea as regulators said the pumping of radioactive water into waters off Japan from a crippled nuclear plant would end one day later than planned.
The apology from Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) came a day after China and South Korea expressed concern at the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi plant smashed by last month's earthquake, reflecting growing international unease over the monthlong nuclear crisis.
"It is almost a month since the earthquake took place. I would like to apologize from my heart over the worries and troubles we are causing for society due to the release of radiological materials into the atmosphere and seawater," Sakae Muto, a TEPCO vice president, told a news conference.
"We caused worry and trouble for having made this decision without taking sufficient time to explain the matter beforehand to those involved, to the press, to the fishing industry and to people overseas, and we are sorry for this," he added.
Hidehiko Nishiyama, a deputy director-general at Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, earlier told reporters that they were working on releasing water and likely to finish today.
He said a condenser at the No. 2 reactor had been emptied of low-radiation water yesterday, making room for engineers to shift highly radioactive water from the reactor's trench.
"To prevent radioactive water in the trench from overflowing is an important step considering a possible further contamination of the sea," Nishiyama said.
Plant operator TEPCO said earlier it expected to stop pumping tainted water into the sea yesterday, but work was interrupted by a powerful aftershock on Thursday.
TEPCO is struggling to contain the worst atomic crisis since Chernobyl. Engineers say they are far from in control of the damaged reactors and it could take months to stabilize them and years to clear up the toxic mess left behind.
The 9-magnitude earthquake and tsunami on March 11 left 28,000 people dead or missing, and northeastern Japan a splintered wreck.
The apology from Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) came a day after China and South Korea expressed concern at the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi plant smashed by last month's earthquake, reflecting growing international unease over the monthlong nuclear crisis.
"It is almost a month since the earthquake took place. I would like to apologize from my heart over the worries and troubles we are causing for society due to the release of radiological materials into the atmosphere and seawater," Sakae Muto, a TEPCO vice president, told a news conference.
"We caused worry and trouble for having made this decision without taking sufficient time to explain the matter beforehand to those involved, to the press, to the fishing industry and to people overseas, and we are sorry for this," he added.
Hidehiko Nishiyama, a deputy director-general at Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, earlier told reporters that they were working on releasing water and likely to finish today.
He said a condenser at the No. 2 reactor had been emptied of low-radiation water yesterday, making room for engineers to shift highly radioactive water from the reactor's trench.
"To prevent radioactive water in the trench from overflowing is an important step considering a possible further contamination of the sea," Nishiyama said.
Plant operator TEPCO said earlier it expected to stop pumping tainted water into the sea yesterday, but work was interrupted by a powerful aftershock on Thursday.
TEPCO is struggling to contain the worst atomic crisis since Chernobyl. Engineers say they are far from in control of the damaged reactors and it could take months to stabilize them and years to clear up the toxic mess left behind.
The 9-magnitude earthquake and tsunami on March 11 left 28,000 people dead or missing, and northeastern Japan a splintered wreck.
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