Radioactive cesium levels spike in ocean near Fukushima as stricken plant braces for super-typhoon

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Radioactive cesium levels spike in ocean near Fukushima as stricken plant braces for super-typhoon

(Xinhua) 20:59, October 22, 2013

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TOKYO, Oct. 22 -- The operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant said Tuesday it had detected radioactive cesium one kilometer off the coast of the facility, as it braces for a super-typhoon approaching having failed to take adequate measures when a typhoon struck last week.

Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) said that trace amounts of radioactive cesium-137 were detected at a level of 1.6 becquerels per liter in water samples taken from the adjacent Pacific Ocean, marking the second time such radioactive materials have been found in the sea since surveys began in August.

The previous radioactive finding in October measured lower, the embattled utility said, as heavy rain and an inability of the plant's workers and infrastructure to contain toxic leaks intensifies as the plant struggles to contain massive quantities of radioactive water accumulating at the facility on a daily basis.

Although the levels of cesium-137 detected were below the Nuclear Regulatory Authority's (NRA) limit of 90 becquerels per liter limit for cesium to be released into the Pacific Ocean, the latest spike in radiation levels in and around the plant -- including in the ocean -- controvert Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's repeated statements that the situation at the Fukushima plant is " under control."

While TEPCO claims the cesium in the ocean provides "little" risk to the environment, the utility has been unable to confirm why cesium levels were rising at the particular spot surveyed, according to the plant's officials Tuesday.

A mission dispatched by the International Atomic Energy Agency on Monday suggested that Japan should continue to monitor freshwater and marine environment near the crippled plant.

The team said here in a preliminary report that IAEA suggests the monitoring data be interpreted within the context of processes known to affect the concentration of radiocaesium in water, sediment and biota.

TEPCO has been grappling to deal with a string of leaks at the Daiichi facility, the latest of which concerned toxic water potentially leaking into the ocean following inadequately low barriers failing to contain increased volumes of water within their perimeters following heavy typhoon and storm-triggered rainfall.

The power supply to at least one pump responsible for redirecting toxic water near one of the many hastily constructed tanks built to contain the massive daily influx of toxic water being knocked out, exacerbated the breach of the barriers and TEPCO is bracing for a super-typhoon expected to hit on Friday.

Sunday's storm caused 11 barriers at the plant to be breached, with toxic water containing radioactive strontium at levels as high as 71 times the regulatory limit being detected, the utility said, adding the radioactive materials may flowed into the sea via trenches having mixed with groundwater.

In an effort to prevent such a monumental mishap occurring again when typhoon Francisco potentially makes landfall on Friday, TEPCO said Tuesday it will add 19 more pumps with the capacity to drain up to 60 tons of water per hour from inside the plant's tank barriers.

The utility said the additional pumps will allow rainwater accumulated inside the barriers to be removed four times as quickly as before. In addition TEPCO said it will be able to remove water from within the barriers more quickly by fitting larger houses to the pumping equipment.

More workers may be drafted in ahead of the impending typhoon that's threatening to sideswipe Japan's eastern seaboard, where the stricken Daiichi plant is located. The utility said that it was ill-prepared and understaffed when typhoon "Wipha" struck last Wednesday and a tropical storm hit Sunday, dumping huge amounts of rainwater on the already leaking plant.