Japanese workers have stopped the leak of radioactive water from the earthquake-damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant, but the situation is still far from under control, according to a confidential US Nuclear Regulatory report obtained by the New York Times. The report identifies a wide array of problems including build-ups of hydrogen gas that could cause explosions similar to those that crippled the plant soon after the earthquake. Workers have begun injecting nitrogen into a reactor to try to stabilize the hydrogen. Plant owners are also facing the problem of how to dispose of millions of gallons of radioactive wastewater – they’ve been dumping it into the ocean for several days now. Voice of America reports the dumping will continue until at least Friday.
http://fsrn.org/audio/headlines-wednesday-april-6-2011/8312
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Tokyo Electric Power Co. finally succeeded in stopping the main leak of highly radioactive water from the damaged Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant into the ocean Wednesday morning and workers were preparing to inject nitrogen into at least one reactor in a bid to prevent another hydrogen explosion
Tepco said it confirmed at 5:38 a.m. that a crack in the No. 2 reactor storage pit had been plugged after workers injected 1,500 liters of sodium silicate and another agent to solidify a layer of small stones under a cable trench.
“I have been told that it is being thoroughly looked into whether the leak has completely stopped and whether there are other (cracks),” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said. “We have not stopped worrying just because the leak supposedly stopped.”
The highly radioactive water is believed to have come from the No. 2 reactor core, where fuel rods have partially melted, and ended up in the pit. The pit is connected to the No. 2 reactor turbine building and an underground trench connected to the building, both of which were found to be filled with high levels of contaminated water.
http://fsrn.org/audio/headlines-wednesday-april-6-2011/8312
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