Japan Regulator urges monitoring of crippled fukushima plant
Iran Press TV
Thu Aug 29, 2013 2:17PM GMT
Japan's nuclear regulator says the impact of the radiation-contaminated water leaks at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant is not known and it needs to be monitored more closely.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) Chairman Shunichi Tanaka said on Thursday that Fukushima plant leaks cannot be stopped instantly, warning that the level of monitoring is not enough.
“We cannot fully stop contaminated water leaks right away. That’s the reality. The water is still leaking in to the sea, and we should better assess its environmental impact,” Tanaka said in a speech in Tokyo.
The NRA has recently set up a team to collect data more comprehensively to assess the extent of contamination and evaluate the impact on the ocean.
Also Thursday, Japanese fisheries association executives said the situation could doom Japan’s fishing industry.
Meanwhile, fishing bans remain in place off the coast of Fukushima. Senior officials from Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), the operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, earlier apologized for the inconvenience caused to Japanese fishermen.
The regulator has raised the severity rating of the leak to Level Three on an international scale.
A massive earthquake and tsunami led to meltdowns of three reactors at Fukushima plant in March 2011.
The Fukushima plant was damaged in a mega-earthquake followed by a tsunami on March 11, 2011.
A report released by a Japanese parliamentary panel later said the incident at the Fukushima nuclear plant was not only due to the tsunami, but also a “man-made disaster.”
The report criticized the “government, regulatory authorities and Tokyo Electric Power” for being devoid of “a sense of responsibility to protect people’s lives and society.”
JR/KA
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