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1,130 tons of tainted water dumped in sea after typhoon

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They must have been praying for an excuse like this. Another TEPCO trick I bet. All under control, I think not.

8 ( +10 / -2 )

As the country braced for the taifu 18, one could almost see the SMIRK on Tepco's exec's face!

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Ahhhhhh, crap.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Well, it had to be done. What did all of you expect? to steam the water? duh.

-1 ( +7 / -8 )

the goverment never have to give any administration Tepco.it is clear that Tepco doesn't have ability to control any risks.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Tainted water,polluted water,contaminated water?

No, how about radioactive water?!?!

Strontium,cesium,lead,plutonium, all were dispersed at the site and Tepco have just fessed up to 1,130 tons of water with these radionuclides present being released. What unparalleled honesty.......

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Everyone keeps saying TEPCO but, correct me if I'm wrong, with a disaster of this magnitude I believe it would be Abe calling the shots.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Not good.

Not unexpected.

tepco's (no big letter for you, boys) idea behind this travesty must be to feed the public so much bull that they eventually (already?) tire of hearing anything about this place. That must be it, right? The sad part is that it seems to work. The infamous short Japanese attention span works wonders in cases like this. "Not new? Then I don't care.".

This thing will just get worse as time progresses.

6 ( +9 / -3 )

With all that Strontium floating around, anyone anywhere near the area needs Calcium and Magnesium:

http://www.calmag-c.com/2012/06/can-calcium-and-magnesium-block-radiation/#more-1540

2 ( +3 / -1 )

More typhoons are expected to hit the area, as well as other earthquakes, and all TEPCO and others plan for having the reactors "under the control" is based on current conditions and an assumption that more damage is not coming! The basic assumption should be "this place cannot hold much more damage, which may come within a few months to a couple of years". What is your plan for this period, not the next 4 decades?

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I know Japan seems to love getting a Guinness Record, this has to be one right? 1,130 tons! Congrats! You did it!

9 ( +10 / -1 )

But, the point is, there should be no radioactive water outside the storage tanks, which also means, there should be no radioactive runoff from the storage area. The only water that should be going into the ocean and environment is treated water that contains very little radioactive particles. When is enough enough? These baffoon a are making a total balls up of this and it has to be corrected. Yeah, we are all waiting for the Abe gov to make good on their pledge to take over the clean up. Well, they did! Abe gave TEPCO half a billion bucks to carry on doing the same half-assed crap that is making this the world's worst nuclear disaster. Enough already!

5 ( +7 / -2 )

@hereforever

with a disaster of this magnitude I believe it would be Abe calling the shots.

He can't. He said "everything's under control" he can't possibly lose face now...

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Not to worry. It's all under control .

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Please close TEPCO down right away, rehire all engineers, servicemen, and every honest worker that keep lights in our homes. We do not need the amakuradi-s and useless high-paid execs. At the same time, you can have an open session on how this hazardous situation is going to be resolved. We could decide for our selves if this is "under control" or not.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Did anyone else note the irony of this article's juxtaposition with the one directly below it (Japan asks South Korea to lift ban on seafood products)?

Just after dumping tons of radioactive water into the ocean would perhaps NOT be a good time for Japan to ask South Korea to lift its ban on seafood products. I imagine it won't be too long before people in the fishing industry in more Pacific Rim countries begin losing patience. Lots of money and livelihoods of people in the Pacific region at stake here.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

You think they would be prepared for this type of thing? Oh wait...

5 ( +7 / -2 )

TEPCO peeing in the pool...shame

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

I cant wait for this to be taken over by an international group, by an independant group, or by anyone other than TEPCO.

Not because I believe TEPCO are doing a bad job. I cant wait because i just want to see the embarrassed excuses that everyone makes when they realise that it doesnt go any better, and you realise that TEPCO were doing the best that they could all along.

Its like everyone is on Auto-responder mode. Any release, any finding, anything at all involving the nuclear power plant always comes up with the same responses "OMG GET THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IN THERE", "OMG TEPCO ARE SO FAIL CANNOT DO ANYTHING!"

Armchair nuclear experts pretending that they know exactly what to do. Do you really think TEPCO is just sitting back and playing solitaire instead of trying to fix the problem? Do you really think that their main goal is to radiate everyone on earth? If so it must be a very scary world for you to live in.

0 ( +6 / -6 )

And yet you have the government threatening to take SK to the WTO over their seafood ban! Astounding. What was it Hirose promised local fisheries again?

3 ( +5 / -2 )

This is most " regretable" but I'm sure they will " sincerely reflect on the situation", "collect all relevant information swiftly " and "take appropriate action speedily ".

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Should've done in before the typhoon, you know to help spread the love faster ... idiots will be idiots until death.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

1130tons eh..........that really means at least double, maybe triple that amount was pumped, after a number of years in Japan you learn how much you need to multiply by to get a more realistic idea of whats what!

And these morons at Fukushima were NOT prepared with pumps etc.............WTF! Didn't these idiots think to look at a weather map, duh, they don't appear to know that typhoons telegraph where/when they are likely to go & STILL these idiots are "unprepared"

Damn calling these guys idiots is more like a compliment to these goof balls, words can no longer adequately describe their incompetence, we need to invent new words!

3 ( +6 / -3 )

and all the water currents will en up going to Hawaii , west coast of North America and some at the north coast of Australia, I would say to the countries affected to start to get proof and SUE those guys at inEPTCO!

only then , they will start listening to the world to get help!!

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Well they got away with dumping it, just give them a typhoon and then they can dump radioactive water and just say so sorry.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Guy, after March 11 disaster I (confused and humble honestly) ran out of Japan with my wife and 3 month old daughter by informing well in advance to my companies management and on the suggestion from my countries embassy. When I returned after 4 days back to work I come to know my company already decided to cut my throat, according to them and Japanese government who was assuring people that everything under control. I lost my job because of confusion created by Japanese Govt that time. I sent my family back to my home country when I discover the two box of milk powder from Meiji, according to news on TV is contaminated and they recalled it. My company never admitted that they fired/punished me because I left the country during disaster. Now after 2.5 years what we are seeing everybody laying including PM Abe. I know I am Alien in Japan, but please tell the truth to your own people and save them. I want to see truth like this through official channel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfaPhmFGvt8

4 ( +5 / -1 )

A few points:

The water is not confirmed as having strontium in it, the article just says that the radiation level is below the 30 Becquerels per litre limit. 30 Bq per l is very, very low.

Also, if the water in the dams around the storage tanks was allowed to remain, it could have affected the integrity of the seals in the temporary tanks - so dumping the water was necessary.

Lastly,

BertieWooster

With all that Strontium floating around, anyone anywhere near the area needs Calcium and Magnesium.

Looks like quack science to me. Potassium Iodate works because the thyroid gland concentrates iodine, so if you fill it with KI then the I-131 has no where to concentrate.

Calcium and Magnesium get absorbed through the guts, then gets pushed all over the body to build-up bones, and a whole lot of other things. However, the bones don't fill-up - so if you pop some calcium and magnesium suppliments and eat something contaminated with strontium, you have no guarantee that the strontium will not be used by the body.

Also, you can get calcium overdoses - so double beware.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Someone please invade Japan and take over Fukushima for the sake of the rest of the world!

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

"The water is not confirmed as having strontium in it,"

It does have strontium in it:

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201309170057

" 30 Bq per l is very, very low"

Yeah sure but from the article above:

"But the company also said at one site where water was found contaminated beyond the safety limit workers could not start the water pump quick enough in the torrential rain, and toxic water had leaked from the enclosure for several minutes."

And you notice that in this case, they suddenly don't give us any number. They give when the radiation is apparently low because it's convenient for their communication but not when the radiation is higher. So I call then ass holes, you agree?

"Also, if the water in the dams around the storage tanks was allowed to remain, it could have affected the integrity of the seals in the temporary tanks - so dumping the water was necessary."

That's not the point ! As someone else has already mentioned, why is there anyway radiactive water outside the tanks mixing with rainfall? It should not be there, and by definition if it's not there, rainfall water is not an issue.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Never any good news from this area....It just keeps getting worse and then more worse! IMO this is not going to have a happy ending,one major Quake or Tsunami and the waste water will all enter the ocean in one big flood. The chances of a major quake occurring near the storage tanks within the next decade are very scary odds indeed.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

daito_hak

It does have strontium in it:

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201309170057

From the article:

"Quick tests found between 3 and 24 becquerels of strontium and other beta-ray sources per liter of water in each of the seven areas. Those levels were lower than the legal limit of 30 becquerels of strontium per liter of water that can be released into the environment, TEPCO officials said."

It seems like they took beta readings, and made the worst-case assumption that if it were all sr-90, even then they were under the limit.

And you notice that in this case, they suddenly don't give us any number. They give when the radiation is apparently low because it's convenient for their communication but not when the radiation is higher. So I call then ass holes, you agree?

We'll see how the radiation levels down stream go. Even if beyond the safety limit it will likely not have much of an effect.

That's not the point ! As someone else has already mentioned, why is there anyway radiactive water outside the tanks mixing with rainfall? It should not be there, and by definition if it's not there, rainfall water is not an issue.

There is going to be some levels of radiation outside the tanks, it's a given.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Obviously a different kettle of fish, but when the Americans discovered the gas manufacturing hub 'Okunoshima' in Hiroshima prefecture after the war, they dumped all the gas they found (5000tonnes +) into the Pacfic. The poor Pacific has copped a hammering at the hands of Japan.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

And for the sake of information, in total, an estimated 8.8 million becquerels of radioactive substances emitting beta rays, such as strontium-90, were released.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I don't believe any of it

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It seems like they took beta readings, and made the worst-case assumption that if it were all sr-90, even then they were under the limit.

So what? My point was that it does contains strontium 90 which you said it did not.

We'll see how the radiation levels down stream go. Even if beyond the safety limit it will likely not have much of an effect.

That's again not the point. You can't define some standardized limits on radiation rejection to the environment and say that it's just fine when you happen to cross them, can you?

There is going to be some levels of radiation outside the tanks, it's a given.

No, no, I think you are confused here. The radiation comes from water leaks from the tanks mixing with rainfall water. You will have a hard time convincing me that any level of radiation is just supposed to be there no matter what. That makes no sense in the world. Those tanks are supposed to fully confine the radiation and the tainted water inside them. There is no excuse in the world that rainfall water ending next to tanks full of highly radioactive water is getting contaminated.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

How long is it going to be before an intern or trainee working for TEPCO accidentally leaves a valve on allowing a huge contaminated spillage into the Pacific Ocean. Of course when they do find out after they reassure us all that the intern/trainee has been fired, so everything is OK.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Everybody is saying it is getting worse. I do not believe so. It is just becoming more and more difficult to hide the truth. TEPCO becomes clearly overwhelm by the on-going accumulation of issues.

And one day the nuke meat source will get dry and there will be nobody to look after this monster. That what scares me the most in the long run, besides a major earthquake, of course.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

If there were an earthquake in Fukushima could these tanks withstand it? I highly doubt it, Tepco is not thinking about a solution they are thinking about how to milk the problem with money from the government. There is no solution because that would mean an end to the gravy train.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Daito_hak

"It seems like they took beta readings, and made the worst-case assumption that if it were all sr-90, even then they were under the limit."

So what? My point was that it does contains strontium 90 which you said it did not.

I said unconfirmed.

"We'll see how the radiation levels down stream go. Even if beyond the safety limit it will likely not have much of an effect."

That's again not the point. You can't define some standardized limits on radiation rejection to the environment and say that it's just fine when you happen to cross them, can you?

You have to factor in dilution, and the fact that radiation standard are focused on the hazards of continuously eating contaminated food. The odd contaminated fish is not going to kill you.

"There is going to be some levels of radiation outside the tanks, it's a given."

No, no, I think you are confused here. The radiation comes from water leaks from the tanks mixing with rainfall water. You will have a hard time convincing me that any level of radiation is just supposed to be there no matter what. That makes no sense in the world. Those tanks are supposed to fully confine the radiation and the tainted water inside them. There is no excuse in the world that rainfall water ending next to tanks full of highly radioactive water is getting contaminated.

Sorry, I should have been more clearer: given the previous spills in the dam protecting the water tanks there will be some measurable levels of radiation outside the tanks.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

You have to factor in dilution, and the fact that radiation standard are focused on the hazards of continuously eating contaminated food. The odd contaminated fish is not going to kill you.

I an well aware about dilution and I am not crazy to think that a single fish is going to kill any one. However, this excuse of dilution has been thrown to people face way to much until now while no one really knows how the contamination is affecting marine life. And nothing excuses TEPCO to release radiation levels higher than what is allowed by law.

I have spoken to marine biologists and oceanographers colleagues and all support the view that marine contamination with radioactive elements is not understood and that the dilution excuse is often used to fool people more than they already are. Because the problem is not the contamination in US or the other side of the Pacific Ocean but really at the vicinity of Japan littorals.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Daito_hak

It's a good point about contamination focus being on the US side of the Pacific. However, Ken Buessler makes the point that of all the fish he checked on his Pacific cruise, natural levels of Polonium-210, the infamous radioisotope used to kill Russian dissidents, far exceeded any Fukushima contamination.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

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