Japan Nuclear Plant to Release Thousands of Tons of Nuclear Poison Into Ocean

April 4, 2011 - Emergency Network

Tokyo's main electric power company plans to release thousands of tons of radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday. The move comes as the company continues to try locate the source of a leak of highly radioactive water.

The water, which is about 100 times more radioactive than Japan's legal limit, is collected in several areas inside the plant. Its presence is preventing workers from carrying out essential work, so Tokyo Electric plans to expel it into the sea.

The plant operator says it will dump around 11,500 tons of water into the ocean on Tuesday. The Japanese government says this poses no major health risk.

The move comes as Tokyo Electric continues its attempts to stop the release of radioactive water that is about 1,000 times over the legal limit.

On Monday the company used colored dye to trace the source of the leak. Tokyo Electric suspected the water was escaping through several cracks it had earlier found in concrete.

After several hours, the dyed water had not appeared, leading Tokyo Electric to suspect it might be coming from somewhere else. The company is continuing the search for the source of the leak.

Meanwhile in Tokyo, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano, announced government plans to increase restrictions on the sale of vegetables.

Edano says the government will halt the sale of vegetables from several areas of Chiba prefecture, which borders Tokyo to the east and is about 200 kilometers to the south of Fukushima.

The vegetables, including spinach, celery and parsley, have tested above the legal limit for radiation.