© Ho/REUTERS
Temporary storage tanks for low- and middle-level radioactive water from Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station's No.1, No.2, No.3 and No.4 reactors are seen at the grounds of the plant in Fukushima prefecture.
Temporary storage tanks for low- and middle-level radioactive water from Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station's No.1, No.2, No.3 and No.4 reactors are seen at the grounds of the plant in Fukushima prefecture.
Tokyo - The operator of Japan's stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant said on Saturday it had suspended an operation to clean up radioactive water only hours after it had begun because radiation levels rose dramatically.
Tokyo Electric Power Company had undertaken the operation at the plant, disabled by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, to avert spillage into the sea of large, growing pools of radioactive water.
A statement issued by the company, known as TEPCO, said the suspension, five hours after the operation began, was prompted by a sharp rise in radiation in a part of the system intended to absorb cesium.
"At the moment, we haven't specified the reason," a TEPCO spokesman told a news conference. "So we can't say when we can resume the operation. But I'd say it's not something that would take weeks."
The official said teams working at the plant believed the radiation rise could be linked to sludge flowing into the machinery intended to absorb cesium. Another cause could be pipes surrounding it.
Comment: A bit of smokescreening going on here. The wording is not in the slightest objective in view of the facts.
According to Wikipedia: The point being - "The plan calls for a shutdown of its three unstable reactors by January 2012" - that you cannot shut down a complete melt down of Reactors 1-3 and 4-6 are already safe - generally. You can hope to reduce exposure and the affects of the radiation on the environment, but certainly the damage is done and ongoing, in some cases, dependent on the type of radiation, for billions of years. So how do you shut down something that has gone OUT OF CONTROL? See:
Japan Finally Admits TOTAL Meltdown at 3 Nuclear Reactors Within Hours of Earthquake
And from the article: Nuclear Fallout: You won't hear this on Mainstream News
..nuff said.