Contaminated water flows over underground wall

August 11, 2013

TEPCO says radioactive water likely flowed over underground wall

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20130811p2g00m0dm011000c.html 

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Saturday groundwater contaminated with radioactive substances from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant likely flowed over an underground wall meant to prevent the water from reaching the sea.

TEPCO said so after measuring underground water near the seawall and finding a high concentration of radioactive materials in the water.

The government said earlier this week it estimates that about 300 tons of radioactive-contaminated water has flowed into the Pacific daily, the latest crisis in Japan's struggle to contain the 2011 nuclear disaster.

The water-shielding wall on the sea bank was completed Friday. But necessary chemicals are unable to be injected from the ground surface to a depth of about 1.8 meters. And as a result, radioactive-contaminated water is leaking into the ocean.

Since construction of the wall began in early July, the water levels have risen. As a stopgap measure, TEPCO on Friday started pumping up water, but whether that has an effect remains to be seen, a company official.

Radioactive water is increasing at the Fukushima complex daily because groundwater is contaminated as it passes through the plant's premises, where three reactors suffered meltdowns following the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster.