TEPCO will pump back radioactive water

April 14, 2014

TEPCO pumping back contaminated water

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20140414_38.html 

The operator of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant says it has corrected a problem in which highly contaminated water was sent to a building that is neither a storage nor a processing facility.

Tokyo Electric Power Company says it is sending the water back to the original storage facilities. The reason for the action is not yet known.

TEPCO officials say they have found no leaks of contaminated water from the basement of a building where the water was stored. The building is known as the Incineration Workshop Building, and is neither a storage nor processing facility.

Water injected to cool the melted nuclear fuel becomes highly contaminated. It is then pumped out and sent to multiple storage buildings before being sent on to a processing facility.

Last Friday, the officials discovered that the water levels at the storage facility buildings had not risen, but rather dropped.

TEPCO officials found four pumps operating that were not supposed to be used.

The pumps sent the contaminated water to the wrong building.

The officials say about 203 tons of highly contaminated water were pumped into the building. The water is reportedly contaminated with radioactive cesium. The radioactive material in the water measures 37 million becquerels per liter.

TEPCO officials are looking into the cause of the pumps' unexpected operation. They say it is not known whether the pumps were intentionally started, and that they will interview workers if necessary.

Apr. 14, 2014 - Updated 12:18 UTC