Don't worry, says Gov't

August 29, 2013

Abe: government will resolve tainted water crisis

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20130829_09.html

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says he intends to spearhead efforts to contain leakage of highly radioactive water at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Abe met with reporters in Qatar, the last leg of his 4-nation tour in the Middle East and Africa, on Wednesday.

He acknowledged the need for the state to deal with the crisis at the plant, hit by a nuclear disaster in March 2011. He said it cannot leave it up to its operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company.

Abe disclosed that he had instructed the industry minister and the head of the state's Nuclear Regulation Authority to look into why massive amounts of contaminated water had leaked from a storage tank earlier this month.
Some of the water may have seeped into the Pacific Ocean.

Abe also said the industry minister has begun drawing up responses to deal with the contaminated water.

The prime minister pledged to be open about its plans both domestically and abroad.

In regards to his overseas tour, Abe said the lives of Japanese nationals would not be the same if it were not for the Middle East. He said Japan must contribute to the advancement of Middle East nations, and not only through energy alone.

Abe said he came to an agreement with the leaders of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Djibouti for closer cooperation in politics, security and the economy.

Aug. 28, 2013 - Updated 23:06 UTC

Abe says gov't to take charge of toxic water leak at Fukushima plant

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20130829p2g00m0dm002000c.html

DOHA (Kyodo) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Wednesday his government will take charge of efforts to contain the nuclear disaster in northeastern Japan following a recent toxic water leak at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi power plant.

"There is a need for the state to address the issue with a sense of urgency and not just leave it all up to Tokyo Electric Power Co.," Abe said at a press conference.

Abe's remarks came after the plant's operator, known as TEPCO, recently said the leak of highly radioactive water from a huge steel storage tank was estimated at 300 tons, some of which could have flowed into the adjacent Pacific Ocean. It was the worst leak from the containers at the complex.

Abe, who is in Qatar on the last leg of his trip to the Middle East and Africa, said the government will thoroughly disseminate to people in Japan and abroad information about efforts to contain the disaster at the Fukushima plant.

Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority decided the same day to raise its assessment of the severity of the leak to level 3, which is defined as a "serious incident," on an eight-point international scale.

The Fukushima nuclear accident, triggered by the huge earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, was rated at the maximum level 7, on a par with the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

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