July 19, 2007
Nuclear Inspectors Find New Leak At Japanese Plant
Twelve hours after a deadly earthquake shook northwestern Japan Monday, authorities confirmed that a nuclear power plant, now suspected to be sitting on a major fault line, had sustained significant damage. A fire blazed at the plant for two hours after a transformer was damaged, and a spokesman for Tokyo Electric Power Company revealed that some radioactive water leaked out of the plant. A few days later, TEPCO revised the radioactivity level upwards and confirmed that radiation particles had been detected in a plant water filter.
Today, the Kyodo News agency reported that officials from the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency discovered radioactive iodine leaking from the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant. The new leak, separate from the one revealed Tuesday, is coming from an exhaust pipe.
Japanese officials insist there is no health risk to the public, however, and nuclear inspectors are continuing to examine the plant. It could be shut down for over a year -- triggering fears about power shortages during the summer months.
