Japan Nuclear Contamination

Radioactive contamination from Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant hit by a tsunami in 2011 has drifted as far north as waters off a remote Alaska island in the Bering Strait, scientists said on Wednesday.

Radiation from Japan's 2011 nuclear disaster has spread off North American shores and contamination is increasing at previously identified sites, although levels are still too low to threaten human or ocean life, scientists said on Thursday.

The operator of the tsunami-crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant said on Tuesday it had found a pool of highly contaminated water on the roof of a plant building and that it had probably leaked into the sea through a gutter when it rained.

A Japanese cabinet minister apologised on Tuesday after appearing to suggest people in nuclear disaster-hit Fukushima could be persuaded to put up with contaminated waste if the government threw cash at them.

The operator of Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear plant said on Wednesday it has begun a bypass system that diverts groundwater into the sea in a bid to reduce the volume of contaminated water.

Six workers at Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant were exposed to leaking radioactive water after one of them mistakenly removed a pipe to a water treatment system, the plant's operator said on Wednesday.

Japan's atomic watchdog summoned the boss of Fukushima-operator TEPCO today for a public dressing down over sloppy standards at the crippled nuclear plant, as yet another problem with contaminated water emerged.

Radiation readings around tanks holding contaminated water at the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant have spiked more than 20 percent to their highest level, Japan's nuclear regulator said, again raising questions about the clean-up of the worst atomic disaster in 27 years.

Tokyo Electric Power, the operator of the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant, said today that a patrol of workers had found a new area of high radiation near tanks used to store contaminated water.

Japan's nuclear watchdog chief said on Monday that contaminated water from the ruined Fukushima nuclear plant must be released into the ocean eventually, warning the plant remains fragile with many risks.

The operator of Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear plant said on Thursday new spots of high radiation had been found near storage tanks holding highly contaminated water, raising fear of fresh leaks as the disaster goes from bad to worse.

The operator of the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant says it is struggling with its latest efforts to stop contaminated underground water leaks from running into the sea.

Japan's nuclear regulator expressed growing alarm on Wednesday at increased contamination beside the seafront of the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station and urged the plant's operators to take protective measures.

Tokyo Electric Power Co said on Tuesday it had detected radioactive caesium in groundwater flowing into its wrecked Fukushima Daiichi plant, reversing an earlier finding that any contamination was negligible.

Hundreds of survivors of the Fukushima nuclear crisis in Japan filed a class action lawsuit on Monday seeking restitution of the region that was contaminated by radioactive fallout.

Radioactive contamination from Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant hit by a tsunami in 2011 has drifted as far north as waters off a remote Alaska island in the Bering Strait, scientists said on Wednesday.

Radiation from Japan's 2011 nuclear disaster has spread off North American shores and contamination is increasing at previously identified sites, although levels are still too low to threaten human or ocean life, scientists said on Thursday.

The operator of the tsunami-crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant said on Tuesday it had found a pool of highly contaminated water on the roof of a plant building and that it had probably leaked into the sea through a gutter when it rained.

A Japanese cabinet minister apologised on Tuesday after appearing to suggest people in nuclear disaster-hit Fukushima could be persuaded to put up with contaminated waste if the government threw cash at them.

The operator of Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear plant said on Wednesday it has begun a bypass system that diverts groundwater into the sea in a bid to reduce the volume of contaminated water.

Six workers at Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant were exposed to leaking radioactive water after one of them mistakenly removed a pipe to a water treatment system, the plant's operator said on Wednesday.

Japan's atomic watchdog summoned the boss of Fukushima-operator TEPCO today for a public dressing down over sloppy standards at the crippled nuclear plant, as yet another problem with contaminated water emerged.

Radiation readings around tanks holding contaminated water at the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant have spiked more than 20 percent to their highest level, Japan's nuclear regulator said, again raising questions about the clean-up of the worst atomic disaster in 27 years.

Tokyo Electric Power, the operator of the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant, said today that a patrol of workers had found a new area of high radiation near tanks used to store contaminated water.

Japan's nuclear watchdog chief said on Monday that contaminated water from the ruined Fukushima nuclear plant must be released into the ocean eventually, warning the plant remains fragile with many risks.

The operator of Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear plant said on Thursday new spots of high radiation had been found near storage tanks holding highly contaminated water, raising fear of fresh leaks as the disaster goes from bad to worse.

The operator of the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant says it is struggling with its latest efforts to stop contaminated underground water leaks from running into the sea.

Japan's nuclear regulator expressed growing alarm on Wednesday at increased contamination beside the seafront of the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station and urged the plant's operators to take protective measures.

Tokyo Electric Power Co said on Tuesday it had detected radioactive caesium in groundwater flowing into its wrecked Fukushima Daiichi plant, reversing an earlier finding that any contamination was negligible.

Hundreds of survivors of the Fukushima nuclear crisis in Japan filed a class action lawsuit on Monday seeking restitution of the region that was contaminated by radioactive fallout.