TOKYO — August 29, 2013 — Japan’s nuclear regulator said Thursday that it is largely unknown what impact radioactive water leaking from the country’s wrecked nuclear plant is having on the Pacific Ocean and the situation must be monitored more closely.
Nuclear Regulation Authority Chairman Shunichi Tanaka said the current monitoring of the ongoing leaks at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant was insufficient and he urged a more comprehensive effort to monitor contamination in the ocean near the plant.
Also Thursday, Japanese fisheries association executives strongly criticized the plant operator over the unstoppable leaks, saying the situation could doom Japan’s fishing industry.
The plant suffered triple meltdowns after the massive earthquake and tsunami in March 2011. The plant’s operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co., must constantly cool the reactors with water, and is struggling to contain the waste.