And in other disturbing news today
Japanese engineers at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant have been forced to release radioactive waste water into the sea…Plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) was forced on Monday to release low-level radioactive seawater that had been used to cool overheated fuel rods after it ran out of storage capacity for more highly contaminated water. A TEPCO official was in tears as he told a news conference: “We are very sorry for this region and those involved.” The water, which is being released to free storage capacity for more highly contaminated water, is about 100 times more radioactive than legal limits. Koichi Nakamura, a deputy director-general of Japan’s Nuclear Industrial Safety Agency (NISA), told a news conference in Vienna about 11,500 metric tons of water would have to be discharged….Engineers planned to build two giant “silt curtains” made of polyester fabric in the sea to hinder the spread of more contamination from the plant.
via Japan seeks Russian help to end nuclear crisis | Reuters.
‘Reassuring’ the public takes the place of informing the public of the real dangers. This disaster will affect the world, not just Japan, and it is a wise step for all families to purchase a handheld geiger counter so as to know the truth of contamination of goods in the global marketplace. I’d also say that the nuclear power industry’s statements and ‘reassurances’ should be read as a political strategy to retain the billions of dollars it enjoys from government subsidies and research grants.