Radiation leaks from fuel rods suspected at Tsuruga plant (JAPAN)

[AsahinaKimi]

A photograph shows the Tsuruga Nuclear Power Plant in Tsuruga, Fukui Prefecture. (Mainichi)

FUKUI (Kyodo) -- Leaks of radioactive substances from fuel rods are suspected to have occurred at a nuclear power plant in Tsuruga, the Fukui prefectural government said Monday, citing a rise in the level of radioactive substances in coolant water.

The operator, Japan Atomic Power Co., will manually shut down the No. 2 reactor of the plant on the Sea of Japan coast and examine the primary cooling system for it. The local government denied that the levels of radioactive substances could threaten the nearby environment.

According to Japan Atomic, 4.2 becquerels of iodine-133 and 3,900 becquerels of xenon gas were detected per cubic centimeter Monday, up from 2.1 and 5.2 becquerels, respectively, during previous measurements conducted last Tuesday.

MORE..
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110503p2g00m0dm027000c.html

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. For those missing this,

second and different facility from Fukushima...

My husband's reaction was all but surprise. Mine was OH SHIT!

[pa28]

2. I'm glad they have the option of shutting the plant down.

Nuclear power has no future in Japan at this point and I'll be curious to see which road they take for the future. Whatever alternatives they adopt will likely lead the way for the rest of the world so we should all take notice.