TEPCO eyes dumping groundwater from Fukushima plant

Tokyo Electric Power Co. plans to discharge some groundwater that has flowed into the premises of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, after finding that its radiation level is the same as in the rivers in surrounding areas, sources close to the matter said Wednesday.

At the Fukushima plant groundwater flows into reactor buildings and gets mixed with highly radioactive water that is accumulating inside. But TEPCO has created a dozen wells to pump out the groundwater before it seeps into the buildings and becomes contaminated.

As a trial, TEPCO has pumped out about 200 tons of groundwater using the wells. Its density of radioactive substances was "the same as rivers in surrounding areas," according to company officials.
[link to english.kyodonews.jp]
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