TEPCO announces contaminated groundwater storage leaks

Following the announcement from Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) that the groundwater being stored at the damaged No.1 Nuclear power station in Fukushima is more radioactive than previously thought, the company has now announced that radioactive water is leaking from the storage facilities.

The announcement that caesium had been found in groundwater at the planton June 4th raised doubts from many as to TEPCO's ability to manage the damaged plant. The discovery of a leaking contaminated groundwater storage tank was made on June 5th, raising more concerns.

TEPCO has stressed that the leak is only in one of the tanks - out of the hundred steel storage tanks currently in operation at the plant - and that the leak is small and slow. The company has also stated that the leak has only seen about a quart drip out of the tank so far and that the radiation levels of the leaked water are safe.

The tanks are used to store the vast quantities of contaminated groundwater that is at the plant and currently take up every bit of available space at the site. Plans were being discussed with the local fishing community to dump the water into the sea, with TEPCO stating that the radiation levels were safe. Following Tuesday's announcement of caesium in the water the fishing community was even more reluctant about letting the plans go ahead and the discovery of a leak has further undermined the company.

TEPCO officials have said that the monitoring points that are located near the plant have not registered any change in radioactivity levels, despite the leaking tank. The possibility of any of the leaking contaminated groundwater making it to the sea - which is about 400 metres from the site of the tank - is highly unlikely.

This latest discovery is another in a string of problems that TEPCO has had to deal with following the tsunami of 2011. Although the plant is now stable, the problems continue and it could take a further 40 years for the plant to be fully decommissioned.