nuclear-news

395 bags of tainted material washed away in floods

Japan’s Environment Ministry says nearly 400 bags of weeds and other waste contaminated with radioactive materials were washed into a river during a torrential rain in Fukushima.

The plastic bags contained weeds, branches and soil from cleanup work in Iitate Village in the prefecture. The area was contaminated by fallout from the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident.

The bags were being stored on farmland near a river temporarily.

The ministry says that of the 395 bags that were washed away, 314 were recovered. But about half of them were torn, and their contents were empty.

Environment Minister Yoshio Mochizuki noted on Tuesday that the grass and branches in the bags had been collected recently and had relatively low radiation levels. He suggested that the possibility they will affect the environment is low.

He added that his ministry will work to recover the remaining bags and implement measures to prevent a recurrence. 

Source: NHK 

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20150915_24.html

September 16, 2015 - Posted by dunrenard | Japan | Contaminated Waste, Flooding, Fukushima continuing