Japan live blog: Company says radiation exposure could have been avoided
Local residents clear debris around their homes in the town of Otsuchi in Iwate prefecture on March 26.
March 26th, 2011
05:55 AM ET

Japan live blog: Company says radiation exposure could have been avoided

A magnitude 9.0 earthquake hit northern Japan on March 11, triggering tsunamis that caused widespread devastation and crippled a nuclear power plant. Are you in an affected area? Send an iReport. Read the full report on the quake's aftermath and check out our interactive explainer on Japan's damaged nuclear reactors.

[5:30 a.m. ET Saturday, 6:41 p.m. Saturday in Tokyo] An official with the Tokyo Electric Power Company, which runs the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, apologized Saturday and said the exposure of three workers to highly radioactive water could have been avoided with better communication.

Hideyuki Koyama said tests of water found in the basement of the No. 1 reactor's turbine building on March 18 showed high levels of radiation.

That fact - and a general sense that water accumulating in turbine and others buildings around the plant may be dangerously radioactive - did not appear to resonate on March 24 during an operation in the No. 3 reactor's turbine building. On that date, three workers were exposed to between 173 and 181 millisieverts of radiation, including two with direct exposure on their skin, while laying cable.

Koyama said that radiation alarms went off while the men were working, but they continued with their mission for between 40 and 50 minutes assuming it was a false alarm.

[1:55 a.m. ET Saturday, 2:55 p.m. Saturday in Tokyo] Airborne radiation levels continue to fall outside the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, though concerns remain about potentially ominous breaches in reactor cores after water showed alarming radiation levels in tests at two locales.

An official with the Tokyo Electric Power Co. - which operates the facility - told reporters Saturday that water samples from the turbine buildings for the Nos. 1 and 2 reactors similarly found high levels of radiation.

 Post by:
Filed under: 2011 tsunami • Japan • Uncategorized
soundoff (163 Responses)
  1. Reader

    Remember the good old days when women use to undo there straps at the beach so they wouldn't have tan lines.

    March 26, 2011 at 10:17 am | Report abuse |
  2. L64

    Pure concentrated...sounds like orange juice.

    March 26, 2011 at 10:18 am | Report abuse |
  3. L64

    Lol reader...is this connected to butt sun?

    March 26, 2011 at 10:20 am | Report abuse |
  4. Reader

    I told u i'm still half asleep , but i'm awake now. Yes in a way it is , Sun = women = body parts 🙂

    March 26, 2011 at 10:36 am | Report abuse |
  5. RUFFNUTT

    im lost so i dont have a reBUTTel.. i guess i'll go eat some toast with BUTTer on it..

    March 26, 2011 at 10:48 am | Report abuse |
  6. L64

    Ahh l see.

    March 26, 2011 at 10:49 am | Report abuse |
  7. Herbert

    @banasy: Hi, where ever you are. 🙂

    March 26, 2011 at 10:50 am | Report abuse |
  8. Herbert

    So banasy, Reader is half asleep. Guess he will fully wake up when he needs to scratch his butt.

    March 26, 2011 at 10:55 am | Report abuse |
  9. RUFFNUTT

    if your leg falls asleep are you only 3/4's awake?

    March 26, 2011 at 10:59 am | Report abuse |
    • Reader

      I know I had it once and screwed it up. If you are in love with this women stop beating around the bush and tell her. Just some friendly advice.

      March 26, 2011 at 11:25 am | Report abuse |
  10. Reader

    U obviously are upset , dont be just pointing out the obvious , next time get a room

    March 26, 2011 at 11:02 am | Report abuse |
  11. Herbert

    So, you scratched your butt I see. Good 4 U.

    March 26, 2011 at 11:03 am | Report abuse |
  12. Reader

    ok, that will be that I wont argue with love

    March 26, 2011 at 11:08 am | Report abuse |
  13. Herbert

    Reader, we all know something of love. Tell me, what do you know about love???

    March 26, 2011 at 11:11 am | Report abuse |
  14. L64

    Life is too short for games, for sure.

    March 26, 2011 at 11:27 am | Report abuse |
  15. Reader

    o, it didnt get posted , let me try again. I know i had love once and screwed it up. If you love this women stop beating around the bush and tell her, just some frienly advice

    March 26, 2011 at 11:28 am | Report abuse |
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
« Back to main