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.

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Filed under: 2011 tsunami • Japan • Uncategorized
soundoff (163 Responses)
  1. L64

    I had toast with butter-and strawberry jam-for breakfast!

    March 26, 2011 at 11:31 am | Report abuse |
  2. Reader

    Bagel and cream cheese with coffee , gotta start laying off it though getting a belly

    March 26, 2011 at 11:32 am | Report abuse |
  3. Reader

    What about you Herbert, old buddy , are we pals now ?

    March 26, 2011 at 11:33 am | Report abuse |
  4. L64

    Love bagels! Yeah. Working on the calories here, too. Never ends! Too cold and rainy to walk, ton. Ugh!

    March 26, 2011 at 11:34 am | Report abuse |
  5. L64

    Too not ton!

    March 26, 2011 at 11:35 am | Report abuse |
  6. Reader

    Kinda cold here but I'm going out for a walk soon , L64 why that name ?

    March 26, 2011 at 11:36 am | Report abuse |
  7. RUFFNUTT

    why do they call it butter? it doesnt come out the cows butt.. it comes out the utter.. so shouldnt it be called utter?

    March 26, 2011 at 11:37 am | Report abuse |
  8. L64

    First initial and birth year. Just something quick and easy.

    March 26, 2011 at 11:38 am | Report abuse |
  9. L64

    Good question, ruff. You should research it and get back to us!

    March 26, 2011 at 11:39 am | Report abuse |
  10. Reader

    @ RuffNutt , I'm awake now and rolling on the floor , dude u are on my friend list for sure LOLOLOL

    March 26, 2011 at 11:40 am | Report abuse |
  11. Herbert

    Reader, what's wrong with you? I consider banasy a good friend. We get along and have similar views on politics, war, people, and other issues. I don't know her personal life, for all I know she is married, but I'm nuts about her for a friend. Besides, I'm already in a relationship with someone in person-not on-line. I've known her for several years. You're probably divorced dude. Have a nice weekend you nut.

    March 26, 2011 at 11:40 am | Report abuse |
  12. Reader

    @l64 did u read the martin luther king blog that Jazz seems real hot

    March 26, 2011 at 11:41 am | Report abuse |
  13. Reader

    @ Herbert , good point online verses in person , ok u too and we are all nuts

    March 26, 2011 at 11:42 am | Report abuse |
  14. Herbert

    Yea Reader, we are pals, just like banasy, RuffNutt, and L64. I was Cesar r, but I stole Dwayne's name for now. And he knows it.

    March 26, 2011 at 11:46 am | Report abuse |
  15. L64

    Well nothing is posting!

    March 26, 2011 at 11:47 am | Report abuse |
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