The news has triggered widespread fear among locals that the leaking of highly radioactive water may just be the beginning.
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Fukushima contaminated water triggers local fear. |
Since the accident at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in March 2011, the residents of Fukushima have never had a time to ease their minds from radiation fears. Fukushima farmer and fishermen fought to reassure safety of their products, and displaced residents dreamed of returning to their homes.
But repeated reports of contaminated water leaks betrayed their hopes.
Tomioka is the closest town to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Time here has stopped for two and a half years. The question that former residents are asking is whether there will ever be a day when they can come back and live here again. The radiation level here is still high and contaminated water is pouring continuously into the soil.
After days of denial, Tokyo Electric admitted that some of 300 tons of contaminated water leaked into the ocean, drawing anger from local fishermen.
"What can we tell the younger generation about what happened to our ocean?"
"It is not acceptable to say the water has accumulated and unfortunately some of them slipped into the sea."
Residents fear the situation may be uncontrollable.
"It is no longer a matter for the Tokyo Electric. It is becoming an international matter and I want the government to take the initiative to prevent these occurrences."
Radiation as high as six millisievert was recorded in some of the drains at the power plant. Residents are frustrated that government has not intervened to prevent further occurrences.
Experts fear that underground water sources and local life forms may be affected. Blair Thornton, associate professor at Tokyo University, said, "What we have found is that there are extremely localized areas where the concentration of radioactive cesium is up to five, ten times higher than the local surroundings."
"We didn't know that we have these kinds of high-concentration deposits, so it's necessary to perform more surveys of the marine creatures that are in these areas."
Japan's Nuclear Regulations Authority is planning to conduct inspections on Friday. But residents say the damage is already done, as fishermen decide to stop fishing and people fear to swim at the beaches.
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