Tepco disposing of low radioactive water in Pacific Ocean

Tokyo Electric Power Co. began disposing of a total of 10,000 tons of water containing low-level radioactive substances in the Pacific Ocean on Monday from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to make room to store more highly polluted water filling the No. 2 reactor turbine building, as the water is hampering the plant’s restoration work, it said.

Separately from the contaminated water kept in a waste processing building, the company also said it plans to release 1,500 tons of groundwater, also containing radioactive materials, near the No. 5 and No. 6 reactors.

The government said the water disposal will pose ”no major health risk” and is inevitable in order to secure safety.

TEPCO is also stepping up efforts to stop highly radioactive water from leaking into the sea, and the company used colored powder Monday to try to locate the point from where radioactive water is leaking into the sea.