Several months to cover Japan crisis

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/173311.html

Japan says a plan to cover its crisis-hit Fukushima atomic plant with special radiation-shielding sheets cannot offer a quick remedy and will last until September.

Tokyo Electrical Power Co. (TEPCO), the operator of the nuclear plant, said on Wednesday that it has been asked to study the installment process.

Meanwhile, a major firm commissioned to examine the idea said construction will not start until June.

Japanese engineers have reportedly succeeded to stop the leakage of radioactive substances into the seawater by injecting “water glass” to fill the crack on the pit in reactor number 2.

TEPCO has said that radioactive level in seawater has reached 7.5 million times the legal limit.

On Monday, TEPCO announced that they had no other choice but to release water with low radioactive contamination used to cool down the plant's damaged reactors into the Pacific Ocean. However, they said it does not pose any threat to human health.

After seeking help from the US and France, Japan has now asked Russia to send Suzuran, one of the world's largest liquid radioactive waste treatment plants, to tackle the problem.

Several Asian countries have banned the import of foods produced near the power plant due to high levels of radioactive iodine-131 found in regional vegetables and milk products.

The 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami which struck northeast Japan disabled the generator supplying power to Fukushima nuclear plant's cooling system, causing hazardous radiation due to overheating.

The disaster has left over 12,000 people dead and nearly 15,500 others still remain unaccounted for