Damaged Japanese nuclear plant 'may sit on fault line'

[babylonsister]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/japan/story/0,,2129237,00.html

Damaged Japanese nuclear plant 'may sit on fault line'


Justin McCurry in Tokyo
Wednesday July 18, 2007
Guardian Unlimited


The world's biggest nuclear power station faces an uncertain future after it emerged today that it may lie directly above the fault line that triggered this week's earthquake in which nine people died and more than 1,000 were injured.

The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant - the biggest in the world in terms of output capacity - has been shut down indefinitely after it shook violently when an earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale struck Niigata prefecture in northern Japan on Monday. The plant was not designed to resist shaking caused by earthquakes of greater than magnitude 6.5.

On another day of embarrassment for Japan's nuclear power industry, the Tokyo Electric Power company , which operates the plant, said the amount of radioactivity in water that leaked into the sea during the earthquake was 50% higher than it originally said. The firm blamed a calculation error and said the levels were still well within safety standards.

It also said that 400 drums of low-level radioactive waste - not 100 originally reported - had toppled over during the quake. About 40 lost their lids, spilling their contents on to the ground. The spillage was one of more than 50 malfunctions the plant experienced in the immediate aftermath of the quake.

International nuclear inspectors said they were concerned by Tepco's apparent lack of preparedness for such a powerful earthquake.

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[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. That's kind of redundant.

That's like saying Iowan Town sits in Midwest.

[babylonsister]

2. Allrighty then! I didn't know that! nt

[shadowrider]

3. Anyplace in Japan that DOESN'T sit on a fault line is a shock