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>> Seven years on from the Fukushima nuclear disaster, and Japan is still grappling with lingering danger. Data from Tepco, the Daiichi nuclear plant's operator, shows water seeping in is preventing efforts to remove melted radioactive fuel. When the plant was batted by tsunami, 160,000 residents were forced to flee radiation from its reactors.
Afterwards, a $320 million ice wall, was built underground to keep water at bay. Reuters Malcolm Foster say's, new data proves the barrier is failing.>> The ice wall was meant as a last line of defense to keep clean ground water from flowing into the damaged reactor basements, where it would mix with radioactive debris and become contaminated.
And create tons, and tons of toxic water that TEPCO had to do something with. The ice wall seems to be slowing the water somewhat, but still a lot of water is getting through. Based on TEPCO's data, about 140 tons a day in the last 6 months has been getting in since the wall has been fully operational.
That's a lot of water.>> Making matters worse, a Japan's seasonal typhoons. When heavy rain lashes the area, it floods the reactors with hundreds of tonnes of water.>> TEPCO is stuck with all this contaminated that it has to do something with. In low doses, it's not harmful to humans.
And many nuclear plants around the world release that water into the ocean and rivers, as long as it meets government set standards.>> TEPCO would like to release some of the treated water into the ocean. But local residents are afraid that will hit demand for Fukushima products. Like fish, which had just started to pick up.
But TEPCO's already holding 1 million tons of water, and says, in three years, just after the Tokyo Olympics, tank space will have fully ran out.