Despite the cover-up after cover-up, the endless lies, the Fukushima reactors are still poisoning the Pacific Ocean and the air. Will we ever be able to grasp the scope of damage these lies have caused to the naive people of Japan and the rest of the world?  - Phyllis Carter

Here's the latest of our news bulletins from the ongoing crisis at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. -  Greenpeace

State of the Fukushima Reactors

After more than two and a half years of denying that radioactive water was contaminating the Pacific Ocean off the coast of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, TEPCO has finally admitted that the damaged plant, site of three nuclear meltdowns, has been steadily leaking toxic water into the sea. The admission comes after Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) ordered the company to further investigate leaks of highly contaminated groundwater. Environmental experts (including Greenpeace) have long suspected that contaminated water was pouring into the ocean, based on contamination levels of groundwater near the reactor buildings and tests performed on samples of seawater. But, utility officials denied it until now. Beginning in May, levels of radioactive cesium, tritium, and strontium in groundwater all began to rise astronomically, fueling concerns that an even more significant leak has sprung somewhere.Workers are continuing to investigate those leaks, but so far have not been able to determine the cause of the problem.

In spite of the admission, TEPCO is insisting that the contaminated water has remained within the plant's port, apparently ignoring the natural pattern of ocean tides. Marine experts have expressed concern that the steady flow of radioactive materials has contaminated ocean plant life, as well as fish and shellfish. Ultimately, they worry that the food chain will be contaminated, placing humans at risk.

Tetsu Nozaki, head of the Fukushima Prefectural Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations, expressed dismay, pointing out the fact that TEPCO has lied for the past 28 months. "It was quite shocking. TEPCO's explanation is totally different from the one in the past," he said. The fishing industry in Fukushima Prefecture has been completely decimated by the nuclear crisis, as consumers continue to express concerns about the hazards of consuming contaminated seafood.

Meanwhile, TEPCO said that steam that was rising from the fifth floor of the building housing reactor #3, which disappeared over the weekend, is once again apparent. Officials are not able to explain why. The steam was first discovered at 8:20 am on July 18, but had vanished by the next day. It began to rise again today just after 9 AM JST. Officials said that radiation, temperature, and pressure at the reactor remain the same, and there is no criticality (the point at which self-sustaining nuclear reactions occur). TEPCO is blaming the steam on rain falling through the damaged roof of the reactor building, which then evaporated, causing steam and condensation--but has not clarified why no steam appeared when it rained previously over the past two years and four months.

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/news/Blogs/nuclear-reaction/fukushima-nuclear-crisis-update-for-july-19th/blog/46031/