A nuclear reactor in Japan was shut down due to a radioactive steam leak
In Japan, Reactor No. 2 at the Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant was temporarily shut down after radioactive steam was detected in the turbine building. The plant operator states that radiation levels were low and that there is currently no threat to the public. This was reported by The Japan Times, citing a statement from the company.
The Japanese company Tohoku Electric Power shut down the second reactor at the Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant in Miyagi Prefecture after a leak of radioactive steam was detected at the facility. The incident occurred on Friday at approximately 5:10 p.m. local time. During a routine inspection, one of the employees noticed steam coming from a sump in the basement of the reactor turbine building.
The company reported that this tank is used to collect wastewater from the plant’s equipment. Workers attempted to close a valve connected to the system, but the leak did not stop immediately.
After an inspection, specialists detected elevated levels of radioactivity in the water that had pooled on the floor near the leak site. At the same time, the company emphasized that the readings were very low—approximately a thousand times lower than the limit set by the Japanese government. “There is no threat to the public,” noted representatives of the plant operator.
Reactor No. 2 had only recently been returned to operation following maintenance. It was restarted last Monday, and electricity production resumed on Thursday evening.
The commercial launch of the reactor was scheduled for early June, but these dates may now change due to additional inspections. The company also specifically emphasized that the reactor was not damaged by the earthquake that occurred off the coast of Miyagi Prefecture that same evening.
The Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant is located in northeastern Japan and is considered one of the country’s most secure facilities following the 2011 Fukushima disaster. Safety requirements for Japanese nuclear power plants were significantly tightened after that accident.
Experts are currently continuing to inspect the equipment and investigate the cause of the steam. Japanese authorities have not yet reported any new risks or leaks.
