Meanwhile, back in Fukushima...

Before you read another word, this needs to be said. This episode of withholding data is NOT an example of what can happen with Japan's new secrecy protecting policy. This is about a public utility keeping the public uninformed, and it is about news being reported as soon as it became available.

Now, on to the latest revelations about the damage to sea water, from Jiji press, through The Japan Times online edition:


Regulators expected to demand detailed explanation for latest evasion

Tepco hid record-level radiation data last July

JIJI



Feb 11, 2014

Tokyo Electric Power Co. did not tell the public until recently that massively high levels of radiation were found in groundwater collected last July at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, even though the utility was aware of the data that month, according to sources.

Tepco released the data on Feb. 6 showing that the groundwater contained a record 5 million becquerels per liter of radioactive strontium-90.

When Tepco reported the data to the Nuclear Regulation Authority last week, it initially claimed that it had only recently compiled the data, NRA sources said.

However, the embattled utility later corrected the timing, apparently showing that it had withheld the record readings, the sources said.

The withholding of the radiation data looks to be the latest in a long line of missteps for the utility, experts said.