The Fukushima Central Television (FCT) reported on Wednesday an announcement by the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the operator of the Fukushima nuclear power plant (NPP), regarding a new leak of contaminated water from radioactive water treatment equipment.

The leak was detected by a station employee at 9:00 local time (0:00 GMT) during an inspection of the equipment. They found that 10 out of 16 valves were open when they should have been closed.

According to TEPCO, it is estimated that the volume of water is 5.5 tonnes - containing radionuclides, radioactive cesium, and strontium, while the content of radioactive substances is anticipated at 22 billion becquerels.

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A large portion of the contaminated water has presumably already been absorbed into the soil, while a monitoring station located next to the nearby sewage channel shows no indication of changes in radiation levels.

The leak occurred in an isolated area, and efforts will be made to remove the contaminated soil, according to a statement from TEPCO.

In October, Japan commenced the release of the second batch of treated radioactive water from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant (NPP) into the ocean. TEPCO began releasing a portion of the 1.34 million tons of treated wastewater back in August, which sparked local and international condemnation.

Contamination Coincidence?

Last month, the Japanese news agency Kyodo reported that TEPCO intends to discharge approximately 54,600 tonnes of treated water from the facility during the fiscal year 2024.

In December 2023, thousands of dead fish washed up on Japan's shores due to an unknown phenomenon that left authorities confused. A couple of days earlier, Nakiri, a town miles away from Hokkaido, witnessed a similar phenomenon when around 40 tons of dead sardines washed up on its shore. 

The Daily Mail hypothesized a connection between the phenomenon of dead fish and the contamination of Japan's waters by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, a theory firmly rejected by the Japanese government. 

This came after fishermen complained and opposed the dumping of wastewater from the plant into Japanese seas that began in August. 

In March 2011, Fukushima suffered one of the world's worst nuclear disasters since Chornobyl after a tsunami rocked the islands. 

About 1.33 million cubic meters of groundwater, rainwater, and water used for cooling the three damaged reactors at the Fukushima site are now being released.