Fukushima and nuclear war

Fukushima 'running out of space' to store radioactive water --Nuclear engineer: 'Radioactive water in the basements may already be getting into the underground water system, where it could reach far beyond the plant, possibly into the ocean or public water supplies.' 25 Oct 2012 Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant is struggling to find space to store tens of thousands of tons of highly contaminated water, it emerged today. About 200,000 tons of radioactive water used to cool the broken reactors are being stored in hundreds of gigantic tanks built around the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant. Tepco's tanks are filling up mostly because leaks in reactor facilities are allowing ground water to pour in.

Japan: Nuclear radiation could leak past zones 25 Oct 2012 Radiation leaks from Japan's nuclear reactors could spread farther than expected in the event of an accident, the country's nuclear regulatory agency said. Simulations conducted by the Nuclear Regulation Authority found hazardous levels of radiation could go beyond the 18.6-mile-radius priority zones used for emergency management planning, The Yomiuri Shimbun reported Thursday. A report released Wednesday by the NRA said the simulations found accumulated radiation levels around four of 16 nuclear plants could reach levels at which residents would need to evacuate in seven days.

Fukushima fish still radioactive --Many have cesium levels that are just as high as they were after disaster 25 Oct 2012 More than a year and a half after the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster in Japan, many fish in the area contain levels of radioactive cesium that are just as high as they were soon after the nuclear crisis. The finding suggests that the region's coastal-dwelling fish are still being exposed to new sources of cesium, possibly from the seafloor or from contaminated groundwater that's flowing into the ocean.

Britain rejects US request to use UK bases in nuclear standoff with Iran --Secret legal advice states pre-emptive strike could be in breach of international law as Iran not yet 'clear and present threat' --Military action not 'right course', Downing Street says 25 Oct 2012 Britain has rebuffed US pleas to use military bases in the UK to support the build-up of forces in the Gulf, citing secret legal advice which states that any pre-emptive strike on Iran could be in breach of international law. The Guardian has been told that US diplomats have also lobbied for the use of British bases in Cyprus, and for permission to fly from US bases on Ascension Island in the Atlantic and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, both of which are British territories. The US approaches are part of contingency planning over the nuclear standoff with Tehran, but British ministers have so far reacted coolly. They have pointed US officials to legal advice drafted by the attorney general's office which has been circulated to Downing Street, the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defence.