Japan

High Radiation Detected in Groundwater

Tepco ordered to review data again.

This sounds ominous. Japan's nuclear safety agency ordered the power utility in charge of the stricken nuclear plants to review its radiation measurements, saying it seems suspiciously high. Tokyo Electric Power has repeatedly had to take back its radiation figures after announcing them to be alarmingly high, sapping confidence in the company's ability to handle the crisis. The latest radiation figure showed that groundwater under one of the reactors contained iodine concentrations 10,000 times the government standard. Tepco says the high number seems to be the result of a glitch in its computer program—but also that it might be correct. If it's accurate, there's a chance the radiation could leak into wells or waterways, but experts say it's more likely it would seep into the ocean and disperse.