Radiation levels around Fukushima's contaminated water storage tanks spike to record highs

(http://www.reuters.com) According to Japan's nuclear regulator, radiation readings around the tanks holding contaminated water at the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant have spiked by more than a fifth, from 1,800 millisieverts (mSv) to 2,200 mSv, the highest level it has been.

The Japanese government said on Tuesday that it would spend almost $500 million to fix the growing levels of contaminated water at the plant, addressing fears of rising radiation levels and leaks.

Last month, the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) said that one of the tanks holding the contaminated water was leaking. Another leak that was later found and rising radiation levels have contributed to fears of further contamination.

"There's a strong possibility these tanks also leaked, or had leaked previously," said Hiroaki Koide, Assistant Professor at Kyoto University Research Reactor Institute. "We have to worry about the impact on nearby groundwater...These tanks are not sturdy and have been a problem since they were constructed two years ago."

It's also possible the radiation readings are increasing because of more frequent monitoring and inspections by TEPCO employees, indicating the hotspots and leaks have been there for some time, Koide said.

"The government has finally said they will be involved in this problem but they are still not going to be fully involved in the decommission," he said. "It is too little, too late."

TEPCO has stored enough radioactive water in its weak, faulty tanks to fill more than 130 Olympic-sized swimming pools. The government ordered the company to transfer all the water held in those tanks to more reliable tanks with welded seams.