"...a huge impact on the ocean."

Reuters reports that Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yukio Edano, has said "If the current situation continues for a long time, accumulating more radioactive substances, it will have a huge impact on the ocean," referring to uncontrolled discharges of highly radioactively contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Japan has called upon Russia to send a liquid radioactive waste processing ship, although its through-put capacity is quite limited, compared to the 11,500 tons of radioactively contaminated water Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) is now intentionally discharging into the ocean, to free up storage space for even more highly radioactively contaminated water inundating the site. Tepco has also claimed to be constructing a "silt curtain" in the ocean, in a desperate bid to block hazardous radioactive contaminants from flowing into the sea and its food chain.
 

"Canaries in an underwater coal mine" - ABC on radiation and tuna

Tuna in the Pacific near the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant will migrate to U.S. waters.  How might this impact U.S. fish stocks and the tuna we eat? ABC News reports.

Urge the Obamas to Build a Nuclear-Free Future for Our Children NOW

PLEASE SIGN OUR NEW PETITION ON CHANGE.ORG

Nuclear power is dirty, dangerous, and expensive – a point made clear by the tragedy unfolding at Japan’s crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant. The heavily damaged nuclear reactors are spreading radioactive waste into the environment. Contamination released in Japan will likely travel all over the world. 

Nuclear power is the only source of energy that poses the risk of an accident that could contaminate the lands we leave our children for hundreds of thousands of years. 

Nuclear reactors in the U.S. are just as vulnerable to natural disasters, mechanical failures, human errors, and loss of critical electric power supplies. More than 108 million Americans live within 50 miles of a nuclear reactor in the United States. Children are especially vulnerable to the effects of radiation.

With Japan’s nuclear tragedy fresh in our collective conscience, now is the time for President Obama to make the bold and necessary move away from dangerous nuclear energy. 

President Obama has stood up for renewable energy. First Lady, Michelle Obama, has made children’s health her signature cause. Let’s urge them, as both leaders and parents, to help ensure a healthier future for kids by advocating for energy from clean, renewable sources.

Our children -- and grandchildren – could look back on our generation as the one that started a real Renaissance in renewable energy that could meet much of the nation's energy needs. Renewable and energy efficient technologies can help restore political and economic stability, create jobs and save money…and the planet.

Read the petition and sign it here.

TEPCO plugs highly radioactive leak as situation remains grave

Tokyo Electric Power Company has apparently plugged one of the largest known and most radioactive leaks gushing into the Pacific Ocean by injecting a solution of sodium silicate or "liquid glass" into the ground around a crack in a concrete vault near Unit 2 containing extremely radioactive water measuring 100 rems/hr.  TEPCO continues to pour hundreds of tons of water into the damaged reactors to cool partially melted nuclear cores in the continuing fight to contain and bring the accident under control. The cooling operation however is creating a river of highly radioactive water flowing throughout of the reactor building that has spilled over into groundwater and the ocean. Japan is now asking for Russia to bring in a floating radiation treatment facility to begin to filter the radioactive river.

New York Times reports new threats at Fukushima Dai-Ichi reactors

The New York Times has obtained a copy of a confidential document prepared by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission's oversight team of the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant disaster. The nuclear hazard assessment warns of an increasingly complicated path towards restoring cooling and regaining control of the severely damaged reactor systems in four of the six units. New threats of more hydrogen gas explosions and futher damage to the reactors from water laden reactor buildings from more earthquake aftershocks may be increasing.

One of the most disturbing news story accounts taken from the NRC document states:

"The document also suggests that fragments or particles of nuclear fuel from spent fuel pools
above the reactors were blown “up to one mile from the units,” and that pieces of highly
radioactive material fell between two units and had to be “bulldozed over,” presumably to
protect workers at the site. The ejection of nuclear material, which may have occurred
during one of the earlier hydrogen explosions, may indicate more extensive damage to the
extremely radioactive pools than previously disclosed."