Radiation readings near the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant have risen to more than 50% the accepted safe limit.
Tokyo Electric Power said levels of tritium in water taken from a well near irradiated storage tanks had risen to 97,000 becquerels per litre, having been 64,000 becquerels per litre the day before.
Japanese nuclear plants are permitted to release water at levels up to 60,000 becquerels a litre of tritium.
Beta groundwater readings at the same place, however, had declined slightly, but the new figures will cast further doubt on Tepco’s plans to divert groundwater from near the plant into the Pacific Ocean.
The figures come as Tepco was urged to employ a third party to handle decommissioning of the plant by the head of its own reform committee.
Dale Klein said a separate-company model would follow the example used after the Three Mile Island accident in the USA in 1979.
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