Japan’s Fukushima nuclear crisis continues to get worse. The emergency has been upgraded to a level three rating calling it a “serious incident.” The operator was castigated for not dealing with the problem earlier.
300-tons (300,000-liter, 80,000-gallon) of contaminated water leaked out of the storage containers on the site before it was discovered on Aug 19. But the larger problem is that an additional 300 tons of contaminated ground water are reaching the sea every day, contaminating marine products. That is enough water to fill an Olympic size swimming pool every eight days. The ocean fish in the area have high levels of cesium-134, say analysts.
It could also contaminate ground water downstream. Ground water in the area also has much higher levels of contamination that are permitted even under the emergency standard for drinking water.
Scientists say “radiation levels in the sea around Japan have been holding steady and not falling as they would if the situation were under control.” This is far less than what was released at the time of the tsunami and its immediate aftermath, but it is still very serious.
All the efforts to stop the water contamination and leakage have appeared to be unsuccessful.
“Even now he is at work. In accidents and calamities by sea and by land, in great conflagrations, in fierce tornadoes and terrific hailstorms, in tempests, floods, cyclones, tidal waves, and earthquakes, in every place and in a thousand forms, Satan is exercising his power. He sweeps away the ripening harvest, and famine and distress follow. He imparts to the air a deadly taint, and thousands perish by the pestilence. These visitations are to become more and more frequent and disastrous. Destruction will be upon both man and beast.” Great Controversy, page 589