Temporary containers to store highly radioactive water rushed to Fukushima Daiichi

Japan's NHK public broadcasting reports that 370 containers, each capable of storing 100 to 120 tons of water (video still at left), are being rushed to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant as fears grow that storage space for 105,000 tons of highly contaminated radioactive water -- the result of months of desparate attempts to cool three melted down reactor cores, as well as multiple storage pools for high-level radioactive water. USA Today reports that storage space for highly contaminated radioactive cooling water could run out by June 20th -- or even sooner -- if expected heavy seasonal rains arrive, causing uncontrollable overflow that could yet again spill directly into the ocean. In addition to unintentional releases of radioactive water into the ocean via cracks apparently caused by the March 11th earthquake, several weeks ago Tepco intentionally discharged 11,500 tons of radioactive water into the ocean, in order to free up storage space for even more contaminated cooling water -- orders of magnitude more radioactive than what was intentionally released into the ocean. Such radioactivity releases into the ocean likely explain the worsening contamination of ocean water, edible seaweed, and numerous marine animal species.