Nuclear Reactor In Northeastern Japan To Halt Over Water Leak

TOKYO, Oct 15 (NNN-Kyodo) -- The No. 2 reactor at the Onagawa nuclear plant in northeastern Japan will be halted around Saturday due to a small amount of water leaking from a valve, the operator said, Kyodo News reported.

Tohoku Electric Power Co. said Thursday the leaked water, which contains a small amount of a radioactive substance, has been collected, and no abnormal radiation levels have been detected in the surrounding environment around the plant in Miyagi Prefecture.

It will take about 10 days to reactivate the reactor, including the process of examining and replacing the parts, the operator said.

The water level of a drainage sump has been rising since July, and the operator determined that water has been leaking. It estimates about 0.2 tonnes of water have been leaking per hour.

In October 2024, the Onagawa plant's No. 2 unit became the first reactor to operate in eastern Japan since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami devastated the northeastern part of the country.

--NNN-KYODO