Mainichi (emphasis added): [TEPCO] announced on Sept. 9 that rainwater contaminated with radioactive materials had leaked from [Fukushima Daiichi's] drainage system into the ocean. The heavy rains brought on by Typhoon Etau exceeded the capacity of a transfer pump… TEPCO says it does not know how much contaminated water leaked into the ocean…

ABC News: Epic flooding in Japan threatening the Fukushima plant… Serious concern this morning about a nuclear power plant in the flood zone… Torrential downpours [are] raising concerns about the Fukushima power plant [and] may overwhelm the site‘s drainage pumps.

Reuters: [TEPCO said] hundreds of tonnes of contaminated water have flowed into the ocean from the Fukushima nuclear plant… officials [are] expecting at least 200 mm more [in] Fukushima… before the downpour stops on Friday.

AFP: Japan flags grave danger from floods and water tainted by Fukushima nuke plant radiation… [H]eavy rain pounded the country, sending radiation-tainted waters into the ocean at the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant… The torrential downpour has also exacerbated a contaminated water problem at the Fukushima nuclear plant as it overwhelmed the site’s drainage pumps, a spokesman for operator Tokyo Electric Power said.

Weather Channel: JMA issued landslide warnings [to] parts of Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures, including areas near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant… According to the Mainichi Shimbun, a national newspaper, the heavy rain caused contaminated water from the site to run off into the Pacific Ocean…

UPI: More radioactive water has leaked out from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant… the site’s drainage pumps were overwhelmed — causing radioactive water to leak…

Telegraph: The huge rains also exacerbated a contaminated water problem at the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant as it overwhelmed the site’s drainage pumps…

Guardian: The heavy rain… has also caused additional leaks of radioactive water at the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant… [JMA] warned that heavy rain would continue in the northeast, including Fukushima prefecture, until early Friday morning.

ABC Australia: The torrential downpour has exacerbated a contaminated water problem at the Fukushima nuclear plant as it overwhelmed the site’s drainage pumps, sending hundreds of tonnes of contaminated water flowing into the ocean, [TEPCO] said.

ABC News: Japanese authorities are particularly concerned about the flooding, given its proximity to… [Fukushima's] nuclear power plants… “The torrential downpour is threatening safety at the Fukushima nuclear plant, closed since the 2011 disaster, as it has overwhelmed drainage pumps at the site’s contaminated water treatment facility,” a Japanese government official told ABC News.

EFE: … leaks have been caused in the embankments around the tanks where highly radioactive water is stored after they are used to cool the reactors…

Kyodo: Heavy rains whose severity was described as occurring once in 50 years were observed in… Fukushima Prefecture.

CNN: Fukushima prefecture… saw more than 30 centimeters (1 foot) of rain in 48 hours — the heaviest downpour there in 50 years, NHK said.

Watch ABC’s broadcast here

Published: September 10th, 2015 at 4:26 pm ET   By ENENews