Fukushima Crisis

In March 2011, after a 9.0 earthquake hit Japan causing a tsunami to destroy the coasts and kill thousands of people, the Fukushima Nuclear Plant had one of the worst nuclear accidents the world had seen since Chernobyl. Three of the plants reactors melted down, causing the leakage of substantial amounts of radioactive material.

http://www.geek.com/science/fukushima-radiation-has-reached-california-but-its-really-nothing-to-worry-about-1609326/

The site has been in clean up mode ever since the disaster. Four remaining reactors are on the verge of melting down, forcing clean up crews to take some sort of action. Their solution; dumping 11,000 tons of low level radioactive water into the ocean. Normally this would be an illegal act, but the Japanese government is making an exception for the plant.

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2013/09/17/1000-tons-polluted-fukushima-water-dumped-sea

The plant stated that they had no choice but to do this and that they are very sorry. The public seems to be outraged this is happening, especially after a fish was caught between the coasts of Fukushima and Tokyo that had 2 pounds of ion 131 in its system, a radioactive substance. Many are concerned that the laws in place on radioactive water are not strict enough, and that the government needs to be more concerned.

http://www.gcc.mass.edu/environmentaljusticeblog/2014/05/11/fukushima-government-and-tepco-ignores-protests/

Many professionals, such as GreenPeaces's Jan Beranek, state there are other ways to deal with the radiation problem other than dumping it in the ocean. There are floating radiation treatment

plants that solidify contaminated liquid waste, "silk curtains" planted in the sea to block off contaminated water, and a giant barge to hold the water. 

http://cryptome.org/eyeball/daiichi-npp4/daiichi-photos4.htm

This environmental disaster has nuclear powers credibility looking kind of shaky. Other plants around the globe are over looking their plans at what they would do in the case of a major disaster such as Fukushima. 

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/other/fukushima-evacuation-has-killed-more-earthquake-tsunami-survey-says-f8C11120007

Sources:

Harrell, Eben. "Fukushima: Dumping into the Sea | TIME.com." Science Space Fukushima Dumping into the Sea Comments. Time, 5 Apr. 2011. Web. 07 Dec. 2014.

"Fukushima Accident." Fukushima Accident. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2014.