Power Restored to Nuke Reactor

The Wall Street Journal reports:

TOKYO—Japan's nuclear watchdog said Tuesday that electricity has been reconnected to the No. 4 reactor at the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, but power has not yet been turned on, indicating further progress in efforts to revive the plant's cooling system.

According to the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, power has also been fully restored to reactor No. 5, while Nos. 2, 4 and 6 have been reconnected to the grid.

Plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. is currently using fire trucks to flood the reactors and nearby pools holding spent fuel rods as it tries to stop overheating. If power is restored, these facilities could be cooled more effectively.

Meanwhile, the agency said that smoke from reactor No. 3 seems to have stopped, but that a small plume of what appears to be steam is still rising from reactor No. 2.

Meanwhile, the Japan Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said it detected higher-than-permitted levels of radioactive materials in seawater near the complex, raising the possibility that contamination from the plant could spread to marine life.

The agency said there is no immediate health risk to humans, as the area around the plant had already been evacuated.

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