Japan:
¶ Radiation levels at the town of Futaba, 5.6 km northwest of Fukushima Daiichi, had already gone above safe limits before the first explosion at the plant. [The Japan Times]
¶ A crane knocked a steel beam 7 m. long (23′ 4″), weighing 470 kg. (1034 lbs.), into the Unit 3 spent fuel pool. [NKH]
¶ The town assembly of Okuma, Fukushima, approved a reconstruction plan, under which no residents may return home for at least five years. [The Daily Yomiuri]
US:
¶ A large plastic bin washed ashore in Hawaii, the first debris from the tsunami following the Tohoku Earthquake of 2011 to hit the islands. A Japanese official confirmed that it came from the Fukushima Daiichi plant. [BigPond News]
¶ A better system for transmission and distribution is key to developing renewable electric generation in the US. [The Sun]
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