It had earlier been reported that radiation levels around the Onagawa nuclear plant were higher than considered safe, and that because of that a state of emergency had been declared, but now it seems wind was a factor in that incident.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the U.N.’s nuclear agency, said earlier that Japan had declared a state of emergency at the Onagawa nuclear power plant. An investigation into the source of the over-the-limit radioactivity at the Onagawa power plant turned up a natural source: wind. The Onagawa nuclear power plant has three reactors.
Authorities now say that the increased nuclear radiation around the Onagawa power plant is due to radioactive material blown from the neartby Fukushima Power Plant, which had one reactor unit explode on Saturday. The explosion appears to have been caused by a buildup of hydrogen gas in the containment unit around the reactor vessel. The reactor itself was not damaged, authorities say.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, officials have announced that a second reactor at the Fukushima power plant is in danger of experiencing a similar explosion. Unit 3 is the latest of the reactors to be in danger. It was Unit 1 that exploded on Sunday.
Experts have added that favorable winds will protect other nations from contamination. Winds will blow any radiation to the Pacific, in such a way as to avoid other nations, experts said.
