Tohoku Electric to Inspect Onagawa No. 2 Reactor Following Radioactive Steam Leak

Tohoku Electric Power Co. announced the temporary halt of the No. 2 reactor at its Onagawa nuclear facility for inspection after detecting radioactive steam. A leak was confirmed by a worker at approximately 5:10 p.m. on May 16, originating from a sump in the turbine building's basement.

Despite efforts to stop the leak by retightening the valve, the steam continued to escape. The radioactivity level in the surrounding water was recorded at one-thousandth of the reporting threshold established by the government.

The reactor had only recently resumed power generation after a periodic inspection and was set to begin commercial operations in early June. The reactor remained unaffected by a subsequent earthquake off Miyagi Prefecture, but this incident may heighten scrutiny on safety protocols.