Plutonium Found in Soil Near Stricken Japanese Nuclear Complex; Groups Demand Radiation Data from U.S. Government

Interview with Tom Clements, Southeastern nuclear campaign coordinator with the environmental group Friends of the Earth, conducted by Scott Harris

As the crisis at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant complex entered its third week, there were growing concerns about soil samples collected near the plant that revealed the presence of small amounts of plutonium. All nuclear power plants produce small amounts of plutonium within protected uranium fuel rods, but Fukushima’s Unit number 3 reactor uses a mix of uranium and plutonium or ”Mox,” fuel. The soil tests could indicate that there may be a dangerous breach of the Number Three reactor’s containment vessel. Plutonium, with a half-life of more than 24,000 years, is one of the most dangerous substances known on earth. When it enters the body through the air, in drinking water or in food, Plutonium can damage DNA and cause cancers. Story continues

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