Fukushima Reinforces Worst Fears for Japanese Who Are Anti-Nuclear PowerAnd we’re joined by Arjun Makhijani, an engineer — engineer specializing in nuclear fusion. He’s the president of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research. And Kenji Kushida, research associate in Japanese studies at Stanford University. Well, Arjun Makhijani, let me start with you. Translate for us first to bring us up to date. What exactly is the problem now and how serious is it?

FROM: PBS NEWSHOUR

And we’re joined by Arjun Makhijani, an engineer — engineer specializing in nuclear fusion. He’s the president of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research. And Kenji Kushida, research associate in Japanese studies at Stanford University.

Well, Arjun Makhijani, let me start with you. Translate for us first to bring us up to date. What exactly is the problem now and how serious is it?

ARJUN MAKHIJANI, Institute for Energy and Environmental Research: So there are a couple of different problems. One of the problems is what they have found in the groundwater and what actually is there.

So, so far, we have been concerned about an element called cesium, cesium 137 and 134, which is radioactive. But now they have found strontium-90, which is much more dangerous, at levels that are 30 times more than cesium. So to give you an idea of the level of contamination, if somebody drank that water for a year, they would almost certainly get cancer. So it’s very contaminated.

So that’s one problem. The other is the defenses to hold back this water from the sea seem to be overcome. So now the contaminated waters, 70,000, 80,000 gallons is flowing into the sea every day.

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