AFP - Japan will spend up to $500 million of public funds to tackle radioactive water leaks at Fukushima, reports said Tuesday, as the government vowed to take the lead in the clean-up.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will gather members of his nuclear disaster response team to decide on the government response to stop toxic waste leaking into the Pacific ocean from the crippled plant, officials said.
The action plan, worth 50 billion yen ($500 million), includes a scheme to freeze soil around reactor buildings to stop groundwater from entering, Jiji Press said.
Water from nearby hillsides has been flowing under the plant and mixing with polluted water that has already seeped into the ground, resulting in mildly radioactive water reaching the sea.
Scientists want to circulate a special refrigerant through pipes in the soil to create a "frozen wall" that will stem the inflow of groundwater, Jiji and other news reports said.