Workers Pulled at Japan Nuke Plant After Smoke Rises from Reactor #3

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Operators evacuated workers from Japan’s tsunami-damaged nuclear plant Monday after gray smoke rose from one of its reactor units, the latest of persistent troubles in stabilizing the complex.

Employees of the plant were told to leave after smoke was spotted emanating from the number three reactor of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Workers had been spraying hundreds of thousands of tons of water on the reactor in an attempt to cool it down and prevent further emission of radioactive material. Work to keep the reactor cool ractor fuel rods is therefore delayed.

A report by Japan’s nuclear safety agency shows the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant failed to perform equipment inspections at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant in the weeks before the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. Apparently the backup generators and parts of the cooling system failed after the earthquake and tsunami led to the plant’s overheating. That specific machinery is reported to have been overlooked and not inspected.