Daiichi nuclear plant has released more than 1,100 tons of rainwater

The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has released more than 1,100 tons of rainwater that had pooled inside barriers around wastewater storage tanks.Heavy rain lashed the plant on Sunday and Monday due to the effects of a severe tropical storm.Officials of Tokyo Electric Power Company told reporters on Tuesday that workers discharged 1,130 tons of water from 7 sections onto nearby soil to prevent it from overflowing.They said the level of radioactive substances in the water was below the government-set standard, so they judged it to be rainwater.The government sets 30 becquerels per liter as the limit for discharging radioactive water into the ocean.TEPCO officials say workers released the water onto the ground and not into drainage ditches that lead to the sea, so they cannot say how much may have leaked into the ocean.The utility plans to study ways to prevent rainwater from accumulating within the storage tank barriers to prepare for future heavy rains.  Sep. 17, 2013 - Updated 06:12