Underwater barriers in the facility's port have been breached

The operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant says underwater barriers in the facility's port have been breached.  The so-called silt fences are intended to prevent the spread of radioactive materials.Tokyo Electric Power Company officials said on Thursday they found damage in the curtain-like barriers near the intake canals of the No. 5 and 6 reactors.The silt fences are to stop contaminated sea-bed soil from near the damaged No. 1, 2, 3 and 4 reactors polluting water near the still-intact No. 5 and 6 reactors.TEPCO is investigating the accident's cause.  It plans to repair the fences once high waves triggered by an approaching typhoon subside.The Nuclear Regulation Authority instructed the power company to measure radiation levels in the sea near the No. 5 and 6 reactors.The underwater barriers were also damaged in April. TEPCO officials attributed the cause to high waves.  Sep. 26, 2013 - Updated 08:03