plans to monitor offshore radiation around the clock.

The operator of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has announced plans to monitor offshore radiation around the clock.

TEPCO officials met with a panel of Nuclear Regulation Authority experts on Monday. The panel is studying the impact of radioactive water leaks from the plant.

TEPCO workers currently measure radiation levels in the port and near the shores once a day.

But many experts have been calling for 24-hour monitoring to allow faster responses to unexpected leaks and provide a clearer idea of how much water has escaped.

TEPCO officials said they will provide more details of the plan at a meeting scheduled for next month.The nuclear regulators have proposed expanding the offshore monitoring from the current 300 kilometers to between 1,000 and 3,000 kilometers.One regulator said the agency will ask the operators of oceangoing vessels to collect data for northern Pacific Rim countries that are worried about radioactive leaks. 

 Oct. 21, 2013 - Updated 22:15