Fukushima: two new radiation 'hot spots' found Workers in protective suits checked 300 of the steel tanks at the plant after Tokyo Electric Power Co. said earlier this week that 300 tons of highly contaminated coolant water had leaked from a storage tank. While no additional leaks of water were found, two additional "hot spots" were recorded at the bottom of two tanks in a different part of the plant. The remaining water has been pumped out of the damaged tank, the TEPCO official said, while efforts were under way to mop up the water that had escaped. TEPCO officials have admitted that the original tank had not been fitted with a water level gauge, making it difficult to notice that the level had dropped around 15 feet, and that it is possible that the water has leaked directly into the Pacific Ocean along drainage channels. There is growing scepticism among the Japanese public and in government that TEPCO is capable of dealing with the scale of the problem that it faces - one which experts believe could take three decades to rectify, and only then if there are no further complications. The company has also apparently reached a similar conclusion. Zengo Aizawa, a vice president of the firm, told a press conference in Tokyo on Thursday that it needs to look overseas for advice and assistance. "We will revamp the management of contaminated water to tackle the issue at the Fukushima Daiichi plant and seek expertise from within and outside of the country," he said. There is much experience in decommissioning reactors outside of Japan. We need that knowledge and support. On Wednesday, the NRA classified the incident as a Level Three "serious incident" on the seven-point International Nuclear Event Scale. That made it the most serious problem to befall the plant since it was devastated by a massive earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 - an incident that registered the maximum level seven.