Submarine radiation leak raises concern in Japan

Water containing a small amount of radiation leaked from a US nuclear-powered submarine that stopped by Japan earlier this year, the US Navy and Japanese government said yesterday, prompting calls by civic groups for full disclosure.

The leak, which was too small to have any impact on the environment, was found during an inspection of the nuclear-powered Houston in Hawaii, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said, citing information provided by the US government.

"The amounts were very, very, very small and were not of the sort that would affect the human body or the environment," Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura told a news conference.

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