For days, scientists and engineers scrambled to plug a leak in Reactor 2 at the tsunami-struck

Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Thousands of tons of radioactive water spewed into the ocean,

prompting howls of protest from local fishermen fearful of the potential environmental damage to their

livelihood. Japanese seafood exports are expected to plummet. The plant's operator, the Tokyo Electric

Power Co., has been widely criticized for its inability to contain the disaster. On April 6, workers stemmed

the radioactive outflow with "water glass" made of sodium silicate--earlier failed attempts had included newspaper and sawdust. It's a minor victory in what will still be a prolonged battle to safely cool the fuel

rods at the plant's four crippled reactors.