♪ no rescuing she's fine out there yeah she's got life in her veins ♪ ♪ she don't need no rescuing she's okay ♪ ♪ she looks into the sky and all her tears are dry she kiss her fears goodbye she's gonna be alright ♪ ♪ when things were bad it was beyond repair she was scared she couldn't handle it ♪ ♪ when things were bad but now she's glad can't you tell that she's walking on air ♪ ♪ yeah she's got light in her face she don't need no

rescuing she's okay ♪ ♪ yeah she's got life in her veins she don't need no rescuing she's okay ♪ ♪ no s-o-s needed no rescuing she's fine out there no s-o-s needed ♪ ♪ no rescuing she's fine out there yeah she's got life in her veins ♪ ♪ she don't need no rescuing she's okay ♪ ♪ that girl is you yeah and that girl is me ♪ ♪ that girl is stronger than the raging sea that girl is you yeah and that girl is me ♪ ♪ that girl is stronger than the raging sea ♪ ♪ yeah she's got light in her face she don't need no rescuing she's okay ♪ ♪ yeah she's got life in her veins she don't need no

rescuing she's okay ♪ tonight on a special edition of "nightline" nuclear danger zone. >> we're being exposed. >> we go inside one of the most toxic and inaccessible places on the planet. >> the closer we get, these things are skyrocketing. >> the fukushima plant in japan, devastated after the tsunami that ravaged the country almost three years ago. radioactive, workers race against time to contain some mass i damage from one of the worst nuclear disasters in history. and now the question -- how long until the radiation makes it to u.s. shores? and fallout. another earthquake or even typhoon -- >> winds of 90 miles an hour.

>> -- could pose a new threat. >> will you ever know how much contaminated water has made its way from this power plant into that ocean?

good evening. and thanks for joining us. tonight we take you to one of the most toxic places on earth. the still crippled fukushima nuclear plant. it's closed to the public, and for the few who gain access, it's still a place you can only visit with the upmost precaution. covered head to toe in protective gear, lichlted time because any more than an hour there could cause permanent damage. our sbep pid team suited up to find out what's happening now.

here's abc . >> my alarm is going off telling me we're being exposed to radiation right now. i'm about to enter one of the most toxic places on the planet. not one inch of skin exposed. the darngs here, radangers here can't see or smell. but the threat is all around me. this is japan's fukushima daiichi power plant. this is the site of one of the worst nuclear catastrophes in history. the closer we get, these things are just skyrocketing. 2 1/2 years after this country was crippled by an earthquake and tsunami that triggered the meltdown, we gained rare access to examine the fallout by land and by sea. to find out if fukushima is still a threat to japan and the rest of the world. they suspect some of the most contaminated water lies right there on that sea floor.

let's see if i'm contaminated with radiation. our journey to find answers takes us through a nuclear danger zone, even inside a damaged reactor. a place few people ever dare to go. march 11, 2011, that massive 9.0 earthquake, the largest ever to rock japan. the tsunami that followed engulfed entire villages. then the triple whammy, giant waves flood the fukushima plant, knocking out power and causing a melt doup that spewed radiation across the country side and into the ocean. >> tokyo electric power company -- >> at first, tepco, the plant's operator and largest energy company in japan down played the severity of the disaster. now at the start of an unprecedented and treacherous clean-up, tepco has agreed to

open up the doors and show us the progress they've made. but getting there isn't easy. a 12-mile evacuation zone teeming with radiation hot spots surrounds the plant. deep in flaloutterritory, masked guards only allow those with official government permission to pass. in the middle of one of the most developed nations on earth, we find what looks like a post apocalyptic landscape. ghosts town, abandoned and overgrown. locals k s call this the no-go . here, cattle graze in the shadows with hundreds of bags of irradiated soil that no one wants to collect. in all, 80,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes. most won't be able to return for years. some, maybe never.

at this elementary school, it was graduation day when the disaster struck. probably in the middle of class here. and time just stood still. every trip to the no-go zone requires one mandatory stop. a radiation inspection station. to see if i'm contaminated with energy after spending an hour in an evacuation zone. our car, inside and out even or camera equipment are scanned. this is something we don't want to know the answer to. safe? we're safe? >> you can go. >> reporter: safe for now. but the riskiest part of our journey still lies ahead. we are boarding tepco's bus, on our way to a private tour of the

power plant, but it comes with restrictions. we can't film part of the grounds for security reasons. the final checkpoint, ear just a few hundred meters from the power plant and they want us to turn our cameras off. we can't film past this part. they just told us we can turn our cameras back on. we are now inside the fukushima daiichi power plant property. the alarm is going off, telling me we're being exposed to some radiation right now. comforting. our first stop is a building on the edge of the property. the gate way to the most dangerous parts of the plant. >> we're on our way to get suited up. this buildi everything in this building has got to be covered. final pair of gloves. just in case they need to identify my body? >> yes.

>> reporter: she said yes. oh, my gosh. i was joking. we have put this on in order not to breathe the radiation particles outside the power plant. finally, we're ready to venture deep into the heart of this disaster. our final destination -- inside a damaged reactor. it's amazing what an intricate process this is. they want no contamination anywhere. tepco told us we can only spend one hour inside the plant. any more time and we risk harmful radiation exposure. it's so hot in the this suit. my nose itches and i can't track it. i'm trying not to think about it. >> you have bigger problems. >> reporter: our radiation detectors climb. >> they're going off again. found another hot spot.

we are heading to one of the four reactors that was devastated during the accident. the radiation right here alone, about 2,000 times higher than outside of fukushima. >> we shouldn't be doing interviews in a hot spot like that. this is unit four right here, the gray one. as we get closer, these radiation detectors get higher. we're going to go inside and see what kind of progress tepco has made on this clean-up. we are inside the building for reactor four. the world is watching and many fear what lies beneath this murky water. 1,500 highly radioactive fuel rods inside this pool. they've got to move them outside of this reactor into a safer location. some say that this is an exceptionally delicate, very dangerous dance for tepco. this is a vital first step to decommission the plant. in all, it will take workers an entire year just to clean up

this reactor. but so far, they've done it safely. a welcomed victory for a company with enormous challenges ahead, including three additional damaged reactors. so con stam nate econtaminated anywhere near them. we also have to deal with possible radioactive water leaks. >> there's a chemical barrier. these fuel tanks here, another barrier. and that orange buoy over there is a silt fence, another barrier, three right here in this area alone to keep contaminated water from going into the ocean. >> tepco is convinced these measures have helped stem the flow of radiation. but what about the damage that's already been done? will you ever know how much contaminated water has made its way from the power plant into the ocean? he tells me it is very difficult to give an accurate number. scientists say a trace amount of radiation is expected to reach american shores soon, but how

dangerous will it be? we join a team of independent scientists on the hunt for answers. is it worse than we thought? after the break, our unauthorized expedition to the choppy seas outside fukushima daiichi. but first, japan is no stranger to extreme weather. these winds are up to 90 miles an hour. does mother nature still pose a threat to the crippled plant? hey, buddy? oh, hey, flo. you want to see something cool? snapshot, from progressive. my insurance company told me not to talk to people like you. you always do what they tell you? no... try it, and see what your good driving can save you. you don't even have to switch. unless you're scared. i'm not scared, it's...

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>> we're back with our exclusive look inside the still damaged fukushima nuclear plant. here again is abc's cecila vega. >> reporter: we shouldn't be doing interviews in a hot spot like that. workers here are racing to contain the damage after that massive tsunami triggered one of the worst nuclear disasters in history. but what if mother nature strikes again. during our trip, a typhoon made land fall near fukushima. these winds are up to 90 miles an hour. you can't even walk. you have to hold on to this railing. there's a serious concern this torrential storm could do even more damage to the already crippled plant. the plant's operator, tepco

assures the world that this time it can defend against the next natural disaster. they beefed up defenses with new technology that will ensure backup power and supply water to cool reactors during an emergency. but how will nature fair against the threat from fukushima? this summer, the company admitted that even after the accident, radioactive water had seemed into the ocean. and many scientists fear the plant still leaks every day. but how bad is the damage? to find out, we're venturing to the power plant, with us a team of japanese scientists. our rented fishing boat transformed into a mobile lab that can detect radiation in the water and the ocean floor. we're so close, you can hear them working. this is about half a football field away essentially.

>> this is as close as we can get to collect samples without tepco permission. ed a radiation detectors climb, the team has to work quickly to limit our exposure. now they're going to lower this device down into the ocean, measuring the water to find out how much contamination there is. on shore, just behind the plants, there are more than 1,000 temporary tanks holding over 100 million gallons of highly radioactive waste water. tepco admits some of them have leaked. they want to measure the full extent of the damage. it doesn't take long. the team says it finds evidence of radiation. a lot of cesium you found? >> he says it's just what he suspected. even though the radiation levels he says he measured fall within the legal limb fit for swimmingd

drinking, they're still 1,000 times higher than before the meltdown and the effects for long-term exposure for people and the environment are still unknown. can the damage that's been done be repaired here? or is it too late? it's not too late, he says. but japan can't do it alone. we need help from the rest of the world. >> we've seen them trying. it's just not working. >> reporter: we meet ken bessler. he studied the fallout from the world's largest nuclear disaster in chernobyl 26 years ago and now he's come here to help survey the damage. >> how long will it take to work through from the land to the ocean, the power plant into the sea life. and across the pacific. >> reporter: the government claims radiation from fukushima is contained in this small

harbor outside the plant. but on expeditions into the pacific, bessler and his team of scientists say they med sured radiation linked to fukushima more than 70 miles away. some of that radiation is predicted to reach american shores early this year. the levels are expected to be very low. >> i think the fear of what's happening outside the local area is a bit exaggerated. for americans to worry about swimming on our beaches when i can swim here i think is overblown. >> reporter: what does concern him is how this unprecedented amount of migrating raildiation will affect the food chain. >> i try get as much as possible. >> reporter: some fish tested positive for radiation levels low enough to make them legally safe to eat. the japanese isn't taking any chances. >> this is one of the countries

that consumes the most fish in the world. now they've got to convince everyone that these fish are safe to eat. >> even fish caught miles outside of fukushima are inspected before they can be sold at markets. they are required to test every batch. trace amounts of radiation linked to the power plant have been detected in blue fin tuna as far away as california. still, experts say americans shouldn't worry. dangerous radiation dilutes as fish migrate to the u.s. to end our trip, we visit tepco's headquarters in tokyo. a spokesperson for this embattled company assures us tepco will keep testing the ocean surrounding the plant and publicly report the results. >> does the fukushima daiichi power plant pose any kind of threats to the public today? he says people can feel safe. there is no threat to the

general public. why should the public trust tepco now. the only way to restore trust, he tells me, is to decommission the plant safely and explain the process to the public. our journey may be over, but the clean-up goes on. closing the fukushima daiichi power plant will cost an estimated $15 billion and take 40 years to complete. and then there's the damage we can't see. radiation on land and in the ocean that could be japan's invisible enemy for generations. >> our thanks to cecilia vega for her remarkable work on that story. we'll be right back. with real protein. [ female announcer ] ditch the diet and go on a try-it. just try one of 70 yummy lean cuisine dishes for 10 days. packed with 13 grams of real protein.

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>> singing tunes for tyrants. on tonight's "feeding frenzy." former nba pro dennis rodman was back in north korea today with a group of former nba stars with

some basketball diplomacy. a game against the north korean team. the shootout in honor of the birthday of infamous north korean leader kim jong-un. and when one celebrates this special day with a close friend, well, there's that song to be sung. ♪ happy birthday to you ♪ happy birthday to you. >> rodman believes he's doing important work. today, the state department reasserted it wants nothing to do with rodman's diplomacy. there's actually a long history of celebrities singing sometimes unwittingly. at a concert this summer, jennifer lopez was asked to sing happy birthday to the country's oppressive leader. ♪ happy birthday to you ♪ happy birthday to you >> after human rights watch complained, a spokesperson apologized saying had there been knowledge of human rightsish