Japan to begin releasing treated Fukushima Radioactive Water into sea this week

Japan will start releasing treated and diluted radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean as early as Thursday — a controversial but essential early step in the decades of work to shut down the facility 12 years after its meltdown disaster. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida gave the final go-ahead Tuesday at a meeting of Cabinet ministers involved in the plan and instructed the operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, to be ready to start the coastal release on Thursday if weather and sea conditions permit.
Kishida said at the meeting that the release of the water is essential for the progress of the plant decommissioning and Fukushima prefecture’s recovery from the March 11, 2011, disaster.
He said the government has done everything for now to ensure the safety, combat the reputational damage for the fisheries and to provide transparent and scientific explanation to gain understanding in and outside the country. He pledged that the government will continue the effort until the end of the release and decommissioning, which will take decades.
A massive earthquake and tsunami destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi plant’s cooling systems, causing three of its reactors to melt and contaminating their cooling water. The water is collected, filtered and stored in about 1,000 tanks, which fill much of the plant’s grounds and will reach their capacity in early 2024.
The release of the treated wastewater has faced strong opposition from Japanese fishing organisations, which worry about further damage to the reputation of their seafood as they struggle to recover from the nuclear disaster. Groups in South Korea and China have also raised concerns, turning it into a political and diplomatic issue.
The government and the plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, say the water must be removed to make room for the plant’s decommissioning and to prevent accidental leaks from the tanks.
Junichi Matsumoto, TEPCO executive in charge of the water release, said in an interview with the Associated Press last month that the water release marks “a milestone”, but is still only an initial step in a daunting decommissioning process that is expected to take decades.
The easing of opposition from the fishing industry was key to the release because the government promised in 2015 not to start without “understanding” from fishing groups, after past accidental and unapproved discharges.

JAPAN’S PLAN TO TREAT RADIOACTIVE PLANT WATER

• Government allocates 80 billion yen (USD 550 million) for various purposes related to Fukushima nuclear plant.
• Funding supports sales promotion, sustainable fishing operations, and other measures.
• Plans involve treating water and dilution with large amounts of seawater.
• Resulting water levels expected to be significantly below international safety standards.
• Government and TEPCO assure minimal environmental and health impact.
• The International Atomic Energy Agency’s July report validates negligible effects on environment and human health if the release follows design.