Despite deep concerns among fishermen and neighboring countries, Japan has begun the controversial discharge of treated cooling water from the nuclear ruins of Fukushima into the sea. Dumping will begin Thursday, weather permitting. This was decided by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s cabinet on Tuesday. The Kishida government argues that the site of the nuclear ruins is running out of space to store cooling water, hampering decommissioning work.
The draining of the water in the Pacific Ocean is a matter that “cannot be postponed”, said the conservative head of government. The Japanese fishing associations have strongly opposed the last day. Environmentalists and neighboring countries such as China also criticized it.
In March 2011, a massive earthquake and massive tsunami caused a core meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The reactors must be further cooled with water stored in more than a thousand enormous tanks. But now, according to operating company Tepco, there is no room for that. In addition, long-term storage at the site threatens to hinder decommissioning work on the nuclear ruins. There is also a risk of leakage, the report said.
The tunnel to the Pacific Ocean is one kilometer long
That is why the more than 1.3 million tons of water must be led into the sea through a specially constructed tunnel of one kilometer in the Pacific Ocean. This is expected to take about 30 years. However, before the contaminated cooling water is dumped into the Pacific Ocean, it is first purified. However, the filter system cannot filter out the radioactive isotope tritium. Tepco therefore wants to dilute the water in such a way that the tritium concentration drops to 1,500 becquerels per liter, which corresponds to less than one fortieth of the national safety standard.
Japan’s nuclear regulatory agency recently gave the green light. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had previously approved the dumping plans. Japan complies with international safety standards. The effects on humans and the environment are “negligible” according to the IAEA. Experts point out that nuclear power plants around the world have been routinely discharging contaminated cooling water into the sea for decades. However, the Japanese fishing associations fear that the reputation of their products will be further tarnished. You’ve been trying to rebuild your business since the supermeltdown.
Greenpeace is outraged by Japan’s nuclear power plant plans
“We are deeply disappointed and outraged by the Japanese government’s announcement that it will release radioactive water into the ocean,” said Hisayo Takada of environmental group Greenpeace Japan. The government is ignoring the concerns of fishermen, citizens and the international community, especially in the Pacific and neighboring countries. “Instead of acknowledging the shortcomings of the current decommissioning plan, the ongoing nuclear crisis and the huge need for public money, the Japanese government plans to restart more nuclear reactors,” Greenpeace said in a statement.
China and Russia, who also oppose dumping at sea, recently jointly urged Tokyo to consider a removal strategy through evaporation instead, according to Japan’s Kyodo Tokyo news agency. Evaporating the water and releasing it into the atmosphere would have less impact on neighboring countries than discharge into the sea, Kyodo said in a document submitted to Tokyo.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
