The operator of the Fukushima nuclear ruins has begun building facilities to dump huge amounts of radioactive cooling water into the sea. The polluted water is filtered, diluted and fed into the Pacific Ocean through a tunnel about a kilometer long. Local media reported on Thursday, citing operating company Tepco, that the construction work should be completed by next summer in the spring.
Even more than eleven years after the worst-case scenario of a March 11, 2011 seaquake and tsunami, the destroyed reactors must be cooled with water that has so far been filtered and stored in hundreds of huge tanks. According to Tepco, however, space for the tanks will run out this fall. The government had decided that more than 1.25 million cubic meters of water would be dumped into the Pacific Ocean.
Isotope cannot be filtered
Environmentalists and neighboring countries such as China and South Korea are outraged by the project. The cooling water is treated, but the ALPS filter system cannot filter out the tritium isotope. Japan states that tritium in small amounts is harmless to humans.
Fukushima Prefecture Governor Masao Uchibori gave his approval shortly before construction began. However, he and the local mayors urged the central government to take steps the day before construction began to prevent damage to seafood’s reputation. The plan did not find sufficient understanding among the population.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
