Officials say all the equipment needed to release treated radioactive wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean is complete and will be ready for inspection by Japanese regulators this week.
ByMari Yamaguchi Associated Press
A device used to dilute water with sea water is shown to the media at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Fukushima, northern Japan, Monday, June 26, 2023. All equipment needed to release treated radioactive wastewater into the ocean at the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant has been completed and it will be ready for a safety inspection by Japanese regulators this week, plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co Holdings said on Monday. Because there is ongoing opposition to the plan inside and outside Japan over security concerns. ap)
The Associated Press
Tokyo — All the equipment needed to release treated radioactive wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean is complete and will be ready for safety inspections by Japanese regulators this week, the plant operator said Monday, as opposition to the plan continues. outside Japan due to safety concerns.
Tokyo Electric Power Co Holdings said it has installed the last piece of tunnel dug to release water into the sea, completing construction of the necessary equipment that began last August.
Mandatory safety inspections of the equipment will begin on Wednesday, said Shinichi Yamanaka, chairman of the Nuclear Regulation Authority, who visited the Fukushima Daiichi plant last week.
If all goes well, TEPCO expects to receive a safety permit for release about a week after the inspection is over, officials said. Discharge of the treated water is expected to begin this summer, although an exact date has not been set.
The plan has faced strong opposition from local fishing groups concerned about safety and reputational damage. Nearby countries, including South Korea, China and some Pacific island countries, have also raised security concerns.
Government and utility officials say wastewater currently stored in about a thousand tanks at the plant must be removed to prevent any accidental leaks in the event of an earthquake and make room for the plant’s shutdown. He says the treated but still slightly radioactive water will be diluted to safe levels and slowly released into the ocean over decades, rendering it harmless to people and marine life.
Some scientists say that the effect of long-term, low-dose exposure to radionuclides is unknown and that the release should be delayed. Others say the release plan is safe, but more transparency is needed, including allowing outside scientists to be involved in sampling and monitoring the release.
Japan has sought support from the International Atomic Energy Agency to gain credibility and ensure safety measures are in line with international standards.
On March 11, 2011, a massive earthquake and tsunami destroyed the cooling system at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, causing three reactors to melt down and contaminate their cooling water and continue to leak. The water is collected, treated and stored in tanks, which will reach their capacity in early 2024.
