The Japanese government plans to discharge into the sea about a million tons of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, which was destroyed nine years ago by an earthquake and subsequent tsunami. The Kyoto Agency reported, referring to informed sources. An official decision could be made in Tokyo this month, ending a seven-year debate on how to dispose of water used to cool damaged reactors.
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The Japanese purify this water with a filtration system that removes most of the hazardous material except tritium, an isotope of hydrogen that is difficult to separate and is considered relatively harmless. However, there is not enough space for it in the Fukushima tanks, in September it filled 1,044 tanks. In the summer of 2022, the contaminated water will no longer be stored, writes Kyodo.
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If the Japanese government formally approves the plan, the necessary design work and the opinion of the Japanese Nuclear Authority will follow. It would probably not start discharging water into the sea from Fukushima until two years later.
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The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi said during a visit to the power plant in February that the discharge of contaminated water into the sea meets global standards and is a common way for nuclear power plants to handle water.
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However, local residents and fishermen do not agree with the government’s plan, fearing that customers will stop buying fish caught in the area. South Korea is also worried about the impact on the environment, which is already banning the import of seafood from the waters off Fukushima.
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The Fukushima nuclear power plant was destroyed by a strong earthquake following the tsunami that hit Japan on March 11, 2011, claiming more than 18,000 dead or missing and more than 6,000 injured.
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