Despite protests from environmentalists and fishermen, the Japanese government is pushing ahead with plans to release filtered cooling water from the nuclear ruins of Fukushima into the sea. After completion of the construction work on the waste disposal facilities, the nuclear regulator wants to start the final inspections this Wednesday. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, plans to present his house’s final research report on Japan’s dumping plans to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on July 4 in Tokyo, Japan’s Kyodo news agency learned from government circles on Tuesday. The discharge to the sea is likely to last for decades.
On March 11, 2011, due to a massive earthquake and massive tsunami, the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant suffered a core meltdown and meltdown. More than twelve years later, the destroyed reactors still have to be cooled with water. Due to infiltrating rainwater and groundwater, the amount of irradiated water is increasing day by day. More than 1.3 million tons have now been stored in the approximately 1,000 tanks, and space is now running out, says the operator group Tepco. In addition, the tanks are exposed to the risk of new earthquakes. The government therefore decided that the water should be filtered and diluted before being released into the ocean.
A tunnel has been built for this purpose, which extends one kilometer into the Pacific Ocean. Before the start of the final inspection by the nuclear regulator, a sea trial with fresh water is carried out. However, local fishermen continue to oppose the planned dumping, for fear of reputational damage and loss of turnover. “We will continue to sincerely address the concerns and questions of the local population,” Tepco said on Tuesday at the request of the German news agency in Tokyo.
Safety precautions are being taken and appropriate action will be taken in the event of any negative impact on the reputation of the local fishing industry from the discharge of water into the sea, it said. According to Japanese media reports, the government in Tokyo wants to make a final decision on when the cooling water will be released after the nuclear regulatory agency has completed its latest inspections and the IAEA has presented the final report on the plan’s safety. So far it has only been said that dumping should start this summer.
The water is filtered before being discharged into the sea, but the ALPS technical system cannot filter out the tritium isotope. According to Tepco and the IAEA, there is no danger yet because the water is diluted and small amounts of tritium are harmless to humans and the environment. The concentration falls to about 1,500 becquerels per litre, which corresponds to one fortieth of the national limit. If the amount of seawater is insufficient for dilution or if the concentration of radioactive material other than tritium is unusually high, the operator will say that an emergency shut-off valve will be activated to stop the release.
Some experts point out that nuclear power plants around the world have been routinely discharging contaminated cooling water into the sea for decades. The amount of additional radiation from Fukushima’s cooling water is so small that it makes no difference. Other experts consider the radiological environmental impact assessment prepared by the operator group Tepco to be flawed and inadequate. The potential negative impacts come on top of other stressors that are already affecting the health of the oceans and the people who depend on them. (sda/dpa)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
