Japan plans second Fukushima wastewater release despite concerns
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During the initial phase, about 7,800 tonnes of water were released into the Pacific, with the eventual goal being to release 1.34 million tonnes, equivalent to more than 500 Olympic swimming pools.
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This photo taken during the tour of the treated water dilution and discharge facility for foreign media shows a journalist looks at the water sampling rack, part of the facility for the releasing treated radioactive water to sea from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO), in Futaba town, northeastern Japan, Sunday, Aug. 27, 2023 (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, Pool)
Japan is set to commence the release of a second batch of wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant next week, as confirmed by its operator, TEPCO. This action initially provoked concerns from China and others when it began in August.
On August 24, Japan initiated the discharge of approximately 1.34 million tonnes of accumulated wastewater into the Pacific Ocean, the outcome of the facility's impairment following a tsunami in 2011.
"The inspections following the first release have been completed... The (second) discharge will start on October 5," TEPCO said on Thursday.
China responded to the first release by imposing a ban on all Japanese seafood imports, despite Tokyo's assertion that the operation posed no environmental risk. There are reports that Russia, with strained relations with Japan, is considering a similar seafood ban.
During the initial phase, about 7,800 tonnes of water were released into the Pacific, with the eventual goal being to release 1.34 million tonnes, equivalent to more than 500 Olympic swimming pools.
TEPCO maintains that the water has been thoroughly filtered to remove all radioactive elements except tritium, which is within safe levels -- a stance supported by the IAEA.
◆TEPCO Shorts ALPS treated water
— TEPCO (@TEPCO_English) September 22, 2023
TEPCO released the tenth video on ALPS treated water "#10 What will we demonstrate by marine organisms rearing test?"
Please visit Treated Water Portal Site, to get more information about ALPS treated water.https://t.co/37JS6QmKe8 pic.twitter.com/nOI1JOoV9m
Read more: 'Potentially radioactive' scrap from Fukushima vicinity stolen, sold
China has criticized Japan for using the ocean as a "sewer", a sentiment reiterated at the UN by Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare of the Solomon Islands, who has developed close ties with Beijing.
The release operation, anticipated to span decades, aims to create space for the eventual removal of highly radioactive fuel and debris from the damaged reactors.
"As was the case for the first discharge, we will continue to monitor the tritium levels. We will continue to inform the public in ways that are easy to understand based on scientific evidence," TEPCO official Akira Ono told reporters Thursday.
The US Ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, recently shared photos on social media alleging that Chinese fishing boats were seen off Japan's coast on September 15 after China's ban on Japanese seafood went into force.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Chinese vessels fishing off Japan’s coast on September 15th, post China’s seafood embargo from the same waters. #Fukushima pic.twitter.com/ziskkY9fug
— ラーム・エマニュエル駐日米国大使 (@USAmbJapan) September 22, 2023
Read more: South Korea to expand water testing amid Fukushima water concerns
