Fukushima: Japan announces second discharge of water into the ocean

Inspenet, October 1, 2023.

The operator of the Fukushima nuclear plant, destroyed by an earthquake and tsunami in 2011, reported last Thursday that Japan will begin the second phase of releasing treated wastewater next week.

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“Inspections after the first discharge have been completed. The second discharge will begin on October 5 ,” said operator TEPCO.

On August 24, part of the 1.34 million tons of wastewater stored at the nuclear plant began to be released into the Pacific Ocean, an action that raised concern in countries such as China. After this first discharge, China banned the import of Japanese marine products, even though Tokyo, backed by the UN regulatory agency, assures that this operation does not represent any risk.

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During the first spill, which concluded on September 11, approximately 7,800 tons of water were released into the Pacific, a fraction of the planned 1.34 million tons, equivalent to more than 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

TEPCO claims that the treated water is free of radioactive elements, except for the safe presence of tritium. The continued release of water into the sea, planned over several decades, is intended to make room for the eventual removal of radioactive fuel and waste from damaged reactors.

“As was the case with the first discharge, we will continue to monitor tritium levels. We will continue to inform the public in a way that is easy to understand and based on scientific evidence,” Akira Ono, head of TEPCO, told reporters on Thursday.

China has accused the country of using the ocean as a waste disposal site, an assertion recently backed by the Solomon Islands, a Pacific nation that has strengthened ties with Beijing. Russia, also with tense relations with Tokyo, is considering the possibility of imposing a veto on imports from Japan. Despite opposition from Beijing, Chinese fishermen apparently continue to operate in the same areas as Japanese vessels off the coast of the Japanese archipelago.

Source: https://amp.dw.com/es/jap %C3% B3n-anuncia-segunda-descarga-de-agua-de-fukushima/a-66956053