nuclear accident
Dumping of Fukushima water: Japan wants to test fish
Dumping the cooling water from the Fukushima nuclear ruins is estimated to take around 30 years. photo
© Shohei Miyano/Kyodo News/AP/dpa
The disposal of the cooling water from the nuclear ruins in Fukushima, Japan, is getting closer. But despite the plan’s approval, concerns remain. The government wants to invalidate this by testing seafood.
Japan wants after the controversial start of the introduction of treated cooling water from the nuclear ruins Test Fukushima seafood daily for radioactive tritium. The fisheries authority wants to publish the test results within two days, the Japanese business newspaper “Nikkei Asia” reported.
The water will be filtered prior to dumping, which is expected to begin later this month. However, the technical system cannot filter out the radioactive isotope tritium. The water should therefore be greatly diluted. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), there is no danger to humans or the environment.
1.3 million tons of cooling water on nuclear power plant site
In 2011, an earthquake and tsunami caused a core meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The destroyed reactors still have to be cooled with water stored in tanks. There are now more than 1.3 million tons stored there. According to the operating company Tepco, the space on the site is gradually running out.
In addition, long-term storage on the site threatens to impede the decommissioning work on the nuclear ruins. There is also a risk of leaks. The government therefore decided that the polluted water would be channeled into the sea via a one-kilometre-long tunnel specially built for this purpose in the Pacific Ocean. It is estimated that dumping will take around 30 years.
Fishermen remain skeptical
Neighboring countries like China and local fishermen oppose the project. The fishermen fear a drop in sales. According to Japanese media, the government promised the Fukushima Prefectural Fisheries Cooperative Association in 2015 that it would not dispose of the water without the consent of the parties concerned. The government is therefore trying to clarify. The planned tests should also serve this purpose. According to Nikkei Asia, Japan’s fishermen voluntarily avoid areas within ten kilometers of the nuclear ruins.
Tepco wants to dilute the water so that the tritium concentration drops to around 1,500 becquerels per liter, which would be less than a fortieth of the national safety standard. Japan’s nuclear regulatory agency recently gave the green light. The International Atomic Energy Agency had previously approved the dumping plans. Japan meets international safety standards. The effects on people and the environment are “negligible”. Experts point out that nuclear power plants all over the world routinely discharge contaminated cooling water into the sea.