Japan Nuclear Regulators Approve Plan to Release Water From Fukushima into the Ocean Despite Pushback

Nuclear regulators in Japan have approved a plan to release water from Fukushima into the ocean. The water was used to cool reactors in the aftermath of the nuclear disaster in 2011. The water has been stored in huge tanks in the plant and was more than 1.3 million tonnes by July, Reuters reported.

Source: WION/Youtube

According to the foreign ministry, regulators say that it is safe to release the water, but it will still contain traces of tritium after treatment. The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) will have additional inspections. TEPCO plans to filter the contaminated water to remove isotopes from tritium, which is harder to remove. It will then be diluted and released so that the plant has more space and they can continue to decommission.

While the Japanese government and some scientists think wastewater would quickly be diluted if dumped into the large Pacific Ocean, environmental groups and fisheries also argue that the water can still be harmful to marine life.

South Korea, which still bans all seafood imports from the Fukushima area, is urging Japanese officials to find a better way to dispose of the water without risking the environment or human health. Greenpeace has warned that the government’s plan has significant human impacts.

UN experts have also expressed disapproval of dumping contaminated water into the ocean due to human rights concerns of local communities, arguing that “It is their human right to an environment that allows for living a life in dignity, to enjoy their culture, and to not be exposed deliberately to additional radioactive contamination. Those rights should be fully respected and not be disregarded by the government in Tokyo.”

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