Almost 12 years after a nuclear catastrophe triggered by a massive earthquake and tsunami, workers at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in north-east Japan are preparing to release treated wastewater into the sea.
As the country prepares to mark the 11 March anniversary, site operator TEPCO says the water has been filtered to remove most radioactive elements.
While the company says the water’s release both safe and necessary, there has been domestic and international opposition.
The fishing community in particular fears further reputational damage.
Neighbouring countries, including China and South Korea, along with activist groups such as Greenpeace and some local residents are strongly opposed to the release.
Treated water
More than a million tonnes of treated water is stored in tanks at the plant, where a tsunami triggered by an undersea earthquake in 2011 led to the world's worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl.
The tsunami knocked out the plant’s backup electricity supply, leading to meltdowns in three of Fukushima's reactors.
Fast forward to today and the site produces 100,000 litres of contaminated water. It’s a combination of contaminated groundwater, seawater, rainwater, and water used for cooling
Storage space for the water is running out, and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has endorsed the release plan.
The water still contains radioactive tritium, but at levels that the government, plant officials and the IAEA say are safe, because it will be diluted before being released over several decades through a kilometre-long pipe.
The water is filtered to remove most radionuclides, and more than 1.32 million tonnes of treated water was being stored at Fukushima as of February.
That accounts for 96 percent of storage capacity, so TEPCO is keen to start releasing the water soon.
The discharge is due to begin in the spring or summer, with Japanese officials ruling out other options such as long-term storage underground or evaporation.
(with AFP)
