A Japanese government panel on Friday roughly accepted a draft proposal for releasing into the sea massive amounts of radioactive water being stored at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant.
The Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s draft proposal said that releasing the water gradually into the sea was the safer, more feasible method, although evaporation was also a proven method used after the 1979 Three Mile Island accident in the US.
The proposal would be submitted to the government in the coming weeks for further discussion to decide when and how the water should be released.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Nearly nine years after the 2011 meltdowns of three reactor cores at the nuclear power plant, it was a small step toward deciding what to do with the water and follows expert recommendations.
It is meant to solve a growing problem for the plant’s operator stuck between limited storage space for the water, and an imminent backlash from the public and possibly neighboring countries.
Fishers and residents fear possible health effects from releasing the radioactive water as well as harm to the region’s image, and fishing and farming industry.
The water has been treated, and the plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power, has said that all 62 radioactive elements it contains can be removed to levels not harmful to humans, except for tritium.
The ministry said the controlled release to the sea is superior than other methods, because its traveling route is predictable and easier to sample and monitor.
However, the method could affect Fukushima’s still struggling fishing industry.
Some said a release of the water should not be rushed or it would compromise Fukushima’s reconstruction.
“We should put Fukushima’s recovery before anything else,” said Takami Morita at the National Research Institute of Fisheries Science. “Local fishermen and residents cannot accept a release of the water unless Fukushima’s recovery makes more progress.”
Morita said demand for Fukushima fish has only recovered to less than one-fifth of levels before the accident, even though almost all fish from the area meet safety standards.
The report acknowledged that the water release would harm industries that still face reluctant consumers, despite diligent safety checks.
It promised to reinforce monitoring of tritium levels and food safety checks to address consumer concerns.
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