2023-08-24 05:38:02
OKUMA, Japan (AP) — The operator of the tsunami-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant began dumping its first shipment of treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean Thursday, a controversial but milestone move in managing Japan’s growing stocks of radioactive water.
In live video from a control room at the plant on Thursday, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings showed a staff member starting a seawater pump, the start of a controversial project expected to last decades.
“Seawater pump A activated”, the main operator indicated, confirming that the discharge was underway. TEPCO later noted that the device had started at 13:03, three minutes following the last step began.
Japanese fishermen’s groups have opposed the plan, fearing it will do further damage to the reputation of their products. Concerns have also been raised by groups in China and South Korea, making it a political and diplomatic issue.
But the Japanese government and TEPCO say the water must be released to make room for the decommissioning of the plant and prevent accidental leaks. They claim that the treatment and dissolution will make the wastewater safer than international standards and its environmental impact will be very small.
But some scientists say the long-term impact of low-level radioactivity lingering in the water requires attention.
In a statement on Thursday, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, said that “IAEA experts are on the ground to be the eyes of the international community and ensure that the discharge is carried out as planned in according to IAEA safety standards.
The United Nations agency also said it would launch a website with live information on the operation, reiterating its assurances that the agency would have a presence on the ground for the duration of the discharge.
The release of the water began more than 12 years following core meltdowns at the plant, triggered by a massive earthquake and tsunami. It is a milestone in the plant’s efforts to manage a growing volume of radioactive water, which TEPCO and the Japanese government say was complicating the difficult task of removing toxic and lethal molten waste from the reactors.
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