Japan to decide release of contaminated nuclear power plant water into ocean

Posted on : 2021-04-09 17:40 KST Modified on : 2021-04-09 18:17 KST
The storage capacity for the contaminated water is expected to run out by the summer of 2022. (Yonhap News)
The storage capacity for the contaminated water is expected to run out by the summer of 2022. (Yonhap News)

The Japanese government has decided to dump radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, reported NHK and other Japanese news outlets Friday. The decision is to be formalized Tuesday in a Cabinet meeting.

Japanese media reported that the Japanese government will closely inspect tritium concentration in nearby seawater and compensate local fishermen for any possible reputational damage.Fishermen have been strongly opposed to the ocean release of the contaminated water.

The Japanese government claims that the contaminated water will be released after radioactive materials have been filtered out using an advanced liquid processing system known as ALPS. Tritium, however, has waterlike properties, which makes it difficult to filter out, meaning the contaminated water will have to be merely diluted.

The Fukushima nuclear power plant, currently being decommissioned, is still generating contaminated water due to rain and underground water. The storage capacity for the contaminated water is expected to run out by the summer of 2022.

By Cho Ki-weon, Tokyo correspondent

Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]

button that move to original korean article (클릭시 원문으로 이동하는 버튼)

Related stories

Most viewed articles