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The government of Japan has officially begun dumping the radioactive treated water contained in the tanks of the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean. More than 1,000 tanks distributed at the site of the nuclear plant hit by the Tsunami of March 2011, currently contain about 1.34 million tons of treated water, and are expected to reach their maximum capacity as early as 2024.
Hence the decision of the operator of the plant, TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power), which will dilute the liquid with sea water within the limits allowed by Japanese safety standards, before starting the discharge through an underwater tunnel located one kilometer from the site.
The Japan Fisheries Agency said it will monitor the concentration levels of radioactive substances in fish caught within a 10-kilometer radius of the plant, and the initial results are expected to be published on the agency's website at the earliest on Saturday.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has determined that the discharge plan is in line with global safety standards and would have negligible impact on people and the environment.
Japan releases Fukushima radioactive water into the ocean: China is furious!
China that has blocked the import of food products from 10 prefectures to Japan and has introduced large-scale radiation tests for Japanese seafood. The South Korean government said it respects the outcome of the IAEA review based on analyzes of the Japanese plan, but will have to consider lingering concerns among the public.
China has harshly criticized Japan after the start of operations to release radioactive waters into the ocean. A Chinese government official explained: "This is an extremely selfish and irresponsible gesture. The Japanese government has unilaterally initiated the dumping of contaminated water: China opposes it and strongly condemns it.
The operation is an important issue for the safety and its impact is by no means a private matter.Since the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes began, there have been neither precedents nor universally recognized standards for the discharge of contaminated water into the sea.
The ocean belongs to humanity: forcibly starting the discharge is an extremely selfish and irresponsible act in contempt of the global public interest, risking leaving an open wound for future generations. Japan is a saboteur of the ecological system and a polluter of the global marine environment."
