Govt. Approves Plan To Release Treated Water
The Japanese government has officially decided to release treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the ocean. It will be discharged in about two years, after being diluted.
The draft bill was endorsed at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide said, "The government has come to the conclusion that releasing the treated water into the sea is a realistic solution. We will do our utmost to keep the water far above safety standards, while taking every possible measure to fend off any negative rumors."
The decision comes a decade after northeastern Japan was hit by a massive earthquake and tsunami, crippling the power plant.
Water is used to cool molten nuclear fuel at the facility. It's mixing with rain and groundwater flowing into damaged reactor buildings, accumulating at a rate of 140 tons per day.
The wastewater is stored in nearby tanks that are expected to fill up sometime next year.
It's treated in order to remove most of the radioactive material, but still contains radioactive tritium.
The government will ask the plant's operator, known by its acronym TEPCO, to secure equipment needed to release the treated water in about two years.
The concentration of tritium will be diluted to one-40th of what is required under national regulations. That's equivalent to about one-seventh of the World Health Organization's standard for drinking water.
The plan calls for cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency to disseminate transparent and objective information at home and abroad.
It also pledges support for the local fishery, tourism and agricultural industries. If there is damage to the reputation of an industry, the plan calls for TEPCO to provide compensation.
TEPCO President Kobayakawa Tomoaki said, "We will work hard to fulfill our responsibility to strike a balance between regional reconstruction, and decommissioning the reactors throughout the lengthy decommissioning process."
Local concerns persist over the ocean discharge plan. People in the fishing industry in particular have been against the idea.