Japan starts releasing Fukushima radioactive water into sea --- Kyodo News

TOKYO — Japan started discharging treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea Thursday, amid persistent concern among local fishermen and some neighboring countries about the environmental impact. The Japanese government announced earlier in the week it would begin releasing the water used to cool melted nuclear fuel at the plant that has been treated through an advanced liquid processing system capable of removing most radionuclides, except tritium. The water discharge commenced around 1 p.m. local time (12 noon Manila time). The decision came as tanks installed at the Fukushima complex, now containing about 1.34 million tons of treated water, are nearing their capacity and are expected to reach their limit as early as 2024 unless the plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. (TEPCO), initiates the release of the water. The water will be diluted with seawater to one-40th of the concentration permitted under Japanese safety standards before being discharged via an underwater tunnel 1 kilometer from the plant, crippled by a massive 2011 earthquake and tsunami. TEPCO plans to start monitoring radioactive materials in waters near the power station on Thursday and release the data the following day at the earliest. 'TRANSPARENT, BASED ON SCIENCE' Tokyo's ambassador to Manila Kazuhiko Koshikawa maintained that the information from his government on the radioactive water release was shared "in a transparent manner based on scientific evidence, with an emphasis on providing sufficient data." Koshikawa also blasted those who continued questioning Japan's information, lamenting their "disregard for science." "Such moves will only hamper global cooperation in utilizing nuclear energy and jeopardize international cooperation to ensure its safety," the ambassador said. "Japan will take all possible measures to ensure the safety of the discharge into the sea even after it begins, and will not discharge anything that could adversely affect the health or environment," he added. The Philippines, meanwhile, said that it recognizes the technical expertise of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on the matter. "The Philippines continues to look at this issue from a science- and fact-based perspective and its impact on the waters in the region. As a coastal and archipelagic State, the Philippines attaches utmost priority to the protection and preservation of the marine environment," the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a separate statement. In July, IAEA concluded that the discharge plan aligns with global safety standards and would have a "negligible" impact on people and the environment, prompting the Japanese government to proceed with the water disposal plan. The South Korean government has said it respects the outcome of the IAEA's review based on its own analysis of Japan's plan but will not endorse or support the water discharge in consideration of persisting concerns among the public. The IAEA said it will regularly inform South Korea about the discharge of treated water under an agreement that stresses the importance of transparency to address public concern in the country. China is against the plan and has introduced blanket radiation testing on Japanese seafood products in an apparent bid to convince Tokyo not to go through with the water discharge. Besides Japan's fishing industry, a group of fishermen in the Philippines has also voiced concerns over the water disposal. Japan's Fisheries Agency will monitor concentration levels of radioactive materials in fish caught within a 10-kilometer radius of the power plant. The first results are expected to be released on the agency's website no sooner than Saturday, according to the agency.

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