On Tuesday (July 4), the International Atomic Energy Agency approved Japan’s plans to release treated radioactive water into the sea from its defunct nuclear reactor in Fukushima. The Fukushima controversy is a hot potato in Asia, with tensions simmering after Japan’s plans of releasing radioactive water from the tsunami-wrecked nuclear plant into the sea.
A nuclear accident occurred at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant nuclear plant during the 2011 tsunami when a large quantity of radioactive material was released, causing significant human suffering.
After the tsunami hit, some of the nuclear facility’s reactors went into meltdown as the cooling systems were overwhelmed, causing a nuclear accident — the worst since Chornobyl.
In the immediate aftermath of the accident, some experts said that the cleanup operation would take decades of work and cost hundreds of billions of dollars.
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How much water are we talking about?
The water was distilled after being contaminated from contact with fuel rods at the reactor. The tanks on the site now hold about 1.3 million tonnes of radioactive water — enough to fill 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools, which is massive. It is a mixture of groundwater, rain that seeps into the area, and water used for cooling.
Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) is planning to dilute the water until tritium levels fall below regulatory limits, before pumping it into the ocean from the coastal site. The company has been filtering the contaminated water to remove isotopes, which leaves only tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen that is hard to separate from the water and commonly remains in wastewater that has been discharged into the sea by nuclear plants globally.
According to a Scientific American article in 2014, Tritium is considered relatively harmless because it does not emit enough energy to penetrate human skin. But it may lead to cancer risks when ingested. It’s not a one or two-day job, as the entire process of water disposal will take decades to complete.
Japan wants to start releasing more than a million tonnes of treated water from the destroyed nuclear power plant this summer. Top government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno said Tuesday that “a review by IAEA, given how authoritative it is in the management and application of nuclear safety standards, is critical to our efforts to foster international understanding”.
“The controlled, gradual discharges of the treated water to the sea… would have a negligible radiological impact on people and the environment,” it added.
After speaking with Japan’s prime minister and foreign minister, visiting IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said the body had spent two years reviewing the release plan. They have tested the water at its labs and sent samples to independent facilities for better analysis.
While mentioning similar releases by plants from China to France, he said, “This process of dilution and chemical and other filtration is nothing new. It’s something that exists in the industry.”
“We recognise that there are concerns,” he said. Grossi noted that the IAEA will open a permanent office at the Fukushima site to continuously monitor the release process.
“We will thoroughly explain and communicate, both domestically and internationally, details of the IAEA report, our effort to ensure safety and measures against reputational damage”.
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China raises concerns
The plan of releasing nuclear water remains controversial, with China criticising it. Not just China, the issue bothers other nations in the region as some in South Korea were panic-buying salt over fears of contamination after the discharge begins.
Fishing communities in Fukushima have also raised concerns over the impact of Japan’s plan on their fishing activities as customers will be worried despite strict testing protocols for food from the region.
Meanwhile, reports have mentioned that Tepco has been engaging with fishing communities and other stakeholders and is promoting agriculture, fishery and forest products in stores and restaurants to reduce any reputational harm to produce from the area.
Amid rising concerns, Grossi said he will also visit South Korea to talk to the panicky consumers. He is also expected to visit New Zealand and the Cook Islands in a bid to ease concerns over the plan, according to media reports.
‘Great East Japan Earthquake’: What happened on March 11, 2011?
Japan was struck by a massive magnitude 9.0 earthquake which was centred in the Pacific Ocean about 80 kilometres east of the city of Sendai. The quake led to a powerful tsunami. According to the US Geological Survey, it was the largest earthquake ever recorded in Japan and the fourth largest recorded worldwide since 1900.
As per the data released officially, the number of those confirmed dead or listed as missing from the 2011 disaster was about 18,500. Another estimated it to be at least 20,000. Reports have mentioned that the majority of those killed were drowning victims of the tsunami waves.
(With inputs from agencies)
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