Japan PM visits Fukushima nuclear plant ahead of release of treated radioactive water
Aug 20, 2023
Tokyo [Japan], August 20 : Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Sunday paid a visit to the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant as the government is planning to release treated radioactive water stored at the facility into the sea, Kyodo News reported.
This move from the government is also facing opposition from the fishermen's community and some neighbouring countries.
Kishida’s visit comes a day before his meeting with ministers aimed to discuss when to start the release of water.
The process will begin possibly between late August and early September, Kyodo News reported citing government sources.
The government is at "the final stage" of procedures before deciding on the time of the water release, Kishida told reporters in Washington on Friday after attending a trilateral meeting with the United States and South Korea.
Since the Fukushima Daiichi plant was destroyed by an earthquake and following the tsunami in 2011, a tremendous amount of contaminated water has been generated in the process of cooling melted reactor fuel.
The water has been stored in tanks after passing through an innovative liquid processing system that removes most radionuclides except tritium, but the tanks are nearing capacity. Tritium is less dangerous than other radioactive elements such as cesium and strontium.
The treated water, which contains trace amounts of tritium, will be diluted to one-40th of the concentration allowed by Japanese safety requirements before being released through an undersea tunnel one kilometre from the power plant.
During his visit, Kishida is expected to inspect the facilities.
Fishermen and some neighbouring countries continue to resist the idea, and China has implemented blanket radiation testing on Japanese fish imports.
According to government sources, as cited by Kyodo News, Kishida also plans to meet with the head of the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations on Monday.
The Japanese government has been debating when to release the water since the International Atomic Energy Agency stated in its final assessment last month that the scheduled outflow will meet worldwide safety requirements, Kyodo News reported.
