European Commission Expects Japan To Ensure Safe Discharge Of Fukushima NPP Water Into Sea

BRUSSELS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th April, 2021) The European Commission is aware of Japan's decision to discharge treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) into the sea and expects Tokyo to ensure that the procedure is in line with all safety standards, an EC spokesperson said on Tuesday.

"We are aware of the Japanese government's decision ... The Commission would obviously expect that the Japanese government ensures full safety of any discharge in full compliance with its national and international obligations," the spokesperson stated at a briefing, noting that the EC also expects full transparency of the procedure.

According to the spokesperson, the commission will continue to monitor the situation and keep in touch with Tokyo concerning the Fukushima issue.

Earlier on Tuesday, Japan announced its plans to release treated radioactive water from the disabled Fukushima NPP into the sea starting from 2023 despite harsh backlash from local fisheries and neighboring countries.

The government panel initially considered two options of dealing with the contaminated water, either dumping into the ocean or evaporating it into the atmosphere, before choosing the former.

Currently the radioactive water is stored in special tanks at the site of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. The existing reservoirs are expected to fill up by 2022. Tokyo plans to filter the stored water through the ALPS filtering system to reduce the concentration of radioactive materials, except for tritium, before releasing it into the sea.

China and South Korea have already urged Japan to revise its decision amid rising concerns for human safety.