Japan To Release Treated Radioactive Water From Fukushima NPP Into Sea

TOKYO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th April, 2021) Japan's government decided to release treated radioactive water from the disabled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) into the sea, the Kyodo news agency reported.

Despite neighboring states' concerns, the country's leadership said there would be no negative impact on the environment or human health.

Last year, a Japanese government panel considered two options of dealing with the contaminated water - to dump it into the ocean or evaporate it into the atmosphere. The panel eventually recommended the ocean release, arguing that it would pose little risk to human health. The decision, however, triggered a backlash among the fisheries industry and some local governments in the region.

The water at the NPP became radioactive following the Fukushima nuclear disaster triggered by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Under the government's plan, the contaminated water, which is currently stored in special tanks with limited volume, will be filtrated by the ALPS filtering system before being released into the sea. The system reduces the concentration of radioactive materials, except for tritium, to a normal level.

In addition to opposition among the local fishery companies, Japan's neighbors - China and South Korea - have also voiced their concerns over the release of the contaminated water into the environment.