Fukushima reactor water release has ‘minimal impact’ on environment, claims plant owner

According to the simulation, radiation levels of seawater right above the release point temporarily increased slightly but quickly fell to normal levels, TEPCO said, Exposure to radioactivity was significantly lower than the maximum safe levels set by international organizations, it said.

18 Novembre 2021 3:53 | Ultima modifica: 30 Gennaio 2023 10:51

The operator of the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant said Wednesday that a data simulation of its planned release of treated radioactive water into the sea suggests it would have an extremely small impact on the environment, marine life and humans, AP reports

The Japanese government and the plant’s operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, say they will start gradually releasing the water in the spring of 2023 so hundreds of storage tanks at the plant can be removed to make room for facilities needed for its decommissioning.

The plan has been fiercely opposed by fishermen, residents and Japan’s neighbors, including China and South Korea.

TEPCO plans to send the water through an undersea tunnel and discharge it about 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) away from the coastal power plant after treating and diluting it with large amounts of seawater.

According to the simulation, radiation levels of seawater right above the release point temporarily increased slightly but quickly fell to normal levels, TEPCO said, Exposure to radioactivity was significantly lower than the maximum safe levels set by international organizations, it said.