The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has concluded that Japan’s plans to release more treated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea are in line with global safety standards.
In a tsunami following a 2011 earthquake, the disused plant suffered damage that rendered the nuclear reactors unusable.
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In April 2021, the Japanese Government announced the plan to discharge water stored at the plant into the sea. Japan requested the IAEA review the plan following this in order to ensure adherence to international safety regulations.
“Based on its comprehensive assessment, the IAEA concluded that the approach and activities to the discharge of Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) treated water taken by Japan are consistent with relevant international safety standards,” said Rafael Mariano Grossi, IAEA director-general.
Grossi continued: “Furthermore, the IAEA notes the controlled, gradual discharges of the treated water to the sea, as currently planned and assessed by TEPCO [Tokyo Electric Power Company], would have a negligible radiological impact on people and the environment.”
Since the accident, plant operator TEPCO has stored the plant’s contaminated water on site in special tanks. The high volume of radioactive water previously caused high doses of radiation to workers at the site. This led to TEPCO developing the ALPS, with which they will treat the radioactive water before releasing it into the sea.
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By GlobalDataThe IAEA report explains: “The ALPS system is fundamentally, a pumping and filtration system which uses a series of chemical reactions to remove 62 radionuclides from the contaminated water.” The contaminants are captured in filters and stored on site whilst the treated water is currently stored in separate tanks. There are more than 1,000 treated water tanks currently on site.
Grossi maintained in his foreword that the report was not an endorsement or recommendation of the plan, and that it was solely Japanese Government policy. Grossi did, however, say that the IAEA will maintain a presence around the project before, during and after the discharge.
Consumer trust has already been fleeting in local fisheries following the initial disaster. All docked fish are currently scanned for radioactivity. There are fears then that the dumping of the treated water will put the livelihoods of local fishermen in danger thanks to renewed scepticism over the safety of the waters.
