TOKYO: On October 5th, Japan’s operator of the Fukushima nuclear plant began the second phase of releasing treated wastewater into the ocean.
The discharge started at 10:18 AM Japan time (9:18 AM Singapore time), according to a spokesperson from TEPCO.
This action follows the first discharge on August 24th, where Japan began releasing part of the 1.34 million tonnes of wastewater accumulated since a tsunami struck the plant in 2011. In this second phase, approximately 7,800 tonnes of water are expected to be discharged.
China had previously imposed a ban on all Japanese seafood imports after the first release, despite Tokyo’s assurances that it posed no health risks. Russia, with strained relations with Japan, is reportedly considering a similar seafood ban.
TEPCO has asserted that the wastewater has been thoroughly filtered to remove all radioactive elements, except for tritium, which remains within safe levels. This viewpoint is supported by the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog.
China has criticized Japan for treating the ocean as a “sewer,” a sentiment echoed by Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare of the Solomon Islands at the recent UN session. The complete release of wastewater is expected to take several decades and is intended to create space for the eventual removal of highly hazardous radioactive fuel and debris from the damaged reactors at the plant.
