Nuclear Regulation Authority's approval

Japan’s nuclear water disposal plan irresponsible

This picture taken on March 5, 2022 shows storage tanks for treated contaminated water at the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Okuma, Fukushima prefecture

May 20, 2022

Japan’s Nuclear Regulatory Authority granted initial approval on Wednesday for the Tokyo Electric Power Company’s plan to pipe contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power station into the ocean.

The water was used to cool damaged reactors after tsunami waves crashed into the nuclear power plant at Fukushima, knocking out its backup electricity supply and triggering meltdowns in three of its reactors, following an earthquake in 2011.

The decision shows the Japanese government and the Japanese company stand together in diverting this problem toward humankind. And the Japanese people are among the first who will suffer because of this disastrous plan. Local reports show many Japanese residents have already expressed strong opposition to the plan.

Satoshi Nozaki, head of the Fukushima Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives Associations, said the plan will spell the death knell of the local fisheries industry. Already, importers from the world over have rejected agricultural and fishery products from Fukushima.

A Fukushima resident surnamed Uno expressed her anger against the decision saying this is something that will affect generations to come.

Japan’s immediate neighbors, residents of China and the Republic of Korea, will face no less harm from the radioactive discharge. Chinese and ROK fishermen might have to abandon fishing in the region.

On hearing that they would be served fish from Fukushima, athletes from the ROK had brought their own food with them to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

All seas being interconnected, neither North America nor Europe can escape the fate if Japan discharges the contaminated water into the ocean; a CCTV report had said the nuclear waste water from Fukushima would reach North America within 57 days.

The Tokyo Electric Power Company started manufacturing pipes for discharging the water in April and the discharge is scheduled to begin nearly next year. The world should stop Japan from carrying out this disastrous plan.

http://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202205/20/WS6286df99a310fd2b29e5dddb.html

May 22, 2022 Posted by dunrenard | Fuk 2022 | China opposition, Fukushima Daiichi, Nuclear Regulation Authority's approval, Radioactive Water, Sea release | Leave a comment

Japan OKs plan to release Fukushima nuclear plant wastewater

Japan’s nuclear regulator has approved plans by the operator of the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant to release its treated radioactive wastewater into the sea next year, saying the outlined methods are safe and risks to the environment minimal

By Mari Yamaguchi Associated Press

May 18, 2022

TOKYO — Japan’s nuclear regulator on Wednesday approved plans by the operator of the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant to release its treated radioactive wastewater into the sea next year, saying the outlined methods are safe and risks to the environment minimal.

The plan was submitted by the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings in December based on the government’s decision last year to release the wastewater as a necessary step for the ongoing plant cleanup and decommission.

A massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011 destroyed the Fukushima plant’s cooling systems, causing the meltdown of three reactors and the release of large amounts of radiation. Water that has been used to cool the three damaged reactor cores, which remain highly radioactive, has since leaked but was collected and stored in tanks.

There is still concern in the community and neighboring countries about the potential health hazards of the release of the wastewater that includes tritium — a byproduct of nuclear power production and a possible carcinogen at high levels.

The government and TEPCO say more than 60 isotopes selected for treatment can be lowered to meet safety standards, except for tritium, but that it is safe if diluted. Scientists say impact of long term low-dose exposure to the environment and humans are unknown, and that tritium can have a bigger impact on humans when consumed in fish than in water.

Japan nuclear authority chairman Toyoshi Fuketa said that the plan is made conservatively so the radiation impact on the environment could be still below the legal limit in case of any thinkable risks.

Under the plan, TEPCO will transport water that has been treated to below releasable levels through a pipeline from the tanks to a coastal facility, where the water is diluted with seawater.

From there, the water will enter an undersea tunnel to be discharged at a point about 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) from the plant to ensure safety and minimize the impact on local fishing and the environment, according to TEPCO.

The plan will become official after a 30-day public review, a formality that is not expected to overturn the approval.

The green light came just as the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Director Mariano Grossi arrived in Japan for meetings with top officials to discuss the plan, which has received international attention.

Fuketa will meet with Grossi on Friday after the IAEA director’s visit to the Fukushima plant on Thursday and meetings with other Japanese officials.

The government and TEPCO plan to begin gradually releasing the treated water in spring 2023.

The contaminated water is being stored in about 1,000 tanks at the damaged plant, which officials say must be removed so that facilities can be built for its decommissioning. The tanks are expected to reach their capacity of 1.37 million tons next year — slower than an earlier estimate of later this year.

Japan has sought the IAEA’s assistance to ensure the water release meets international safety standards, and to reassure local fishing and other communities as well as neighboring countries that have sharply criticized the plan.

A team of experts from the IAEA visited the plant in February and March for meetings with Japanese government and TEPCO officials. The task force, in a report issued late April, said Japan is making “significant progress” on the plan and taking appropriate steps toward the planned discharge.

https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/japan-oks-plan-release-fukushima-nuclear-plant-wastewater-84800836

May 22, 2022 Posted by dunrenard | Fuk 2022 | Fukushima Daiichi, Nuclear Regulation Authority's approval, Radioactive Water, Sea release | Leave a comment

Regulatory Commission approves plan to discharge treated water containing tritium, etc., into the sea.

May 18, 2022

The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) has approved a plan formulated by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) to discharge into the sea water containing tritium and other radioactive materials that have accumulated at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in accordance with government policy.

At the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, in addition to groundwater and rainwater flowing into the reactor buildings, contaminated water containing radioactive materials is generated as a result of cooling melted-down nuclear fuel, and after purification, the so-called “treated water” still contains tritium and other radioactive materials that are difficult to remove.
The government has decided that the ever-increasing amount of treated water cannot continue to be stored on the plant’s premises, so it will be diluted to a concentration below the standard and discharged into the sea around next spring.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) has been reviewing the plan.
At its meeting on March 18, the Nuclear Regulation Authority took up a draft review document summarizing the discussions to date, including a method to check the concentration of tritium and other substances in the treated water before discharging it, and an assessment of the effects of exposure to the surrounding environment and people, as described in the plan.
As a result, the Regulatory Commission approved TEPCO’s plan, finding no problems with the content of the review.
After soliciting opinions from the public for about a month from the 19th, the plan is expected to be officially approved.
TEPCO has been working since last December on the entrance and exit of the undersea tunnel for the offshore discharge, and after obtaining the approval of Fukushima Prefecture and local authorities, will start full-scale construction of facilities to dilute the treated water with seawater and the tunnel itself, aiming to complete the work around mid-April next year. The construction is scheduled to be completed by mid-April of next year.
However, concerns about harmful rumors persist, especially among local residents and fishermen, and the issue is how the government and TEPCO will gain the understanding of all concerned parties.

Fishermen’s Cooperative “Firmly Opposed”]
Haruhiko Terasawa, head of the Miyagi Prefectural Fisheries Cooperative Association, commented on the Nuclear Regulation Commission’s approval of TEPCO’s plan to discharge treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean, “Ascidians caught in Miyagi Prefecture still cannot be exported to some countries. We are firmly opposed to the discharge of treated water into the ocean, and we hope that the government will first create an environment in which we can fish with peace of mind.
He added, “After the earthquake and the nuclear power plant accident, it was hard for us to sell seafood from Miyagi Prefecture. I don’t want to feel that way again. From overseas, the seas of Miyagi Prefecture and Fukushima Prefecture are seen as the same region, so I want Miyagi Prefecture to provide the same level of support as Fukushima Prefecture, where the nuclear power plant is located,” he said, calling on the national government and TEPCO to provide explanations that are satisfactory to local fishermen and take concrete measures to prevent harmful rumors.

Governor Murai: “Take measures against reputational rumors.”
In response to the Nuclear Regulation Authority’s approval of a plan to discharge into the sea water containing tritium and other radioactive materials that have accumulated at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, Governor Murai stated, “The prefecture will continue to request that disposal methods other than discharging into the sea be considered, and will also seek more concrete measures to ensure that our past efforts and achievements toward reconstruction will not be undone. In addition, the prefectural government will ask the central government and TEPCO to take more concrete and effective measures against rumors to ensure that the efforts and achievements made so far toward reconstruction will not be undone.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/tohoku-news/20220518/6000019337.html?fbclid=IwAR3Y2DpVdxBz2yQ-fNdJAy7xxM9SF_qkNYmGoB_SgZTsPmLyi5l–HDQY7Y

May 22, 2022 Posted by dunrenard | Fuk 2022 | Fukushima Daiichi, Fukushima governor opposition, Nuclear Regulation Authority's approval, Radioactive Water, Sea release | Leave a comment