Japan’s plans to release radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean are consistent with international safety standards, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has concluded.
The findings, published on July 4 (pdf), followed a comprehensive assessment and safety review of the treated water stored at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS), according to the U.N. watchdog.
The IAEA also stated that “controlled, gradual discharges of the treated water to the sea” as currently planned by Japan’s government and the plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), would have a “negligible radiological impact on people and the environment.”
The report is the result of a nearly two-year assessment conducted by an IAEA task force made up of top specialists from within the agency advised by “internationally recognized nuclear safety experts from eleven countries,” according to a statement.
About 1.2 million cubic meters of water that have been used to cool the fuel rods of the Fukushima plant will be released under the plan over the next three to four decades in order to prevent accidental leaks and to allow for the plant’s decommissioning.
As part of the plan, the IAEA stated that it will conduct an independent and objective safety review during the discharge phase, with a continued on-site presence and live online monitoring throughout.
Japan hasn’t specified a date for the water release.
The 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster was triggered by a deadly 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami in the northern region of Japan that knocked out the plant’s cooling systems, triggering the meltdown of three reactors.
While the water stored at the FDNPS has been treated through an “Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS)” to remove “almost all” radioactivity, it still remains tainted by tritium, a rare and radioactive isotope of hydrogen that can bond with oxygen to make water, making it difficult to fully remove.
Backlash Over Plans
Tritium can increase the risk of cancer if consumed in extremely large quantities. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets a maximum contaminant level for tritium at 20,000 picoCuries per liter.
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