Japan Nuclear Regulation Authority Approves Fukushima Contaminated Water Ocean Discharge Plan

[Photo by AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Byunghee Park] The Nuclear Regulation Authority of Japan has approved Tokyo Electric Power Company's (TEPCO) plan to discharge contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean, Japanese media including NHK reported on the 18th.

The Japanese government decided in April last year to treat the contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant using the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) to remove multiple radionuclides, then dilute it with seawater to reduce the concentration of tritium before releasing it into the Pacific Ocean. Following the government’s policy, TEPCO prepared a detailed plan and applied for review by the Nuclear Regulation Authority in December last year. The Nuclear Regulation Authority approved TEPCO’s discharge plan on the grounds that there are no safety issues.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority plans to finalize the review of the discharge plan after soliciting public comments.

After final approval, TEPCO will obtain consent from the relevant local governments and begin construction of facilities such as underwater tunnels for the discharge. However, strong opposition from local fishing organizations is expected.

TEPCO aims to start the discharge in spring next year. Currently, the contaminated water is stored in tanks within the Fukushima nuclear plant, and at the current rate, the storage capacity is expected to be full by mid-next year.