Fukushima Contaminated Water Discharge Trial Operation Starts Tomorrow... Japanese Fishermen Oppose Discharge

Facility Check for 2 Weeks in Freshwater and Seawater
Local Residents "Oppose Discharge... Distribution Damage"

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) will begin trial operations for the ocean discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant starting on the 12th. Local fishermen in Japan have clearly expressed their opposition.

TEPCO plans to conduct trial operations for about two weeks to inspect whether key facilities are functioning properly ahead of the planned discharge this summer.

Kyodo News reported on the 18th that Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) has expanded information related to contaminated water on its website ahead of the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The photo shows contaminated water purified by the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS). [Photo by Yonhap News]

The trial operations will involve actually carrying out the process of mixing water without radioactive materials with seawater and discharging it into the ocean through an underwater tunnel about 1 km deep. Additionally, over the two weeks, they will check whether emergency equipment can stop normally.

During the dilution process of the contaminated water, the seawater and contaminated water must maintain an appropriate ratio, and if this ratio is not maintained, the operation must be halted.

The underwater tunnel, which is 1 km long and constructed along the coast where the nuclear power plant is located, is a key facility for discharging the contaminated water.

Currently, only some construction work on the tanks that store contaminated water before it is released into the sea remains. TEPCO plans to complete all construction by the end of this month.

The Japanese government intends to proceed with the discharge if no significant issues arise in the final report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regarding the contaminated water discharge plan. The final report is expected to be released this month.

The Japanese Minister of Economy has been persuading local fishermen daily to ease their anxiety and dissatisfaction, but the fishermen remain steadfast in their opposition.

The fishermen are concerned that rumors will cause damage, leading to difficulties in catch volume and distribution. They have also emphasized that TEPCO promised the Fukushima Prefecture Fisheries Cooperative Association in 2015 that it would not discharge contaminated water without the understanding of related parties.