Despite opposition to the plan, Japan’s government could decide to release the radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean
Japan could soon dump radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean, reports from the country have claimed.
The power plant was damaged by a tsunami triggered by a powerful 9.0 magnitude earthquake in 2011, causing over one million tonnes of contaminated water to accumulate on the site.
A debate over how to dispose of the water has raged for years, with many opposing plans to drain the water into the ocean.
Yoshihide Suga, the country’s prime minister, said on Wednesday that it was time for a decision to be reached regarding the problem, with environmentalists and fishermen continuing to express their concern at the suggestions the water could be released into the ocean.
Suga met with Hiroshi Kishi, president of the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations, earlier this week. According to the Japan Times, Kishi reiterated the opposition of the country’s fishing industry to potential plans to release the water back into the sea.
Kishi later quoted the prime minister as saying that experts have recommended that the release of the water into the sea is “the most realistic method that can be implemented”.
The Japanese government has vowed to make a formal decision on its intentions as soon as possible, with reports claiming a cabinet meeting could be held as soon as next Tuesday. Should they decide to release the water into the Pacific, it will take two years of preparation.
Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc, current operators of the Fukushima site, say they expect to run out of tank storage capacity for the water by autumn of next year.
