Fukushima-1 (NPP)

Main article: Nuclear power plants in Japan

History

2024

Draining radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean

Japan continues to drain water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean - on February 28, 2024, the fourth stage of discharge began, which will last until March 16.

Power station operator TEPCO says the radioactive substance tritium found in the water is within normal limits and therefore draining is safe.

In China and Russia, they do not change their position - after the start of the discharge of water, the two countries introduced a ban on the import of Japanese seafood due to the fact that they may be unsafe for people.

22 trillion becquerels (a measure of the activity of a radiation source) will be discharged from Fukushima, while the Japanese claim that other countries have discharged a multiple of large volumes of radioactive water.

It is believed that super-heavy water quickly dissolves in the oceans to safe concentrations.

So far, draining water from nuclear power plants has harmed only Japan to a greater extent. The same Chinese export ban severely undermined the image of Japanese fishermen.

In addition, most fishing associations in the country felt the negative effects of the consequences of Japanese politics - someone complains about low prices for seafood, someone about the loss of the Chinese market and, accordingly, profits.

They intend to drain all the water in 30 years. Therefore, the policy of reorienting seafood exports to other countries than are employed in the country's government will remain in Japan for a long time.

Leakage of 5.5 tons of water containing radionuclides

Radioactive water treatment equipment at the Fukushima nuclear power plant leaked water containing radionuclides, media reported in February 2024.

The volume of the leak is 5.5 tons, the concentration of radioactive elements has reached 22 billion becquerels.

2022: Ex-leaders of Japan's Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant who committed disaster fined $95 billion

On July 13, 2022, a Tokyo court ordered former executives of Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings to pay about $95 billion in total compensation for failing to prevent the 2011 Fukushima-1 nuclear disaster (its operator is Tokyo Electric). Read more here.

2021: Japanese government allows water from Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant to be dumped into ocean

In mid-April 2021, the Japanese government allowed water to be discharged from the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant into the ocean. The decision was made at a meeting led by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. The gradual release of radioactive fluid is expected to stretch for decades.

The Japanese authorities concluded that after purification, the water does not threaten people and the environment, despite the fears of local fishermen and neighboring countries - China and South Korea.

Japanese government allows water from Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant to be discharged into the ocean

Controlled discharges of water into the sea are commonly used by operating nuclear power plants in the world according to the conditions of the safety and environmental impact assessment. In the case of Japan, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is ready to provide technical support in monitoring and verifying the safe and transparent implementation of this plan.

By April 2021, more than 1.25 million tons of water containing tritium, which cannot be technically extracted, had accumulated in steel tanks on the territory of Fukushima-1. Japan claims that at the time of discharge into the ocean, the concentration of this substance will comply with the norm established by the World Health Organization for drinking water. Power plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. fears that the storage capacity will run out in the fall of 2022.

China and South Korea have expressed concern about Japan's plans.

The Japanese side must act in a responsible way, in the interests of the world community and its own citizens, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

The head of the South Korean Office for the Coordination of Public Policy, Ku Yun Chol, told reporters that the government will take all necessary measures in accordance with the principle of ensuring the safety of the South Korean people from contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant^[1]

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