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Regarding the disposal of the water containing the radioactive substance tritium after purifying the contaminated water generated at the TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, the government will hold a meeting of related ministers later this month to decide the disposal policy of ocean discharges. I found out by interviewing interested people. Although there are voices of fishermen who oppose the release as “damage to rumors”, the measures against contaminated water will enter a new phase 10 years before the accident. (Shinichi Ogawa, Kenta Onozawa)
◆ Consider independent measures against damage to reputation
The government plans to consider measures against reputational damage separately.
At the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, a large amount of contaminated water continues to be generated due to the injection of water into the reactor, where the nuclear fuel (debris) melted in the accident remains. TEPCO stores the water after purifying the contaminated water with a multi-core species removal facility (ALPS) that can remove most radioactive substances other than tritium in a tank. The quantity is approximately 1.2 million tons.
TEPCO has indicated that the storage capacity of the tank will reach its limit in the fall of 2022, and it is expected that it will take two years to install the discharge facility.
For this reason, the government was quick to consider release. In February this year, a government subcommittee recommended two discharges to the ocean or the atmosphere, which have been tested at home and abroad. From April 8 to 8 this month, a total of seven meetings were held to hear the views of the governor of Fukushima prefecture, mayors of cities, towns and villages, and representatives of fishing and distribution organizations.
Approximately 70% of the treated water to be stored is insufficiently purified and radioactive substances other than tritium remain above national emission standards. TEPCO announced in a press conference on the 15th that the effect was confirmed to be sub-standard during a repurification test for removal.
◆ All emissions from the Fisheries Federation to the ocean are “absolutely opposite”
Regarding release to the ocean, Hiroshi Kishi, president of the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives (Zen Fisheries Federation), met with the ministers of both ministries at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of the Environment on the same day. He submitted a request that said: “I absolutely disagree with the consensus of the fishermen” and asked: “If it is thrown into the ocean, it will inevitably damage the rumors. It may destroy the future prospects of the fishery. Please judge carefully.”
Satoshi Nozaki, Chairman of the Fukushima Prefectural Fisheries Federation, who accompanied him, also complained to the Ministry of Environment: “We are working as one to target a large-scale operation starting in April next year. We are against in the sense of continuing with our sustenance. ”