Asia-Pacific

Fukushima water release unavoidable: Japan nuke watchdog

Fukushima water release unavoidable

Japan’s nuclear watchdog says contaminated water from the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant will have to be released into the ocean eventually.

Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) Chairman Shunichi Tanaka made the statement during a governmental session held in response to growing concerns about the plant operator’s ability to deal with a worsening water crisis.

He also said the water would be discharged once it’s purified to levels recognized as safe under international standards.

“I’m afraid that it is unavoidable to dump or release the water into the sea,” Tanaka said, adding, “The situation at Fukushima is changing everyday.”

The plant’s operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), said yesterday that radiation near a tank holding highly contaminated water has spiked eighteen-fold.

The NRA has recently set up a team to collect data more comprehensively to assess the extent of contamination and evaluate the impact on the ocean.

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has promised that his government will take prompt steps to clean up the wrecked power station.

Meanwhile, fishing bans remain in place off the coast of Fukushima. Japanese fisheries association executives has said the situation could doom Japan’s fishing industry.

The Fukushima plant was damaged in a mega-earthquake followed by a tsunami on March 11, 2011.

A report released by a Japanese parliamentary panel later said the incident at the Fukushima nuclear plant was not only due to the tsunami, but also a “man-made disaster.”

The report criticized the “government, regulatory authorities and Tokyo Electric Power Company” for being devoid of “a sense of responsibility to protect people’s lives and society.”

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