IAEA approves Japan plan to dump radioactive water into the sea

This Tuesday, July 4th, the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, announced that the Japanese government received approval to release treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean.

According to him, the Japanese plan complies with international safety standards and will have an “insignificant” impact on the lives of the surrounding population and on the environment.

See too: Japan leads the race to regulate the use of artificial intelligence; learn about the reasons and main areas

The accident that occurred on March 11, 2011, consisting of an earthquake, tsunami and a nuclear accident, resulted in the meltdown of three reactors at the Fukushima plant.

That catastrophe caused radioactive leaks and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people in nearby areas.

Water storage for decades to come

While decontamination and decommissioning of the plant is scheduled to take place over several decades, Japan faces the immediate challenge of storing around 1.33 million tons of

water from rainfall, groundwater and injections needed to cool the nuclear reactors at the power plant site. This volume of water will soon reach its maximum capacity.

To deal with this problem, the Japanese government plans to treat the water through a decontamination system that will remove radioactive elements, with the exception of tritium, which will be diluted.

The project had already received approval from the IAEA, and now, after a complete review, the start of the water runoff is close.

Furthermore, the decision to release treated water into the ocean is a necessary step towards solving this environmental challenge. Based on international assessments, the radiological impact will be negligible and will pose no risk to the population or the environment.

The Japanese government seeks to ensure the continued security of the region and advance the recovery process following the Fukushima disaster. Finally, the approval of the IAEA reinforces confidence in the approach adopted by the Japan and brings a positive outlook for the future.