Japan to Start Releasing Radioactive Water From Fukushima

[left-of-center2012]

Japan said on Tuesday that it had decided to gradually release tons of treated wastewater from the ruined Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant into the ocean, describing it as the best option for disposal despite fierce opposition from fishing crews at home and concern from governments abroad.

The plan to start releasing the water in two years was approved during a cabinet meeting of ministers early Tuesday.

Disposal of the wastewater has been long delayed by public opposition and by safety concerns. But the space used to store the water is expected to run out next year, and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told lawmakers on Monday that the ocean release was “unavoidable” and could no longer be postponed.

Greenpeace Japan denounced the decision, saying in a statement that it “ignores human rights and international maritime law.” Kazue Suzuki, a climate and energy campaigner for the organization, said that the Japanese government had “discounted the radiation risks.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/13/world/asia/japan-fukushima-wastewater-ocean.html

[Kid Berwyn]

1. Disaster Without End.

Has TEPCO even named what radioactive substances are in the water they plan to dump into the Pacific Ocean?



There’s a lot of plutonium what was in Reactor 3, on the left above, shortly after its containment building exploded in 2011.

[localroger]

2. Well surely it's not THAT radioactive any more. Right? RIGHT? nt

[soothsayer]

3. Are they doing to promote the Godzilla movie

Ugh, goodbye, tuna.

Well... maybe I can stock up.

[Steven Maurer]

4. There's more radiation in a boatload of bananas at this point...

And no, that's not a joke.

Cesium 137 has a short enough half-life that it's basically undetectable from the background radiation except with extremely expensive equipment.

[MerryHolidays]

5. Are you sure about that?

It has a nearly 31 year half-llfe (the earthquake was just 10 years ago) and seems pretty nasty all around (if you believe Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesium-137

[NutmegYankee]

6. I think he meant to say tritium.

Filters can get heavy metals out of the water, but tritium is a heavy isotope of Hydrogen gas. It has a 12 year half life.

[betsuni]

7. Ugh. Government wants to "seek understanding" and prevent "unfavorable/harmful rumors."

Last edited Tue Apr 13, 2021, 08:30 AM - Edit history (1)

Fisherman says the government "makes fools of the public" because of course. Watching the officials on NHK who approved this, all men.

The ocean called ...

[HAB911]

8. GODZIRRA

[hunter]

9. Worse than that was spilled in the tsunami...

... many toxins with a half life of FOREVER!

The thing we learned from both Chernobyl and Fukushima is that people going about their ordinary business are worse for the natural environment than nuclear accidents.

There's the one memorable video of giant storage tanks floating out to sea during the tsunami, other storage tanks ripped open. Does anyone care what was in those storage tanks? Probably a lot of stuff that was far more toxic than these tritium releases.

Substances like gasoline, used motor oil, and coal ash are persistent carcinogens. Nobody seems to care about that shit.

[Demsrule86]

10. This is why I am opposed to nuclear energy. It isn't safe. They are trying to build

one of these monstrosities in Georgia ...hope it fails. The water will remain dangerous for thousands to millions of years.