Japan To Begin Second Round of Fukushima Water Release

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, announced Thursday that the second phase of the plant's water release to the ocean will begin on October 5

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"Preparations for the discharge will begin on October 3. In the event that no deviations are detected, it is expected that the release will begin on October 5," TEPCO specialists said in statements to the press.

The second phase as the first one is planned to discharge another 7,800 tons of water into the ocean over the course of 17 days.

The first stage began last August 24 and ended on September 11. According to TEPCO, a total of 7,788 tons of treated water stored in 10 tanks at the complex were diluted and discharged without problems during those days.

It is the water that had been used to cool the failed reactors at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant, which was then subjected to purification in the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS), which removes radionuclides of 62 types, except tritium.

According to Japan, since the spill began, seawater samples, taken at 11 points within 3 kilometers of the plant, have been analyzed daily. 

The results provided by TEPCO management indicate that the concentration of tritium (radioactive isotope of hydrogen) was a maximum of 10 becquerels per liter, well below the 700 becquerels per liter established for the company to suspend the discharge.

Despite Tokyo's positive view on dumping, China has called it "extremely selfish and irresponsible behavior." China's General Administration of Customs announced on August 24 the decision to suspend imports of aquaculture products from Japan.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has said the Asian nation reserves the right to take legitimate, reasonable and necessary precautionary measures to ensure the safety of the marine environment and human health.