Fukushima nuclear plant: Japan will release poisonous water in the sea, then why did the UN agency get approval?

Fukushima nuclear plant: Japan will release poisonous water in the sea, then why did the UN agency get approval?

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Addressing reporters at the Japan National Press Club, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said he would try to address any concerns in this regard.

Japan received approval from a United Nations watchdog on July 4 to go ahead with its plan to release wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean. Supporting the proposal, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said the discharge would have negligible radiological effects on people and the environment, reports Reuters. Addressing reporters at the Japan National Press Club, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said he would try to address any concerns in this regard. “The IAEA will have a continued presence at the site, if the plan goes ahead, we will continue to review because as you know it’s a government decision,” Grossi was quoted as saying by Reuters.

dumping radioactive waste into the Pacific Ocean Japanese government wants

The Japanese government wanted to dump radioactive waste from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean. But this was not possible due to the opposition of the people. The International Unit of the United Nations (IAEA) started an investigation regarding this matter. After two years of investigation, now this agency has given permission to the government of Japan to throw radioactive waste.

Where is the waste water coming from?

In 2011 a 9.0 magnitude earthquake caused a tsunami, flooding three reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The tsunami damaged electrical and cooling systems at the nuclear plant. It became the world’s worst nuclear disaster since the Chernobyl explosion. According to Al Jazeera, most of the water comes from cooling of the three destroyed reactors. The rest is from rain and groundwater at the contaminated site. According to the BBC report, the nuclear plant produces 100 cubic meters of waste water every day. The contaminated site currently holds about 1.3 million cubic meters of water in about 1,000 tanks. However, they will reach their potential as early as 2024. Japan is also required to discharge the waste water so that the damaged nuclear plant can be shut down.

UN agency gave permission

Japan sought IAEA support to gain credibility for the plan and assure that its safeguards are in line with international standards. IAEA officials have made several trips to Japan since early 2022, although they have consistently made clear that any decision on whether to release the wastewater rests with the Japanese government.

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