Local residents and environmental groups have condemned a plan to release radioactive tritium from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean.
Officials of Tokyo Electric Power Co., the operator of the plant, say tritium poses little risk to human health and is quickly diluted by the ocean.
In an interview with local media, Takashi Kawamura, chairman of TEPCO, said: “The decision has already been made.” He added, however, that the utility is waiting for approval from the Japanese government before going ahead with the plan and is seeking the understanding of local residents.
The tritium is building up in water that has been used to cool three reactors that suffered fuel melt-downs after cooling equipment was destroyed in the magnitude 9 earthquake and tsunami that struck north-east Japan in March 2011.
Around 770,000 tons of highly radioactive water is being stored in 580 tanks at the site. Many of the contaminants can be filtered out, but the technology does not presently exist to remove tritium from water.
“This accident happened more than six years ago and the authorities should have been able to devise a way to remove the tritium instead of simply announcing that they are going to dump it into the ocean”, said Aileen Mioko-Smith, an anti-nuclear campaigner with Kyoto-based Green Action Japan.
“They say that it will be safe because the ocean is large so it will be diluted, but that sets a precedent that can be copied, essentially permitting anyone to dump nuclear waste into our seas”, she told The Telegraph.
Fishermen who operate in waters off the plant say any release of radioactive material will devastate an industry that is still struggling to recover from the initial nuclear disaster.
“Releasing [tritium] into the sea will create a new wave of unfounded rumours, making all our efforts for naught”, Kanji Tachiya, head of a local fishing cooperative, told Kyodo News.
“This accident happened more than six years ago and the authorities should have been able to devise a way to remove the tritium instead of simply announcing that they are going to dump it into the ocean”
It’s much more effective at depopulation that way.
Around 770,000 tons of highly radioactive water is being stored in 580 tanks at the site.
Many of the contaminants can be filtered out,
but the technology does not presently exist to remove tritium from water.
We’re selling tickets for the first breast cancer walk to the moon, but we haven’t built the bridge yet.
Does anyone remember Nagasaki and Hiroshima. ..?
Well just like Montezuma’s revenge.
I call this Fukishima’s revenge.
Look at the bright side here.
If you get cancer.
You can just eat radioactive seafood from there to kill cancer and save some monies.
Instead of paying 2k on your medical insurance bills for each treatment.
Like they did my Aunt who died anyway from their treatments.
Well I guess we’ll be seeing more people with “bizarre nose bleeds” and thyroid cancer levels mysteriously skyrocketing in Japan, real soon.
But that’s OK because it’s safe as the ocean is so big. I mean the water couldn’t possibly come back to shore with toxic chemicals. And anyone swimming couldn’t possibly get any of the chemicals on them. That’s just absurd. You’d have to be a buffoon to believe it. (sarcasm)
Unfrigginbelievable…….
Can’t wait to visit Japan and swim with the dolphins, you know, the ones with 2 snouts.
That may explain why those in charge are in such a hurry to have their evil plans fulfilled.
They only have 10 to 20 more years before people start dropping like flies and the torch and pitchfork mobs start roaming the streets looking for them.