Japan’s decision to release treated water into the sea made after careful deliberation

By Ryosuke Terunuma / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

16:30 JST, April 13, 2021

How to dispose of treated water has been a major barrier to decommissioning work at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.

A government panel of experts spent more than six years from 2013 discussing a plan to release the water into the sea. It deemed this “a more reliable method” in its report compiled in February 2020, before the government finalized its decision.

The International Atomic Energy Agency also supported the government’s decision on the disposal method.

Before the water is released into the ocean, most of the radioactive substances will be removed and steps will be taken to further dilute it, measures that are said to eliminate health concerns. The decision for the ocean release was made after the verification of its safety, and a series of deliberations on necessary measures.

However, there are strong concerns among fishery organizations in Fukushima Prefecture and other areas about possible damage caused by harmful rumors. To facilitate the reconstruction of the disaster-stricken areas, the government and Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. need to take every possible measure to dispose of the treated water and continue to provide detailed explanations on its safety.