Page 6 - AsiaElec Week 17 2021

AsiaElec NUCLEAR AsiaElec

South Korean experts support

release of Fukushima water

SOUTH KOREA A group of South Korean nuclear experts have from Fukushima.
dismissed worries about the planned release of The society urged the South Korean govern-
treated radioactive water from Japan’s Fukush- ment not to act politically or emotionally, calling
ima No. 1 nuclear power plant (NPP) into the for a practical resolution of the issue based on
Pacific Ocean. scientific facts.
The Korean Nuclear Society said that data However, the society expressed its disap-
disclosed by Japan showed that the impact of pointment that Tokyo had taken the decision to
the water release on South Korea from TEPCO’s release water unilaterally, without giving enough
plant would be negligible. information or explanation.
Even if TEPCO were to release all of its cur- The Japanese government should apologise
rently stored radioactive water without planned deeply for the psychological pain and physical
further treatment over a year, instead of 30 to 40 damage that people in neighbouring countries
years as expected, the radioactive doses South will suffer and show more consideration for
Koreans receive would be 1/300,000,000 of the these countries, the society also said.
maximum level acceptable to the human body, Earlier in April, the Japanese government
the society said. approved TEPCO’s plans to release 1mn tonnes
At Fukushima, radioactive water volumes of contaminated water. The local fishing indus-
continue to rise, as TEPCO uses water to cool try, as well as the Chinese and South Korean gov-
meltdown-stricken reactors, while groundwater ernments, immediately opposed the move.
keeps flowing into the damaged buildings. About 1.3mn tonnes of radioactive water is
TEPCO processes the contaminated water currently stored in onshore tanks.
through water-cleaning equipment before stor- Tokyo’s plans have the backing of the Inter-
ing it. But the equipment cannot remove tritium. national Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the
The Japanese government this month wider nuclear community, which says the release
decided to let TEPCO release the stored water is similar to the disposal of waste water at other
into the ocean after diluting it. The decision plants around the world.
has sparked concerns in South Korea and other “Releasing into the ocean is done elsewhere.
neighbouring countries. It’s not something new. There is no scandal here,”
The nuclear experts’ comments come after IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi
severe concern among South Korean civic said earlier in 2021.™
groups about the release of contaminated water

P6 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 17 28•April•2021