Fukushima nuclear plant bosses plan to dump water in ocean
Tepco proposes controlled discharge of treated contaminated fluid, as government readies funds and action plan to tackle safety issues
The Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) plan to manage radioactive water at its wrecked Fukushima plant may include a controlled discharge into the ocean once its toxicity is brought within legal limits, Japan's nuclear regulator said.
Nuclear Regulatory Authority chairman Shunichi Tanaka said yesterday that the ocean dump could be necessary as the country's government prepares to present its plan for handling tainted water at the site that is increasing by 400 tonnes a day.
The announcement comes as the Japanese government prepared to offer more funding and oversight to contain the crisis.
The government could present a package of measures as soon as today to a task force dealing with the contaminated water problem. The steps will include using existing budgetary funds to help with the clean-up.
Managing the water used to cool melted fuel at the Fukushima plant's reactors has become a fundamental challenge for Tepco, which has recently struggled to contain a series of leaks that included the loss of about 300 tons of contaminated water.
"It is important for us to understand the need to make difficult judgments in order to avoid larger problems in the future," Tanaka said of the possible ocean discharge during a speech to reporters in Tokyo.