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Japan began Thursday to release treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean on Thursday, which prompted China to ban all seafood imports from Japan.
Plant operator Tokyo Electric Power (OTCPK:TKECF) said the water release has not encountered any abnormalities so far, and noted the International Atomic Energy Agency has concluded the impact the release would have on people and the environment was “negligible.”
Tepco (OTCPK:TKECF) said its test results showed the water contained about up to 63 becquerels/liter of tritium, below the World Health Organization drinking water limit of 10K becquerels/liter; a becquerel is a unit of radioactivity.
In a process that could last ~30 years, the first discharge totaling 7,800 cms – the equivalent of about three Olympic swimming pools of water – will take place over 17 days.
The discharge is a key step in decommissioning the Fukushima Daiichi plant after it was destroyed by a tsunami in 2011.
