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Japan starts release of Fukushima’s treated radioactive water

aljazeera.com

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Re: Japan starts release of Fukushima’s treated radioactive water

#11

Post by Prickle »

implements wrote: post #8
freetime2 wrote: post #2

> Japan says all radioactive elements have been filtered out except tritium, which is hard to remove from water. The hydrogen isotope is also discharged – at higher levels – by operational nuclear power plants, including in China and France. > That water will contain about 190 becquerels of tritium per litre, below the World Health Organization drinking water limit of 10,000 becquerels per litre, according to Tepco.…

> Umm, what's the controversy here? Fear of radiation, fear that the Japanese government / Fukushima’s owners can’t be trusted to release only what they say they will. Personally it seems safe to me and I’m confident the IAEA’s monitoring will be effective, but then again I’m living on the other side of the planet, so …

To be fair, TEPCO is completely and absolutely untrustworthy. There is evidence of severe miss-management, as well as 2 cases where they deliberately ignored safety warning from government agencies.

As a Japanese citizen, I would feel safer seeing the TEPCO corporation dismantled, and it's leadership behind bars. But the courts declared them not guilty.

A late addition, but I should also add info about Onagawa Nuclear Powerplant. It survived the exact same disaster with no melt down, only because the manager staunchly refused to back down on constant safety training and disaster drills. Of course, to the frustration and chagrin of upper management.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onagawa_Nuclear_Power_Plant

Re: Japan starts release of Fukushima’s treated radioactive water

#12

Post by the-dude »

echelon wrote: post #6
Akronymus wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is water that qas involved with a nuclear reactor. Yes, people are that afraid of nuclear.

The greens of the 80's did so much more harm than good. If we'd built the capacity then, we'd have a whole lot less carbon in the atmosphere today.

The anti-nuclear stance of the Greens can't be judged in isolation and must be seen in the context of the Cold War and the impeding Nuclear Armageddon.

I don't necessarily agree with the Greens but I remember this perilous time very well. And it was the incumbent non-Green powers who created this situation.

Furthermore, this is not the only theme the Greens pressed on and I must admit our country is already much much better for it ( cleaner air, cleaner waters ).

Re: Japan starts release of Fukushima’s treated radioactive water

#13

Post by Mantequilla_ »

yabatopia wrote: post #7

The reaction of China and South Korea is hilariously hypocritical. Both countries have been dumping nuclear waste water in the ocean for years - and continue doing that. Geopolitics at it's worst.

I was reading that article earlier this morning https://hongkongfp.com/2023/07/31/radioactive-seafood-compla... that indeed corroborate your saying.

Re: Japan starts release of Fukushima’s treated radioactive water

#15

Post by Prickle »

lifthrasiir wrote: post #10
implements wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Umm, what's the controversy here? Fear of radiation, fear that the Japanese government / Fukushima’s owners can’t be trusted to release only what they say they will. Personally it seems safe to me and I’m confident the IAEA’s monitoring will be effective, but then again I’m living on the other side of the planet, so …

> [...] fear that the Japanese government / Fukushima’s owners can’t be trusted to release only what they say they will. Especially given the fact that Naoto Kan, the prime minister of Japan at the time of the Fukushima accident, had to go to the TEPCO HQ to force them to continue the response instead of giving up and watching a full meltdown. Japan has a lot to do in order to regain the lost trust.

Regaining trust is IMO, impossible with all current politicians.

The government has basically designated the nuclear agency seat as a "Send the guy we don't like there" seat. Only incompetent idiots have been placed there since Fukushima.

Add in all the BS red-tape that the government made up, the notoriously slow bureaucracy, and sometimes even sabotage? (Combine that with the new nuclear regulation agency created after Fukushima, which complicates it further) It's not happening without a strongman leading the charge and really forcing it.

Would be great if we could copy-paste France's setup. But Japan is obtuse and inflexible.

Re: Japan starts release of Fukushima’s treated radioactive water

#16

Post by ipaddr »

freetime2 wrote: post #2

> Japan says all radioactive elements have been filtered out except tritium, which is hard to remove from water. The hydrogen isotope is also discharged – at higher levels – by operational nuclear power plants, including in China and France. > That water will contain about 190 becquerels of tritium per litre, below the World Health Organization drinking water limit of 10,000 becquerels per litre, according to Tepco.…

10,000 is very high and this level will be lowered hopefully in time.

In Ontario Canada:

20 Bq/L limit proposed by the Ontario Drinking Water Advisory Council (ODWAC)

190 is 10 times that limit.

This isn't only about drinking water it's about eating seafood that has absorbed these chemicals (or eaten many fish who have absorbed them). I could understand the caution around seafood in that area for a period of time.

Re: Japan starts release of Fukushima’s treated radioactive water

#17

Post by colordrops »

Prickle wrote: post #5
freetime2 wrote: post #2

> Japan says all radioactive elements have been filtered out except tritium, which is hard to remove from water. The hydrogen isotope is also discharged – at higher levels – by operational nuclear power plants, including in China and France. > That water will contain about 190 becquerels of tritium per litre, below the World Health Organization drinking water limit of 10,000 becquerels per litre, according to Tepco.…

China and South Korea are making a big fuss about it, despite producing and releasing more tritium than Japan. Just a few minutes ago, The CPC (Communist Party of China) stated that it is suspending all imports of Japanese seafood to protect consumers. Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-asia-66599189 > As expected, China has imposed a blanket ban on all Japanese seafood. > Beijing announced some restrictions…

Good, the oceanic ecosystem is being destroying by fishing.

Re: Japan starts release of Fukushima’s treated radioactive water

#18

Post by colordrops »

yabatopia wrote: post #7

The reaction of China and South Korea is hilariously hypocritical. Both countries have been dumping nuclear waste water in the ocean for years - and continue doing that. Geopolitics at it's worst.

Or at its accidental best. Anything to reduce fishing or animal farming is a tremendously good thing for the environment.

Re: Japan starts release of Fukushima’s treated radioactive water

#19

Post by ammo1662 »

freetime2 wrote: post #2

> Japan says all radioactive elements have been filtered out except tritium, which is hard to remove from water. The hydrogen isotope is also discharged – at higher levels – by operational nuclear power plants, including in China and France. > That water will contain about 190 becquerels of tritium per litre, below the World Health Organization drinking water limit of 10,000 becquerels per litre, according to Tepco.…

They are trying to mislead you about the difference of "nuclear waste water" and "nuclear polluted water".

The waste water of nuclear plant will not directly touch the nuclear materials. However, the water Japan released did.

Re: Japan starts release of Fukushima’s treated radioactive water

#20

Post by kortilla »

colordrops wrote: post #17
Prickle wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

China and South Korea are making a big fuss about it, despite producing and releasing more tritium than Japan. Just a few minutes ago, The CPC (Communist Party of China) stated that it is suspending all imports of Japanese seafood to protect consumers. Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-asia-66599189 > As expected, China has imposed a blanket ban on all Japanese seafood. > Beijing announced some restrictions…

Good, the oceanic ecosystem is being destroying by fishing.

China will just illegally fish it itself
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