When the earthquake and resulting tsunami hit Fukushima, Japan in 2011, it killed thousands and caused severe damage to a nuclear power plant, which required a constant flow of cooling water to prevent further catastrophe. Over the past 12 years, more than 1.3 million tonnes of radionuclide-contaminated water have now been retained on-site.
The Fukushima plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), with the approval of the Japanese Government and backing from the International Atomic Energy Agency, plans to begin releasing this water into the Pacific Ocean this year.
But compelling data-backed reasons to examine alternative approaches to ocean dumping over the next 40-plus years have not been adequately explored.
