Japan started discharging treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea on Thursday, amid persistent concerns among local fishermen and some neighboring countries about the environmental impact.

The water discharge commenced around 1 pm (local time), with the process expected to last around 30 years or more, Japan’s Kyodo News Agency reported.

The water was used to cool melted nuclear fuel and has been treated through an advanced liquid processing system capable of removing most radionuclides, except tritium.

The discharge came as tanks installed at the Fukushima complex, currently containing about 1.34 million tons of treated water, were expected to reach their capacity limit as early as 2024 unless the plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc., initiated the release of the water.

The water will be diluted with seawater to one-40th of the concentration permitted under Japanese safety standards before being discharged via an underwater tunnel 1 kilometer from the plant, crippled by a massive 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

Shortly before the start of the water release, TEPCO announced it had measured the maximum concentration of tritium in the diluted water at 63 becquerels per liter, far below the limit of 1,500 becquerels.

The Japan Atomic Energy Agency’s measurement was similar, according to TEPCO.

The volume of water released on a day will be reported the next day, a TEPCO official said at a press conference before the start of the discharge.

TEPCO plans to start monitoring radioactive materials in waters near the power station on Thursday and release the data the following day at the earliest.

In July, the International Atomic Energy Agency concluded that the discharge plan aligned with global safety standards and would have a “negligible” impact on people and the environment, prompting the Japanese government to proceed with the water disposal plan, which it decided on in 2021.

Source: Qatar News Agency