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IAEA urges rapid decision on treated water at Fukushima

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If they dump it into the sea all countries should refuse to swim in Tokyo Bay for the Olympics.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Cheap power for all with no impact or negative consequences for the environment or humans? Go nuclear, what could possibly go wrong. Ahh Fukashima the gift that keeps on giving. We are lucky our Government is advised by cut out beauracracts who can syphone the cash evenly among law makers. Go nuclear you have done the nation proud?

5 ( +7 / -2 )

nuclear experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency urged Japan on Tuesday to make a rapid decision

How many meetings is that?

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Where can I place a bet that pretty soon there will be an 'unfortunate and unavoidable accident' where all the water somehow 'escapes' containment and is released into the sea all at once?

8 ( +10 / -2 )

I "like" how to some people, this is your usual excuse for Japan bashing, but NOBODY notices like the IAEA, the international agency of "experts" about nuclear energy, don't have any idea about how to treat with this kind of disaster, and all that they are saying is that the water should be released into the sea, since that is your USUAL procedure also in other nuclear plants around the world. Nice! Remember that there are more than 400 nuclear plants around the world, and if this is the level of competence not only of Japanese experts, but also of the biggest international experts, we are really in good hands.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

make a rapid decision on what to do with treated water containing low toxicity radioactive tritium that is accumulating at the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant.

Did these guys miss the report a few a few weeks ago stating the water was not properly cleaned and contained a lot more isotopes than just tritium? Putting pressure on these numbskulls to get rid of it will only result in yet another disaster. They will just release the water into the Pacific regardless of what it contains. They have been sitting on their hands dithering over what to do with this water since day one and still have not come up with a solution. It’s disgusting that after 8 years the only solution they have is to pump into the sea. It’s downright criminal!

4 ( +6 / -2 )

spinningplates  07:57 am JST

Where can I place a bet that pretty soon there will be an 'unfortunate and unavoidable accident' where all the water somehow 'escapes' containment and is released into the sea all at once?

I was surprised they didn't use the typhoons as timing for that. At least the scientists acknowledge that it'll take 40 years just to shut it down.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Like I said shortly after 3/11 this tainted water WILL end up in the ocean, there is NOTHING that can stop this, only perhaps SLOW that process down some!!

Everyone learned that good ole water cycle back in high school. And with the nuke plant ride on the shore of the Pacific THAT is where this waste will go!

Only question is when, how, how much at a time. There is ZERO other options in all likelihood, even these gaijin don't dare suggest anything else.

Gotta love that cheap ""clean"" nuclear energy!!  NOT!!

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Where can I place a bet that pretty soon there will be an 'unfortunate and unavoidable accident' where all the water somehow 'escapes' containment and is released into the sea all at once?

Fun Fact: TEPCO has been dumping radioactive water into the sea for the past 7 years... all they have done is cover up and obfuscate the whole time..

1 ( +2 / -1 )

If they dump it into the sea all countries should refuse to swim in Tokyo Bay for the Olympics.

They shouldn't have been given the Olympics in the first place, all TEPCO and the J gov has done since 2011 is lie through their teeth whilst keeping the amakudari wallets fat.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Tritium is irradiated hydrogen, which will disperse in the ocean. However, nobody knows how far it will disperse and what impact unnatural levels of tritium will have on the environment. All the lies and coverups are abismal and have been going in since day one. It took TEPCO three weeks just to admit there was s meltdown at all. Then, they tried to cover up the huge amounts of highly irradiated water leaking through the containment vessel into the water table and ocean. Then, they stated the stored water decontaminated, but it was made clear a few weeks ago this is not the case. All the while we had the great ruler Abe telling the IOC, “Its under control!” It’s under media control is more like it.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Release into the sea, at depth and distance – one of those deep trenches, would be safe for this water. The dilution in the vast quantity of the oceans would prevent any harm. With a half-life of 12.3 years, it is safe, natural, already in your body, and used for trinkets that glow. Release at depth and distance is overkill for the tritium, but more important for other nuclear trace elements that would also be present.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

The thing is that in a fish-centric food diet of Japan, the radiation is bioaccumulative, can bioconcentrate its way up the food chain. Especially bad for kids as they are still developing

3 ( +4 / -1 )

So, no one have thought about consulting China or Russia how they dispose of radio-active waste water?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

This amount of contaminated water will need a vast area to be dispersed since disposal requires a surface spread like an arerial crop duster not just a dumping, the “key” to safely dispense it w/o it being harmful to the environment is Surface Spreading!

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

TEPCO says 970,000 huh? Why should we believe them at all? Serial liars.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Tritium, an isotope of hydrogen, can be introduced into a nuclear explosion to increase the yield.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Sensei258 - Tritium, an isotope of hydrogen, can be introduced into a nuclear explosion to increase the yield.

However, it cannot be separated from water, making this tritium tainted water nulckear waste.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Tritium can be removed, there is a technology, why the govt won't do it ? Not even a drop of radioactive water should be allowed to sea.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

“Japan” and “rapid decision” don’t belong in the same sentence unless Japan is the object. I’m quite sure they’ll dump it all into the ocean since they were unprepared for disaster. It’s the usual, “do now, plan later “ that we’re STILL seeing even after the disaster with companies begging to restart old reactors.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Akie - Tritium can be removed, there is a technology, why the govt won't do it ? Not even a drop of radioactive water should be allowed to sea.

yes, tritium can be removed from water, but it requires building of a complete plant to process the water. And, due to the 10,000 tons of tritium tainted water stored at Fukushima Daiichi they have no where to build the plant and could not build a plant big enough or quick enough to make it a viable option. The technology was developed overseas in the wake of the 2011 meltdowns, but has been ignored by TEPCO and the Japanese government as a solution to the problem. Their solution is to just dump it in the ocean.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

That why nuclear power generation is not a viable power generation alternative .The danger sideeffect of the waste until today no country have a good way to dispose of it .And it lifespan of waste radioation that harmful to human or naturae life going to take hundrred of thousand yr to decay to less deadly level. We can witness a few major disaster of this type facilities three mile island USA ,chernbly Russia, and now the Fukushima power plant.the previous two until today still have problems to settle with the waste .One you can't even live around that area .Similarly Fukushima will have a very difficult task to find home for the waste .Don't even talk about where to temporary or permanently store the dismantle component of the rector. Inobody want radiation in their backyard. Therefore should stop promoting nuclear energy .Unless you success in building a viable fusion reactor.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

However, nobody knows how far it will disperse

actually they do. There are 3 main ocean currents. One goes down the coast past Tokyo. Another goes north to Hokkaido. The other goes past Hawaii to the west coast of USA and Canada.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

If released at depth it would be diluted to undetectable levels within months. Alternatively, may I suggest that they pour it into the Mt Fuji cauldron and then test the hypothesis that it takes 80 years to reach the spring known as Oshino hakkai. The tritium should be undetectable by then, but other trace elements, if not properly decontaminated would still show up. This would be a great way to showcase the decontamination technology. :)

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

the radiation is bioaccumulative, can bioconcentrate its way up the food chain

Tritium does not bioaccumulate, it does not bioconcentrate up the food chain. It is water, goes in one end comes out the other within days.

However, it cannot be separated from water

Yes, it can be separated from water. That is how they concentrate it for use in nuclear weapons.

One you can't even live around that area .

Except people do live around Chernobyl and animals around Chernobyl are flourishing.

Inobody want radiation in their backyard.

Yet everyone has radiation in their backyard.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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