Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) conducted a probe after higher-than-usual levels of radioactive material were detected in rainwater in the dike around a storage tank

An inspection found that some water had leaked from cracks of about four centimeters on a hose being used for transferring radioactive wastewater

TEPCO analyzed water in the dike around the tank and detected up to 67,000 becquerels of tritium per liter, which exceeded 60,000 becquerels, the standard set by the Japanese government for releasing tritium into the environment

okay, so were they lying abt the water being “safe” to discharge? or did it concentrate by 12%+ in the past couple months?

TEPCO said that someone caused the cracks with a cutter blade while removing the packaging around the hose after it was delivered

great QC standards!

TEPCO added that the leak would not affect the plan to discharge the radioactive wastewater from the plant into the ocean

oh really? sure, release water that isnt safe even by the arbitrary standards your own government put in place. im sure the government will step in and stop this agony-minion

Despite strong opposition from neighboring and Pacific island countries, as well as local fishermen over the irreversible impacts on the marine environment and public health, the Japanese government and TEPCO have been pushing for release of the radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power

yea

  • ZoomeristLeninist [comrade/them, she/her]
    hexagon
    M
    ·
    11 months ago

    i dont really have any evidence to counter ur take and it sounds reasonable. but diffusion takes time and the acute damage could be harmful (marine plants, animals, and bacteria in the area are irradiated for a few days and their populations could take a hit that has greater ecological effects; or fish from the area could cause harm via human consumption)

    • SeventyTwoTrillion [he/him]M
      ·
      edit-2
      11 months ago

      yeah, I would have to delve into all the scientific debate and modelling about it rather than the surface-level "China says it shouldn't happen" "Japan says it should" "Fishermen says it shouldn't"

    • iridaniotter [she/her, they/them]
      ·
      11 months ago

      IIRC it's first diluted to human-safe levels before it's then discharged and diluted to drinkable levels. Although you wouldn't drink it cause it's seawater.