Regulators begin final safety inspection before treated Fukushima wastewater is released into sea

It's just a damn formality. Even if something is found to be a problem, they still will dump the waste water into the ocean, and damn what the world thinks or says.

impact of long-term, low-dose exposure to radionuclides is unknown

IT SHOULD BE STOPPED right away.

Anyway I stopped eating things from Fukushima long time ago you can guys have my share of radioactive dose.

Some scientists say the impact of long-term, low-dose exposure to radionuclides is unknown and the release should be delayed. 

Some scientists? That should be, many scientists!

They have been sitting in their hands for over a decade knowing full well this water was building up to a point where the only option is to dump it into the sea. What if they are wrong and this destroys the east coast fish populations and the fishery that is supported by it? It will create an environmental disaster on a scale never seen before.

Just get on with it. The diluted water is safe to release out into the huge ocean. People hear radiation and radioactive and imagine fish growing two heads. Far more toxic waste is dumped legally into the sea around the world every hour of every day. This water is not a problem.

Some scientists say the impact of long-term, low-dose exposure to radionuclides is unknown and the release should be delayed.

This paragraph has been copy and pasted, verbatim, into each and every news release regarding the Fukushima waste water release since March of 2011.

Who are these "some scientists"? Are they not aware that we have more than half a century of data on the effects of low-dose and high-dose exposure to radionuclides? Including the data on the environmental impact of Fukushima Daiichi having released the exact same amount of radioactive waste since 1971? What would delaying the release achieve, what would change with a release at a later time?

Others say the release plan is safe but call for more transparency, including allowing outside scientists to join in sampling and monitoring the release.

The paragraph has been copy-and-pasted so long, it is not even current anymore. IAEA visited the site, took samples, distributed them to half a dozen independent laboratories, and released the full, extraordinarily detailed report on May 31. But hey, never let a good copy template go to waste, eh?

What do you mean safety inspection? Japan is going to release poison out to the sea, and that is not safe for anyone or any animal.

The regulators are brought to you by the LDP, TEPCO, and corprate Japan.

Mr Kipling - Just get on with it. The diluted water is safe to release out into the huge ocean. People hear radiation and radioactive and imagine fish growing two heads. Far more toxic waste is dumped legally into the sea around the world every hour of every day. This water is not a problem.

How do you know this? Are you an expert? Or, are you just believing the government sponsored media reports? The comment about fish growing two heads is ridiculous. However, it is a documented fact that exposure to radiation does effect fertility and cause sterility. If this water breaks the breeding cycle of just one species of marine life it could destroy the whole eco system of the east coast fishery. This is not just the release of the stored water. This is release of trillions of tons radioactive water over the next 40-50 years until they they figure out how to decommission the plant.

However, it is a documented fact that exposure to radiation does effect fertility and cause sterility. If this water breaks the breeding cycle of just one species of marine life it could destroy the whole eco system of the east coast fishery.

Has this happened before? Because Fukushima has been releasing waste water into the sea in this location for 40 years. Korea's Busan power plant is putting twice as much into their sea. La Hague in France puts 500 times as much into their sea. Surely those effects you are talking about must have been observed before.

How many nuclear bomb tests were conducted at Bikini Atoll?

Between 1946 and 1958, over 23 nuclear weapons were tested at Bikini Atoll, with nearly one thousand native people forcibly evacuated.

Great Britain conducted its nuclear tests on an offshore island of Australia as well as in internal Australian deserts. France conducted nuclear tests in French Polynesia.

So, Earth's oceans must already be contaminated with these tests, diluted though sea water may be after these long years.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters Wednesday that the government “abides by its policy of not carrying out a release without the understanding” of fishing groups in Fukushima. "

Oh pureese....Govt clearly does not have the "understanding of local fishing groups " and is releasing it anyway. Matsuno & LDP . is a textbook definition of how to lie with a straight face.

How do you know this? Are you an expert?

Mr Kipling is probably opining on the IAEA latest report saying the proposal is authorized based on compliance, AND further monitoring AND analysis. The IAEA is intending to be involved and anticipates 2 more reports. This is not the end....the science is good.

I personally trust the IAEA to have the science under control, BUT I don't trust other parties, eg China, NK...if they suffered an accident, it's certain they will be opaque and dismissive of science and laws, and why I think, for the sake of the industry, which holds the key to climate repair, the industry should help TOEPCO to pursue other options, eg evaporation.

And the residual gamma radioactive elements, apart from tritium, from those tests are harmful. The tritium remaining and diluted from the last above ground tests are now less than 1 % of the original amount released.

Tritium is a weak beta particle that is excreted from the body and doesn’t collect and remain in organs. Sea life excrete it in about a week, like humans.

And for the seemingly millionth time, tritium is created naturally from cosmic radiation in the upper atmosphere. You’re already ingesting a higher concentration from rain, (through your skin), drinking water and everything you make with water than the concentration to be released.

You have bigger fish to fry, like the health effects from particulate pollution from tires and brake dust.

(This comment is made for the benefit of new people who happen into this story, not the scientifically ignorant who continue to post misinformation, biased information, all the way to blatant lies.)

Govt clearly does not have the "understanding of local fishing groups" and is releasing it anyway.

Here's what will happen: "Local fishing groups" will very publicly hold out until the last moment and then begrudingly give their consent while still saying they would really prefer them not to release the waste water. They know full well that, as bad as the reputational fallout is now, they would be infinitely more screwed if they blocked the release and an acccident were to cause an unintentional contamination with even bigger headlines.

Why am I confident in saying that? Because that's exactly what happened before in 2014:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-fukushima-fishermen/fukushima-fishermen-approve-plan-to-release-groundwater-from-plant-idUSBREA2O06T20140325

stop this non sense now.

Either way, tainted water has no doubt been leaking from the site for more than a decade. (And who knows what went on before the triple meltdown?)

It's political farce that prepared conclusion beforehand. "Final inspection by regulator" has no independency anymore.

Even bioconcentration risk in the ocean don't be considered.

Japanese regulators are no more than the good old boy , system that rubber stamp bad policies, every western US fishery in the US will sue Tepco for damage

They know full well that, as bad as the reputational fallout is now, they would be infinitely more screwed if they blocked the release and an acccident were to

Or what?? Damage was done years ago.

"fisherman" point cameras? Run nightly news stories?

"fisherman" gonna be infinitely more screwed like those "corner cutters" dudes in charge who got away?

Riddle me this. Why would so called "fisherman" even give a care about some "harmless" "safe" "safety water" having some unintentional contamination with even bigger headlines

If it's so safe...

=the headlines gonna be bogus.

 or

=cut an paste machines sucks at fibbing

Maybe next check get an upgrade on the ol cut paste machine.

Wanna know what I think.

Unless you tell us about how it is living next door to fallout since 2011.

Or you tell us how harmless daily trips to beach with family and friends is like best thing ever and everybody drinks the water.

OR how all these "experts" are buyin up realestate super cheap cus its so safe everyones wants to move there and its obviously safe...

Im gonna decide,

you just love talkin.

All of you.

But go lead by example and back it up, not a chance.

Just talk.

So many "tap dancers"

Easy to dance around when yer paid per post but what this dude said. Understanding is needed.

Numbers and whatabouts waving around dont matter here. Too many fibs. Not enough old men in Jail.

So... Dont trust the "fisherman", trust the "tap dancers"

Sure. Give us a real reason. Not just a cus you say so.

Not a chance buddy

Govt clearly does not have the "understanding of local fishing groups" and is releasing it anyway.

Here's what will happen:

They have waited to long,they should scrap the whole plan,they waited almost 10 years to convince the public it safe,when they did not take proper precautions in the first place

I'm old enough to remember when the TEPCO/LDP cartel told us there was no problem, that the explosion we had all seen on TV was simply steam escaping, and that there was no possibility of a meltdown.

Twelve years on, twelve years of bilking the tax payer for any number of boondoggles - remember the "impenetrable ice wall" they started building in the hottest June on record? - TEPCO have got fat on our subsidisation of their incompetence, they're going to increase their electricity rates for domestic consumption by 40% (that's taxpayers, not their chums in industry who magically don't have to pay tax), and despite strong resistance from their usually tame fisheries industry, the best they can do is dump this poison into the sea.

There was never a plan B. It's always been about how much grift they can squeeze out of us before they do what they were always going to do.

Shame on everyone involved.

Have to agree with Derek, it certainly has taken a ridiculously long time to decide on what seems the most expedient and simple of solutions. Talk about going round and round in circles. 12 years, a full cycle! There is however, no real alternative plan so I guess it’s the only way forward , despite the politicking of the likes of China, NK and South Korea who have their own environmental disasters to deal with. To them it’s just a chance to kick an old foe in the nuts.

Others say the release plan is safe but call for more transparency, including allowing outside scientists to join in sampling and monitoring the release.

This was a concern though. If you don’t want the mistrust and fear mongering to continue you have to be completely open with everything that you are doing. The collectivist mindset can’t help turning in on itself can it?

Open up and own it, it’s the only way.

Fishing groups just want their money

Fishing groups just want their money

Show some respect. TEPCO destroyed their livehood and is about to destroy any hope they had.

Just pour the water out and lets move on. They were going to release the water eventually anyway, no matter what anyone said. Don't act surprised, people. We all knew this day was coming. You're still gonna be eating sushi, sashimi and going fishing as soon as you've finished grieving.

Mr Kipling is totally right in this case. Just get on with it. It's going to happen regardless and we've done a lot worse over the years to the planet than this.. And we are all still here.

Regulators???

They mean rubber stampers don’t they….

If there are any problems with Japan's treated water, problems must have already occurred in China, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, South Korea, and other countries around the nuclear power plants that have been flowing endlessly until now.

Nothing can be said about China's PM2,5 and the contaminated water that flows out from the nuclear power plant. I just want compensation.

Have Koreans forgotten mad cow disease?

Before complaining to the Japanese government, we should complain to the Chinese Communist Party, which has already suffered environmental damage.

It's obvious that it's a Korean way of wagging its tail to the strong and oppressing the weak.

How is it that South Korea is dripping sewage that kills fish without proper treatment?

https://www.moneys.co.kr/news/mwView.php?no=2023060412018040412

And they keep causing the same situation year after year, with no intention of improving it.

Which would you rather drink, Japanese treated water or this green water? At least Japanese treated water is confirmed to be drinkable water.

Also, the greatest amount of radioactive material flowed out during the accident. Many years have already passed since that time, and if there is now a problem with the release of treated water that meets IAEA safety standards, what are those standards?