Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) opened its doors to the media on August 27, for a tour of its operations as the company commenced the release of radioactive treated water into the ocean on August 24. This marks the first media tour since the controversial water release began.
Operators at the plant's control room were seen monitoring water levels in tanks as part of the release operation. The discharged water, equivalent to 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools, is primarily used for cooling the damaged nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi plant. This cooling process has been ongoing since the plant was hit by a tsunami following an earthquake in 2011.
To mitigate environmental risks, the treated water is mixed with seawater to dilute the concentration of tritium before its release. The U.N. nuclear watchdog gave its approval for the operation last month, following the Japanese government's endorsement of the plan two years ago.
The water discharge is considered a significant step in the long-term process of decommissioning the Fukushima Daiichi plant. The move has attracted both international scrutiny and approval, but it is seen as essential in advancing the closure of the disaster-struck facility.
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