Fukushima: Japan will have to dump radioactive water into Pacific, minister says www.theguardian.com

More than a million tonnes of contaminated water lies in storage but power company says it will run out of space by 2022Fukushima: Japan will have to dump radioactive water into Pacific, minister saysThe operator of the ruined Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant will have to dump huge quantities of contaminated water from the site directly into the Pacific Ocean, Japan’s environment minister has said – a move that would enrage local fishermen.
Tepco has attempted to remove most radionuclides from the excess water, but the technology does not exist to rid the water of tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen.
Coastal nuclear plants commonly dump water that contains tritium into the ocean.
Last month, Seoul summoned a senior Japanese embassy official to explain how Fukushima Daiichi’s waste water would be dealt with.
Japan has come under renewed pressure to address the contaminated water problem before Tokyo hosts the Olympics and Paralympics next summer.