Fukushima gets ready to discharge treated water into the sea

Eleven years after the Fukushima nuclear catastrophe, the region's inhabitants are preparing for a new step. Japan will soon start discharging treated water into the sea.

Water that touched the fuel has become radioactive. Filtered in a plant within the power plant, it's kept in tanks that will reach their maximum capacity in 2023.

The water's decontaminated of all radioactive substances except tritium, which is inseparable from water. The treated water will be mixed with seawater to be diluted. Then it will be discharged into the sea, a kilometre away via a tunnel.

"The characteristics of tritium that will be released at Fukushima are similar to those released by nuclear power plants around the world," says Kimoto Takahiro, deputy site superintendent at D&D Communication Center.

Tritium is a weakly dangerous radioactive element according to Jean-Christophe Gariel, deputy director of the Institute of Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety.

"The characteristics of tritium that will be released at Fukushima are similar to those released by nuclear power plants around the world," he says.

It's information that's not escaped the attention of the fishermen of Fukushima, who are the first concerned by the quality of the seawater:

"There is a very small chance there'll be health impacts," says Nozaki Tetsu, chairman of the Fukushima Prefectural Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations. "But the big fear is bad publicity. We've had explanations from the government for more than 10 years and we haven't found any errors, so we appreciate their clarifications."

The reputation of products from Fukushima is a concern for the fishermen and the prefecture's inhabitants. Here Japanese people are very proud of their region, maybe