#Fukushima nuclear reactor meltdown pics full#

The tanks are 96% full and expected to reach their capacity of 1.37 million tons in the fall. The government and TEPCO say the tanks must make way for facilities to decommission the plant, such as storage space for melted fuel debris and other highly contaminated waste. The water release will be gradual and tritium concentrations will not exceed the plant's pre-accident levels, TEPCO says.įukushima Daiichi has struggled to handle the contaminated water since the 2011 disaster. It will be also diluted, along with other radioactive isotopes, they say. Tritium cannot be removed from the water but is unharmful in small amounts and is routinely released by any nuclear plant, officials say. TEPCO says the radioactivity can be reduced to safe levels and it will ensure that insufficiently filtered water is treated until it meets the legal limit. About 70% of the 'ALPS-treated water,' named after the machines used to filter it, still contains Cesium and other radionuclides that exceed releasable limits. The 130 tons of contaminated water created daily is collected, treated and then stored in tanks, which now number about 1,000 and cover much of the plant's grounds. Water used to cool the reactors' cores leaked into the basements of the reactor buildings and mixed with rainwater and groundwater. 1, 2 and 3 to melt and spew large amounts of radiation.

The International Atomic Energy Agency, collaborating with Japan to ensure the project meets international standards, will send a mission to Japan and issue a report before the discharge begins.Ī magnitude 9.0 quake on March 11, 2011, triggered a massive tsunami that destroyed the plant's power supply and cooling systems, causing reactors No. TEPCO needs a safety approval from the Nuclear Regulation Authority. The plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, aims to have the facilities ready by spring. From there, the water will be released via an undersea tunnel. A concrete facility for diluting the water after it is treated and tested is in the final stages of construction. HOW ARE WATER DISCHARGE PREPARATIONS PROCEEDING?ĭuring their visit, AP journalists saw 30 giant tanks for sampling and analyzing the water for safety checks. The Associated Press recently visited the plant. That process has barely progressed, and the removal of melted nuclear fuel hasn't even started. Japanese officials say the release is unavoidable and should start soon.ĭealing with the wastewater is less of a challenge than the daunting task of decommissioning the plant.

Fukushima nuclear reactor meltdown pics