NSC says latest Fukushima discharge won’t affect Taiwan

Japan’s latest discharge of treated wastewater containing tritium from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is not expected to affect waters around Taiwan, the Nuclear Safety Commission (NSC) said yesterday.

The 25th round of discharges began Monday and is expected to continue for 19 days, with about 7,800 metric tons of wastewater to be released, the NSC said in a report issued to update the public on each discharge round.

The wastewater is expected to mainly affect waters off eastern Japan, while tritium concentrations in waters around Taiwan are forecast to remain below the minimum detectable level of monitoring instruments, the NSC said, citing forecasts by Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration and information from Japan’s Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO).

The sign of the Nuclear Safety Commission at its building in Taipei is pictured in an undated photograph.

Photo: Taipei Times

Japan began releasing treated wastewater from the disabled plant in August 2023. It has since completed 24 rounds of discharges, releasing a total of about 188,000 cubic meters of wastewater, according to the NSC.

Taiwan has also been monitoring radiation levels in surrounding waters. Since 2017, authorities have analyzed more than 20,000 samples of seawater, marine life, seafood, beach sand and seabed sediment, with no abnormal radiation detected, the NSC said.