TOKYO, August 21. /TASS/. The Japanese government is in the final stages of approving August 24 as the date for discharging treated water from the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant, NHK reported citing its sources.

A secondary date soon after August 24 is also being considered. .

Earlier, Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yasutoshi Nishimura announced that Japanese authorities plan to officially approve the timeframe for the water discharge on August 22.

In 2011, a tsunami caused damage to power supply and cooling systems at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant, which caused a nuclear fuel meltdown in three reactors, accompanied by explosions and the emission of radiation into the atmosphere. Vast territories were contaminated, forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of people. The reactors used water for cooling, and storing this water has become problematic due to its large volume - over 1,25 million tons. In April, 2021, the Japanese government authorized the discharge of a large amount of this water, which is said to be mostly cleared of radioactive substances, but still contains tritium - a radioactive hydrogen isotope.

The Tokyo Electric Power company underscored that the tritium content in the water is being brought to one fortieth of the minimum allowable standard set by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and the government of Japan, and one seventh of the level allowed by the World Health Organization for drinking water. Despite this, Tokyo’s plans have drawn sharp criticism from a number of countries - mainly, South Korea and China. Japan plans to discharge the water in stages over a 30-year period. The IAEA intends to monitor the process on a continuous basis - in the last few years, IAEA specialists have carried out several inspections at the power plant.