MOSCOW, August 23. /TASS/. Tokyo promises to ensure the safe discharge of treated water from the Fukushima 1 Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) into the sea and will stop the process if the level of background radiation becomes elevated, the Japanese embassy in Russia told TASS.

"Japan will continue to take all possible precautions for the safe discharge of the water into the sea even after the start of the process and will stop it immediately if it affects the people’s health and the environment," the Japanese diplomatic mission said. "If the standard concentration of radioactive elements is exceeded or something of the kind takes place, Japan will react accordingly, including by foregoing the water discharge process or stopping it."

The diplomats pointed out that, since the start of the process of discharging water from the Fukushima 1 NPP, the Japanese side has continued to monitor the process with the participation of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in three areas: the treated water in the reservoir, the real situation, and the adjacent sea area. The Japanese embassy also stressed that the results of the monitoring conducted by the country's government and Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) "will be made public both domestically and internationally."

"The IAEA will continue to be involved in the process and take an independent stance," the embassy added. "The Japanese government and TEPCO will continue to make every effort to ensure the safe discharge of water with the permanent presence of the IAEA, including all possible monitoring."

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova had earlier called on the Japanese side to share information about the process with all interested countries, including the possibility of taking precise samples at the site of the discharge.

About Tokyo’s decision to start discharging water

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said earlier that the discharge of water that was used to cool the reactors at the plant would begin on August 24, barring any obstacles in terms of the weather or sea conditions. According to the Kyodo news agency, in the 2023 fiscal year (ending on March 31, 2024) as much as 31.2 metric tons of wastewater will be released into the ocean. The overall concentration of tritium in it would be about 5 trillion becquerels.

In March 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.

TEPCO 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 Russia and China. Japan plans to discharge the water in stages over a 30-year period. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) intends to monitor the process on a continuous basis. In the past few years, IAEA specialists have carried out several inspections at the nuclear facility.