The foreign ministry says the government has expressed its grave concerns to Japan over a plan to dump radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean. That’s the word from Deputy Foreign Minister Tien Chung-kwang (田中光) on Monday.
Japan is planning to release over one million tons of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in two years’ time. The plant suffered a triple meltdown in 2011 after a severe earthquake and tsunami. Since then, waste water from the plant has been accumulating in tanks at the site. But authorities say they will run out of storage space within two years. That’s why they plan to treat the water and then release it into the Pacific Ocean.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says it will send a delegation to Japan to ensure that its handling of wastewater is safe. Tien told lawmakers that Taiwan is hoping to join the IAEA delegation to inspect Japan’s wastewater disposal.
Also on Monday, Taiwan’s Atomic Energy Council said in an interview that nuclear wastewater can be dumped into the sea if the amount meets requirements. The council says that nuclear power plants around the world must also abide by their country’s rules and regulations.