In response to a 5.8-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Fukushima, Japan, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) announced the suspension of wastewater release from the Fukushima nuclear plant on Friday. The earthquake, which struck the northeastern Fukushima region, prompted TEPCO to halt operations as a precautionary measure.
“We have confirmed remotely that there were no abnormalities on ALPS treated water dilution/discharge facility, etc.,” TEPCO stated on social media, highlighting the lack of detected issues with the water release process. However, in adherence to predefined operational protocols, the company opted to suspend operations to ensure safety.
Japan’s nuclear regulatory authority echoed TEPCO’s assessment, reporting no abnormalities at either the Fukushima Daiichi plant or its sister plant, Fukushima Daini, following the earthquake.
TEPCO initiated the release of wastewater into the Pacific Ocean last August, amounting to approximately 540 Olympic swimming pools’ worth of collected water from the Fukushima Daiichi plant since the 2011 nuclear accident. While the operation has received endorsement from the UN atomic agency, concerns have been raised by China and Russia, leading to bans on Japanese seafood imports due to environmental pollution fears.
Despite Japan’s frequent experience of earthquakes, the majority of which cause no damage, precautionary measures were taken following the recent seismic activity. Fortunately, there were no immediate reports of injuries, and no tsunami warning was issued in response to the earthquake.
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