Initiatives taken for decommissioning and discharge of ALPS treated water

To carry out safe and steady decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS) of the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), it is necessary to discharge of water that has been treated by the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS)* and stored on the premises of the power station. Thus, in April 2021, the Government of Japan decided to discharge ALPS treated water into the sea, provided that safety was ensured and thorough countermeasures against reputational risk and misinformation were taken.

Various measures related to ALPS treated water are being taken. The Ministry of the Environment is resoponsible for conducting sea-area monitoring to confirm the status of radionuclides in the environment.

* "ALPS treated water" refers to water containing radioactive materials in the buildings of the FDNPS that has been purified of all radioactive materials other than tritium and meets safety standards. The water is significantly diluted with seawater before the discharge.
The tritium concentration after dilution is less than 1/40 of the safety standard (or 1/7 of the WHO standards for drinking water).