On Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. PT, Japan initiated the release of radioactive water from a nuclear power plant managed by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), more than a decade after the facility sustained catastrophic damage.
On March 11, 2011, the Fukushima Daiichi plant was devastated by a massive magnitude 9.0 earthquake that triggered powerful tsunami waves, resulting in the meltdowns of three of its reactors. This incident stands as one of the most severe nuclear catastrophes in world history.
Having received approval from the Japanese government two years ago and after being given the green light by the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency last month, the discharge of radioactive water marks a critical phase in the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi plant, a process that also involves the extraction of molten fuel destroyed by tsunamis, according to TEPCO.
The plant operator has indicated it will release the water in small quantities, with a number of safety checks in place. The initial release totalling 7,800 cubic metres (equivalent to about three Olympic-sized swimming pools), will occur over a span of approximately 17 days.
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