First round of treated water release from Fukushima Daiichi plant completed

Fukushima nuclear power plant’s operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) said that it has safely completed the first release of treated radioactive water from the plant into the sea and will inspect and clean the facility before starting the second round in a few weeks.

TEPCO announced that the first-round operation ended shortly after noon on Monday.  The discharge started on August 24. In the first round, it released 7,800 tons of treated water as planned -- the equivalent of 10 full tanks in the plant compound.

The Fukushima Daiichi plant suffered a triple meltdown in the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Water used to cool molten fuel has been mixing with rain and groundwater. Before releasing the treated water into the sea, the plant's operator dilutes it to reduce tritium levels to about one-seventh of the World Health Organization's guidelines for drinking water.