Fukushima: Radioactive Water Still Flowing Into Ocean

According to a recent study that was conducted by the Institute of Environmental Radioactivity, at Fukushima University, it's estimated that roughly 2 billion becquerels of radioactive water is flowing into the ocean every day.

But, researchers insist that the water doesn't pose any threat to the local fishing industry.

And TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.,) has been working to try and prevent it from reaching the ocean, by constructing a seawall that might work to stop it. Though, it doesn't seem like the wall is effectively working, if years after its construction there is still radioactive water leaking into the ocean.

Last year, TEPCO and government officials estimated that the entire cleanup process might take 40+ years to complete and cost $200 billion or more. And some estimate that the costs could be a lot higher than that; ultimately coming from the pocket of taxpayers.

Just recently, arbitration was ended for those seeking further compensation over their claims related to the Fukushima incident. More than 15k people were involved in ongoing arbitration with the power company, in an effort to try and secure more monthly compensation from them. They were receiving monetary compensation from the company because they had been asked to evacuate from the area.

They were getting roughly $934 every month and were allegedly seeking roughly a 50 percent increase to the payment. It's alleged that the power company was repeatedly asked to accept this increase in compensation as a way to remedy the concerns of the victims who were forced to leave their homes, but the arbitration process has instead recently been ended. It's expected however that those victims might turn to file a lawsuit against the company.

More than 7+ years later....

and the state insists that it's going to take a few more decades still until they can effectively remove all of the contaminated soil from the area. However, it's unknown whether they are going to reach their goals.

And some suspect that the region might even some day be turned into a toxic dumping ground.

As far as the contaminated water that's flowing into the ocean? Well, there have been various reports insisting that there isn't any cause for worry to local fishing industries, or other areas.

However, there have been some conflicting reports that suggest that fishermen scattered around the Pacific Ocean, have seen a myriad of unusual anomalies in their catches.

And for some seafood samples that have been found containing a radioactive isotope known as caesium-134, authorities have insisted that the amount is so minuscule that it's nothing to worry about. In Canada, California, Oregon, and elsewhere, there have been several instances where radioactive seafood samples have allegedly been found.

Pics:
Pixabay

Sources:
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/03/29/national/seven-years-radioactive-water-fukushima-plant-still-flowing-ocean-study-finds/#.WslM93QUmpo
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/10/26/national/tepco-completes-sea-wall-keep-toxic-fukushima-no-1-water-reaching-sea/
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/clearing-the-radioactive-rubble-heap-that-was-fukushima-daiichi-7-years-on/
https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics-Economy/Policy-Politics/Seven-years-on-no-end-in-sight-for-Fukushima-s-long-recovery
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180406_21/
http://enenews.com/biologist-pacific-herring-in-canada-bleeding-from-eyeballs-faces-fins-tails-ive-never-seen-fish-looking-this-bad-all-100-caught-were-bleeding-hemorrhaging-first-noticed-in-summer-of-201
https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-japan-nuclear-tuna/fukushima-radiation-seen-in-tuna-off-california-idUKBRE84R0MF20120528
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/radioactive-fish-contaminated-fukushima-nuclear-9427679
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/05/22/national/researchers-find-high-cesium-in-some-pacific-plankton/#.WslVN3QUmpp
https://asiancorrespondent.com/2018/03/thailand-to-ditch-fukushima-sushi-fish-over-contamination-fears/