The Japanese government has made a decision: in two years, more than a million tons of contaminated water, which is now stored in large barrels, will be discharged into the sea.

The water will be filtered and “safe”, according to the government. But the local population, the Japanese fishing industry and neighbouring countries are not reassured.

This year marks the decade since the Fukushima nuclear power plant was severely damaged by an earthquake, followed by a devastating tsunami. The plant’s cooling system could no longer work, causing three reactors to overheat. The clean-up of the installations is still ongoing.

There is now an enormous amount of radioactive water on the site. This concerns ground and rainwater as well as cooling water. To prevent this contaminated water from ending up in the sea untreated, it is stored in large barrels. They are all gradually becoming full and are hindering the dismantling of the site.

The Japanese government is now opting for a solution that has been around for a long time: the water will be discharged into the sea in two years after it has been filtered. According to the Japanese government, the water will no longer pose a danger to humans or the environment after treatment.