But despite repeated official reassurances, there
are widespread worries about eating fish that
might be affected if the contaminated water
is released into the sea. Katsumi Shozugawa, a
radiology expert at the University of Tokyo who
has been analyzing groundwater around the
plant, said the long-term consequences of low-
dose exposure in the food chain hasn’t been
fully investigated.
“At this point, it is difficult to predict a risk,”
he said. “Once the water is released into the
environment, it will be very difficult to follow up
and monitor its movement. So the accuracy of
the data before any release is crucial and must
be verified.”
After years of discussions about what to do with
the contaminated water without destroying the
local economy and its reputation, a government
panel issued a report earlier this year that
narrowed the water disposal options to two:
diluting the treated water to levels below the
allowable safety limits and then releasing it into
the sea in a controlled way, or allowing the water
to evaporate in a years-long process.
The report also urged the government to
do more to fight the “reputational damage”
to Fukushima fishing and farm produce, for
instance by promoting food fairs, developing
new sales routes and making use of third-party
quality accreditation systems.
TEPCO and government officials promise the
plant will treat the water for a second time to
meet legal requirements before any release.
At the end of the tour of the treatment facility,
a plant official showed a glass bottle containing
clear water taken from the processing