This photo taken on March 6, 2023 shows the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant seen from Futabacho, Futabagun, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)
Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) checked for leaks and other abnormalities of a newly completed system to release radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant by passing water through the system and inspected the emergency shut-off valves to make sure they function properly.
TOKYO, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Japan's nuclear regulator has finished inspecting a newly completed system to release radioactive wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea, local media reported.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) checked for leaks and other abnormalities on Friday by passing water through the system and inspected the emergency shut-off valves to make sure they function properly, public broadcaster NHK reported.
People protest against the Japanese government's plan to discharge nuclear-contaminated water into the sea in Fukushima, Japan, June 20, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)
NRA officials have reported no particular problem with the facility's overall performance. The nuclear regulatory body is due to draw up a report on the results in about a week, it said.
If the NRA issues a certificate to the plant's operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the system will be ready to operate, it added.
The NRA wrapped up three days of final on-site inspections on Friday. TEPCO completed the construction of the wastewater discharge system on Monday.
Despite ongoing opposition from its neighbors and the Pacific island countries, Japan has been rushing to carry out its plan of dumping radioactive wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific. ■
