TEPCO to "promptly proceed" with Fukushima nuclear plant wastewater release
(22 Aug 2023) RESTRICTIONS SUMMARY: ASSOCIATED PRESS Tokyo - 22 August 2023 1. Wide of news conference with Junichi Matsumoto, TEPCO executive in charge of the water release, standing with other panelists (second right) 2. Mid of journalists 3. Mid of Matsumoto and other panelist during news conference 4. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Junichi Matsumoto, TEPCO executive: “Staying on our guard, we will promptly proceed with the preparations for the release.” 5. Mid of journalist asking question 6. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Junichi Matsumoto, TEPCO executive: “In order to minimize reputational damage, we have decided to start by discharging small amounts in a careful manner, while checking the impact of the release on the surrounding environment.” 7. Wide tilt down of news conference 8. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Junichi Matsumoto, TEPCO executive: “We will continue to steadily advance the decommissioning process of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and proceed with the measures dealing with the treated wastewater, while placing the highest priority on safety. We will fulfill our responsibilities in Fukushima towards the region’s reconstruction.” 9. Matsumoto and other panelists bowing at the end of conference STORYLINE: The operator of Japan’s stricken Fukushima nuclear plant said Tuesday it will “promptly proceed” with the preparations for the release of treated radioactive wastewater into the Pacific Ocean. Junichi Matsumoto, an executive in charge of the water release at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, or TEPCO, said “we have decided to start by discharging small amounts in a careful manner, while checking the impact of the release on the surrounding environment”. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida gave the final go-ahead Tuesday at a meeting of Cabinet ministers involved in the plan and instructed the operator TEPCO to be ready to start the coastal release Thursday if weather and sea conditions permit. Kishida said at the meeting that the release of the water is a key step in the plant decommissioning and Fukushima prefecture’s recovery from the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami disaster. A massive earthquake and tsunami destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi plant’s cooling systems, causing three of its reactors to melt and contaminating their cooling water. The water, 1.34 million tons, has been collected, filtered and stored in about 1,000 tanks, which fill much of the plant’s grounds and will reach their capacity in early 2024. The release of the treated wastewater has faced strong opposition from Japanese fishing organizations, which worry about further damage to the reputation of their seafood as they struggle to recover from the nuclear disaster. Groups in South Korea and China have also raised concerns, turning it into a political and diplomatic issue. =========================================================== Clients are reminded to adhere to all listed restrictions and to check the terms of their licence agreements. For further assistance, please contact the AP Archive on: Tel +44(0)2074827482 Email: [email protected]. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
