TEPCO Announces Water Treatment Milestone

The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) announced yesterday that almost all stored water at the Fukushima Daiichi cleanup site that was contaminated with radioactivity has been treated to remove Strontium. Only three percent of water in storage still requires treatment for strontium, a major accomplishment for a cleanup that has been mired in water contamination problems. The treatment achievement will contribute to lowering radiation levels within the facility, the company said. “This is a significant milestone for improving the environment for our surrounding communities and for our workers,” said Chief Decommissioning Officer Naohiro Masuda, in a statement. “It reduces risk and will make people inside and outside the facility more secure.” TEPCO had originally anticipated completing treatment by the end of March, but problems emerged in getting the correct technology in place to treat the water. Some of the treated water will require further treatment to remove additional, less problematic, nuclides, TEPCO said.