Japan explores Minamitori Island for radioactive waste disposal

Japan has begun research on its easternmost island of Minamitori in the Pacific Ocean to assess whether it is suitable for radioactive waste disposal. This was reported by the Kyodo News newspaper on May 20.

"The study is being conducted by the National Waste Management Organization (NUMO). At the first stage, experts will conduct a review of the scientific literature on geology to study volcanic activity in the island area. Field work will begin at the next stage. In total, the research should take up to two years," the publication says.

Minamitori Island, located almost 2,000 km from Tokyo, has become one of four potential sites for the future construction of underground storage facilities where radioactive waste should be stored for 100,000 years. Unlike other options, the advantage of Minamitori is that it is uninhabited and closed to the civilian population.

However, the local authorities, who have allowed the study of documentation to begin, have not yet agreed to the construction of a dangerous facility on the island. According to the newspaper, Tokyo has to hurry, as the spent nuclear fuel storage facilities at many Japanese stations are approaching full capacity.

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Japan began dumping radiation-free water from the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant into the ocean in August 2023. The government of the country indicated that this water was generally purified of radioactive substances, only the hydrogen isotope tritium remained in it, and therefore the discharge is safe for nature.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova pointed out that Japan plans to drain almost 1.5 million tons of radioactive water contaminated with tritium, carbon-14, potassium-40, strontium-90, iodine-129, as well as isotopes of caesium and plutonium.

In addition, on January 25, 2024, it was reported that during the year, about 54.6 tons of purified water were planned to be discharged into the ocean from Fukushima-1. The possibility of removing molten nuclear fuel from the station was also studied.