Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), I received sampling results from the US Environmental Protection Act (EPA) taken from several locations in Hawaii pre (December 7, 2022) and first release of “treated” Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (FDNPP) wastewater discharge into the Pacific Ocean. Testing was performed at EPA’s NAREL. Note on all tables that that EPA uses picocuries per liter (pCi/L) not becquerel (Bq). (See a recent GAO report that uses Bq.)
The first release began August 24 ending September 11. 7,800 tons of treated water from 10 tanks was initially released. According to the information supplied by EPA, sampling for the first release ended September 5, 2023.
The second Fukushima wastewater release began October 5, 2023 with another “7,800 tons of treated water into the Pacific Ocean over 17 days” (October 21?). The third release into the Pacific ended November 20, 2023. Again, 7,800 tons of wastewater was discharged “over a 17 day time period.”
Here are the results for the second and third releases, which reflect EPA sampling of Hawaii locations pre-release December 7, 2022 up to December 15, 2023. The 4th release will begin in February, 2024.
Discharge into the Pacific Ocean from FDNPP will occur over the next thirty years. 54,600 tons of wastewater will be released into the Pacific during 2024-25.
For background on the potential risk and uncertainty of the discharges, see the Pacific Islands Forum “Public Seminar by Independent Scientific Experts Assisting Forum Members Regarding Japan Fukushima Nuclear Issue” with panelists Dr. Ken Buesseler (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), Dr. Arjun Makhijani (IEER) and other scientists; for information on FDNPP’s treatment technology, see ALPS Treated Water, Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry.
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