At 31 of the approximately 3,000 high integrity containers (HICs) for storage of slurry, integrated absorbed doses of radiation exceed the upper limit of 5,000kGy, and the number is expected to rise to 56 such HICs in another two years or so. The Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) plans to begin transferring slurry from the 31 HICs to different ones in August.<\/p>\n
Because prompt transfer is now required, the Secretariat of the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) determined that procedures for changing the implementation plan would not be required. Around January 2023, TEPCO will start operating a stabilization treatment facility for dewatering and solidifying the slurry.<\/p>\n
On June 7, the Atomic Energy Society of Japan (AESJ) described the release of Fukushima Daiichi\u2019s ALPS-treated water into the sea as \u201cfeasible and the least risky choice,\u201d calling for it to be implemented promptly. It then emphasized the importance of avoiding delays in reconstruction work. Priority should be placed, it said, on smooth progress in decommissioning, and on rebuilding local industries and communities.<\/p>\n
As to the risk of damage from unfounded fears and rumors, it said that the sharing of data and environmental analyses had to be transparent, adding that a mechanism to \u201creflect local opinions properly\u201d was also necessary.<\/p>\n