Japan Fishermen Allow Tepco Water Bypass Plan at Fukushima Plant via Businessweek.com

Fishermen near the Fukushima plant have approved a plan to divert groundwater into the sea away from the station’s wrecked reactors after they were assured fishing grounds won’t be further contaminated by radiation.

The Fukushima Prefectural Federation of Fisheries Co-operative Associations had previously opposed the plan, citing the plant operator’s history of faked safety reports and cover ups. The bypass is part of efforts by operator Tokyo Electric Power (9501) Co. to reduce radioactive water at the site.

Levels of toxic water at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi plant are rising at a rate of 400 tons a day as groundwater seeping into basements mixes with cooling water that has been in contact with highly radioactive melted reactor cores. The bypass system would reduce the amount of contaminated water being stored by 100 tons a day, the utility known as Tepco has said.

Tepco made assurances that it will comply with standards for groundwater discharge and adequately disclose information about the pipelines’ operation to the public, association spokesman Kenji Nakada said by phone.

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