Tokyo Electric Power Co. may evaporate or store underground tritium-laced water from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant as an alternative to releasing it into the ocean, according to the man in charge of decommissioning the facility.
The removal of hundreds of thousands of tons of water containing tritium, a relatively harmless radioactive isotope left behind in treated water, is one of many issues facing Tepco as it tries to clean up the wrecked plant.
Tepco wants to release the tritium laced water to the ocean, a common practice at normally operating nuclear plants around the world. However, it is struggling to get approval from local fisherman who are concerned about the impact on consumer confidence and have little faith in the company.