Chinese scientists join Fukushima water review - The Japan Times
Chinese scientists join Fukushima water review - The Japan Times
Chinese scientists will this month take part in extensive sampling of Fukushima Prefecture's coastal waters for the first time since the release of treated wastewater from a stricken nuclear plant began, Japanese officials said Wednesday.
Experts from China will join those from Canada, South Korea and the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in collecting samples of water, sediment and marine creatures from Sunday to Oct. 23.
The survey will also collect samples of seafood from the region's markets, the import of which has been banned by Beijing.
Related Knowledge Center: ENERGY BASICS: nuclear
Nuclear energy provides almost 20 percent of the U.S. electricity supply. Advocates have called for an expanded role for nuclear as an emissions-free fuel source. But the economics of building new reactors are daunting. In addition, lingering safety concerns are an institutionalized part of the calculation of nuclear regulation, and highly radioactive nuclear waste remains a can that public officials have been inclined to kick down the road. The Energy Information Administration projects a sharp decline in nuclear power generation over the next decade, as new nuclear plants — two are planned — are more than offset by anticipated retirements of several operating reactors.