Free Consultant
Japan prepares to discharge radioactive water 1 million tons into the ocean despite the opposition.
The Japanese government announced the decision to discharge the treated radioactive water from Fukushima nuclear plant for more than 1 million tons into the ocean, raising concerns to its neighboring countries like China and South Korea. This heated issue may lead to conflict in the future. Recently, President Moon Jae-in has also ordered his staff to review the possibility of taking the case to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.
Japanese Prime Minister “Yoshihide Suga” attended a cabinet meeting that also included Japan’s industry minister Hiroshi Kajiyama before making a final decision to discharge radioactive water from Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean despite the opposition from neighboring countries like China and South Korea and the protest from Japanese fish industry.
Suga said, “the Japanese government could no longer postpone the plan to release radioactive water into the ocean. The government will issue an explanation with scientific support to all parties both inside and outside the country”.
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The decision to release contaminated water into the ocean cannot be postponed because the Japanese government originally planned to announce this decision in October last year after 7 years of prolonged debates. The making of the decision was delayed to allow more time for discussion. The Government of Japan deems that releasing contaminated water from the Fukushima power plant into the Pacific Ocean has a negligible effect on human health. In addition, it is necessary for Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), which operates nuclear power plants, to release the radioactive water into the ocean. TEPCO will face a lack of facilities to store treated water in the coming year as it has already stored more than 1 million liters of contaminated water from cooling pipes at the Fukushima nuclear power plant since the power plant has been damaged by the earthquake and tsunami in 2011.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in ordered his Cabinet to consider filing a complaint with an international court and assigned the Cabinet to examine whether to bring the matter to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. He also contacted Japan’s Ambassador to South Korea, Koichi Aiboshi, to express concern. Mr. Koichi Aiboshi, Japanese Ambassador to Korea, stated that the two countries share the same territory and ocean. As a result, this matter also has a major effect on South Korea as well.
Aside from the President, politicians, local authorities, fishermen, and environmental activists in South Korea were also moving in against Japan’s decision. The protest took place in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul and consulates in the port city of Busan and Jeju Island. Meanwhile, 25 fisheries associations delivered a written protest to the Japanese Embassy, urging Tokyo to revoke the plan to release water from the Fukushima power plant to the ocean and pressured the South Korea Government to ban imports of Japanese seafood.
The United States is backing the Japanese government’s decision. The US State Department released a statement that “the US supports Japan’s decision and believes that Japan has already tested other solutions regarding water treatment.” Furthermore, Japan’s decision this time is transparent and consistent with international nuclear safety requirements.
China’s foreign ministry recently urged Japan not to discharge radioactively polluted water into the ocean without first obtaining approval from other countries and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and urged the US to handle this matter objectively and without taking a position.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman “Zhao Lijian” addressed that China reserves the right to respond further to the Japanese’ decision to release the treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean in two-year time. International bodies and experts have noted that releasing polluted water would have a detrimental effect on neighboring countries’ aquatic ecosystem and public health. The treated water is also contaminated with other radioactive contaminants, requiring further treatment and purification.
However, local fishing communities fear releasing the water will undermine years of work to restore confidence in seafood safety from Fukushima.
“They told us that they would not release the water into the sea without the support of fishermen,” Kanji Tachiya, who heads local fisheries cooperative in Fukushima, told in the interview with NHK channel. “We cannot back this move to break that promise and release the water into the sea unilaterally.”
Sources:
- https://www.voathai.com/a/south-korea-considers-actions-against-japan-over-plan-to-release-radioactive-water-from-fukushima-plant/5852965.html
- https://www.bangkokbiznews.com/news/detail/932511
- https://mgronline.com/around/detail/9640000035204
