The international community has widely questioned and opposed Japan’s nuclear-polluted water discharge into the sea
2022-04-14 15:44:47Source: Xinhuanet
Xinhua News Agency reporter
Since the Japanese government officially decided to discharge the nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea on April 13 last year, the Japanese government and TEPCO have continued to push forward the plan to discharge nuclear-contaminated water into the sea in disregard of strong domestic and international opposition. Widespread questioning and opposition from stakeholders.
The Japanese government’s plan to discharge nuclear-contaminated water into the sea has sparked strong dissatisfaction in neighboring South Korea. South Korean parliamentarians Yoon Mi-hyang, Seo San-seok, Lee Jae-jung and others jointly held an international forum on April 11 with the theme of “Responding to the Discharge of Polluted Water into the Sea from the Fukushima Nuclear Power in Japan”. Xu Canxi said at the forum that the nuclear-contaminated water discharged into the sea will spread to the entire Pacific Ocean within 10 years, and will have an impact on most of South Korea’s waters. South Korea should cooperate with the international community and strive to fundamentally prevent the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea.
South Korean civic groups have also continued to launch protests. Six civic groups in the Pohang area of Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea held a protest on April 6, demanding that the Japanese government immediately withdraw its decision to discharge nuclear-contaminated water into the sea. The South Korean government currently prohibits the import of aquatic products caught in Japanese waters near Fukushima Prefecture, Japan.
The Japanese government’s decision to filter and dilute millions of tons of nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea was reckless, said Anna Marienberg-Uy, a researcher at the BRICS Policy Research Institute in the Philippines and a professor of political science. , not only poses a threat to the marine environmental security of neighboring countries, but the more critical issue is that this is a unilateral decision made by Japan without full consultation with neighboring countries. Contaminants from Fukushima waters will undoubtedly affect the marine environment and public health in the surrounding area. The Japanese side should think twice and consult carefully with the countries and regions directly affected. If this sad plan goes wrong, developing countries like the Philippines will surely be adversely affected and forced to suffer the consequences. This decision of the Japanese side is a threat to human beings and all species, and should be highly valued by countries in Asia and the world.
In an interview with French media, Maria Rosa Becha, a chemical expert at the University of the French Riviera, said that Japan’s use of both filtration dilution and chemical treatment “cannot eliminate the tritium element.”
Kenyan international studies scholar Cavens Adhill also said that many scientific studies have linked radioactive elements in water to public health risks. Given the interconnectedness of global water and food systems, not only Japan’s neighboring countries, but also people in far-flung regions, including Kenya, could be affected. Japan is exposing the world to the multiple and far-reaching effects of its nuclear-contaminated water discharge.
Despite constant domestic and international opposition, the Japanese government continues to advance preparations for the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea. In December last year, Tokyo Electric Power Company submitted the “Fukushima Nuclear Polluted Water Discharge Plan” to the Japan Atomic Energy Regulatory Commission. The sea discharge work plan will be implemented in the spring of 2023.
Zhao Lijian, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said earlier: “The disposal of water contaminated by the nuclear Fukushima nuclear pollution in Japan is related to the global marine ecological environment and public health, and is by no means a private matter for the Japanese side. The Japanese side should carefully listen to and respond to the concerns of the international community, including neighboring countries. , revoke the erroneous decision to discharge nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean. Unless fully consulted and reached an agreement with stakeholders and relevant international institutions, the Japanese side shall not initiate the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea.” (Participating reporters: Du Baiyu, Sun Yiran, Yan Jie, Liu Kai, Chen Chen, Bai Lin)