By Xu Yongzhi
On April 13, the Japanese government unilaterally decided to dump the Fukushima radwaste water to the sea in defiance of questions and objection at home and abroad and without consulting neighboring countries or the international community. Such an extremely irresponsible practice has triggered vehement opposition from the international community, especially surrounding countries, as the move will seriously threaten global public health security and the immediate interests of people living in its neighbors.
Meltdowns at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in 2011 are one of the catastrophic nuclear disasters that have happened in the world so far, exerting far-reaching impacts on the oceanic environment, food safety, and human health. The continued cooling of the melted nuclear fuel generates about 140-ton radwaste water every day, which had amounted to 1.25 million tons by March this year and was stored in tanks.
The Japanese government cited the lack of space at the Fukushima nuclear power plant (NPP) for storing radwaste water as the reason for releasing the water into the sea, adding that there is no better way of disposal, but this excuse obviously doesn’t hold water. Taku Yamamoto, Chairperson of the Research Commission on Natural Resources and Energy Strategy of Liberal Democratic Party of Japan (LDP ), said that many buildings at the NPP have been left idle for many years and can make room for storing the wastewater, plus there are large clearings at Fukushima where new water tanks can be built.
According to a report by an expert panel, it is technically feasible to solidify the wastewater with cement and bury it, or directly release it 2,500m underground, but that costs USD160 million to 3.6 billion with possible effects on surrounding tourism and agriculture. In comparison, it costs only USD15 to 30 million to discharge the water into the sea, which is why Tokyo opted for it – to save money.
But this practice and stance of the Japanese government contradicted its attitude toward similar cases and commitment to the international community in the 1990s and revealed stark double standards.
In 1993, Russia planned to dump to the Japan Sea over 1,000-ton radwaste water with about 1/10 the radioactivity of the Fukushima water. The Japanese government, bolstered by the US and other G7 members, strongly opposed “releasing low-radioactivity pollutants to Far East seas” on the grounds that “the public is very sensitive to nuclear radiation”, forcing Russia to give up the plan finally.
To prevent the recurrence of similar situations, Japan and several other countries jointly issued the 1996 Protocol to the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter, or the London Protocol , which states, “Contracting Parties shall apply a precautionary approach to environmental protection from dumping of wastes or other matter… when there is reason to believe that wastes or other matter introduced into the marine environment are likely to cause harm even when there is noconclusive evidence to prove a causal relationship between inputs and their effects.” Now Japan has selectively forgotten this protocol in which it used to take pride. In all ridiculous fallacy, it even argued that while dumping from boats is against the protocol, releasing radwaste water from water pipes falls out of its mandate.
After the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011, Tokyo committed to the international community at a conference of contracting parties to the London Protocol that it would study and seek a way to “minimize the radioactivity leaked to the sea”. But the fact is that Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO), the operator of Fukushima NPP, has lied to the outside many times, and the actual situation of the wastewater remains to be clarified.
In the face of the doubts and concerns of the international community, Tokyo, on the excuse of “preventing domestic fishermen’s interests from being harmed by rumors as much as possible”, has refused to consult with neighboring countries. Yet, it is the domestic fishermen groups that voiced the strongest opposition to dumping the wastewater into the sea. The nuclear accident 10 years ago has plunged Fukushima’s aquatic product sales on a nosedive, and Fukushima Fishing Association has just loosened the restriction on fishing in April this year; now, the government’s decision will once again put the fishermen’s livelihood at stake.
The sea is a common property of humanity. How to dispose of the radioactive wastewater at Fukushima NPP is not only Japan’s domestic issue. Tokyo must face up to its responsibilities, fulfill its international obligations in a scientific spirit, and accept examinations participated by surrounding countries. On the basis of ascertaining the content and harm of radioactive substances, it should consult with all stakeholders on the wastewater disposal instead of just dumping it into the sea with no consideration for the consequences.
(The author is from the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.)
