Original title: In disregard of domestic and foreign opposition, Japan announced that it plans to start discharging nuclear-contaminated water into the sea “in the spring and summer of this year”
Xinhua News Agency, Tokyo, January 13th In spite of domestic and international opposition, the Japanese government stated on the 13th that it will begin to discharge the treated nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the ocean “in the spring and summer of this year”. The National Federation of Fisheries Associations of Japan stated again on the same day that its attitude against the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea has not changed. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Korea also stated on the same day that the Japanese side must proceed from an objective and scientific perspective and deal with the nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in a safe and consistent manner with international laws and standards.
According to Kyodo News, the Japanese government held a cabinet meeting on the same day to discuss the treatment of nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, and confirmed that the nuclear-contaminated water will not be discharged until the construction of relevant facilities is completed and passed the inspection of the Japanese Nuclear Regulatory Agency Atomic Energy Regulatory Commission. Hai, the time will be “this year’s spring and summer”.
The Japanese government decided in April 2021 to treat and dilute millions of tons of nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant before releasing it into the sea in the spring of 2023. Tokyo Electric Power Company, the operator of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, built a subsea tunnel about 1 km long from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station near the sea to the sea for the discharge of nuclear contaminated water, and officially started construction of the subsea tunnel and other projects in August 2022. building.
After the launch of the plan to discharge nuclear contaminated water into the sea, it has been opposed by domestic civil groups such as fishery groups. Masanobu Sakamoto, president of the National Federation of Fisheries Associations in Japan, issued a statement on the 13th, saying that the attitude against the discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea has not changed, and will continue to ask the government to explain to fishery practitioners and citizens and give a sincere response.
Prior to this, the National Federation of Fisheries Associations of Japan has repeatedly stated that it firmly opposes the discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea. In September 2022, representatives of the Federation of Life Cooperative Organizations in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima Prefectures and the Miyagi Fisheries Association submitted a joint signature of about 42,000 people to Tokyo Electric Power Company and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, opposing the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The nuclear-contaminated water discharge plan requires other methods to deal with nuclear-contaminated water.
South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the media on the 13th that the South Korean government regards the health and safety of its citizens as the primary principle, and will continue to insist that the Japanese side must proceed from an objective and scientific perspective, and deal with nuclear pollution at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in a safe and consistent manner with international law and international standards. The position of the water and respond accordingly.
China, the Philippines, the Pacific Islands Forum and many other countries and international organizations have repeatedly expressed their opposition and doubts to Japan’s decision to discharge nuclear-contaminated water into the sea. They hope that Japan will seriously respond to the concerns of all parties and find a proper way to dispose of nuclear-contaminated water in a responsible manner. , instead of blindly pushing the sea row plan.
