Editor"snote:Japan"sattempttoreleasetheFukushimanuclear-contaminatedwaterintotheoceanwillnotonlyviolateinternationallawbutalsoitsowndomesticlaws.ThedecisionshowstheJapanesegovernmentandtheJapanesecompanythatownsthedestroyedFukushimanuclearplantstandtogetherinmakingthewholeworldsuffertheconsequencesofJapan"saction.TwoexpertssharetheirviewsontheissuewithChinaDaily.

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FukushimaplananuclearthreattoAsia-Pacific

ByShaunBurnie

JapanhasdecidedtostartdischargingradioactivewastewaterfromtheFukushimaDaiichinuclearpowerplantintothePacificOceanverysoon.TheoperatorofthewreckedplantbegantestsonMondayofthenewlyconstructedfacilitiesfordischargingtreatedradioactivewastewaterintothesea.Manymythsanduntruthshavebeenspreadaboutthenuclear-contaminatedwater.Forexample,theJapanesegovernmenthassaid,accordingtotheInternationalAtomicEnergyAgency,theglobalnuclearindustryandsomescientists,thereisnothingtoworryabouttheeffectsoftheradioactivewastewater.

TheJapanesegovernmentalsoclaimsthatnearlyalltheradioactivematerialswillberemovedfromthewastewaterusingtheAdvancedLiquidProcessingSystem(ALPS)withonlytritiumremainingbeforeitisreleasedintothePacific.ItisconstantlystatedthattritiumcannotberemovedfromthewastewaterbutwouldemitveryweakradiationandthereforeitwillhavenoimpactoneitherthemarineenvironmentorhumanhealthintheAsia-Pacificregionandbeyond.

FalseclaimstomisleadtheJapanesepublic

AsforTokyoElectricPowerCompany,theowneroftheFukushimanuclearplant,itclaimsdischargingthewastewaterisnecessaryduetoinsufficientspaceformorestoragetanksandforittobeabletofullydecommissiontheFukushimaplantbetween2041and2051.TEPCOalsosaysthedischargeswillmeetregulatorystandardsandwillbelawful.

Intherealworld,itisalotworseandalotmorecomplicatedthanwhatTEPCO,theJapanesegovernmentandtheIAEAclaim.TheALPShasbeenaspectacularfailure,withmajordoubtsaboutitseffectiveness.Inadditiontotritium,alltheradioactivecarbon(C-14)inthewastewaterwillbereleasedintotheoceanalongwithmanyotherradionuclides(plutoniumisotopes,iodine-129,strontium-90).ButdespitetheJapanesegovernmentandTEPCO"planning"tokeepthembelowtheregulatorylimit,theywillstillbesignificant.

Thereisnosafetythresholdforartificialradioactivityintheenvironment,andtechnologydoesexisttoprocesstritiumfromthetanks"water.However,TEPCOandtheJapanesegovernmentdonotwanttospendhugeamountsofmoneyneededtodoso.Tritiumisindeedalow-energyradioactivematerialbutthatdoesnotmeanitseffectisweak;ifingested,ithasthepotentialtodamageplants,animalsandhumans.

Recentresearchpublishedbyaleadingradiationbiologistshowsscientificliteratureofthepast60-plusyearsisclear—tritium,inparticularorganicallyboundtritium(OBT),isbiologicallyharmfultoallformsoflife.Thepersistence,bioaccumulationandpotentialbiomagnificationandincreasedtoxicityofOBTincreasesthepotentialimpactontheenvironmentiftritiatedwaterisdischargedonlandorinthesea.

Tritiummoredangerousthanpreviouslybelieved

NoneofthecurrentregulationsinJapan(orworldwide)takesintofullaccountthenatureoforganicformsoftritium.Thatorganicformsoftritiumhavebeenfoundtobioaccumulateinphytoplankton,thebaseofthemarinefoodchain,isdeeplyworrying.Thefactthattherehasbeennocomprehensiveenvironmentalimpactassessmentoftheseandmanyotherissuesisoutrageous,andsuggeststhereisadeliberateunderestimationoftheaccumulationandpotentialtoxiceffectoftritiumontheenvironment.

Equallyimportant,themanyotherradioactivematerialsintheFukushimawastewaterhavethepotentialtocausedamagetotheenvironmentandhumanhealth.Infact,Japanhassufficientstoragecapacity,includingintheareasaroundtheFukushimaplant.Andstoringthetoxicwastewater,TEPCOcannotfullydecommissionthereactorsatFukushimainthenext20-30years—probablynotinthiscentury.Ratherthanbeinglawful,thereleaseofthewastewaterintotheseawillviolateinternationallaw,specificallytheUnitedNationsConventionontheLawoftheSea.

OnereasonwhytheuntruthsandmythscontinuetobespreadisthatthereisalotatstakefortheJapanesegovernmentandthenuclearindustry.Japan"senergypolicyisdependentonrestartingmanynuclearreactorsshutdownafterthe2011Fukushimadisaster.Sofar,ninehaveresumedoperations—butaccordingtogovernmentpolicy,Japanneeds30-plusreactorsby2030.

PublicopinioninJapanhasbeeninfluencedbythegovernment"sclaimthatitissafetooperatethesenuclearreactorsandthatitispossibletorecoverfromathree-reactormeltdownwithoutconsequencesforhumanhealthandtheenvironment.Ofcourse,it"snot.

Sweepingrealissueunderthecarpet

TEPCO,theJapanesegovernmentortheIAEArefusetoacceptthatthewastewatercrisispointstoadeepernuclearcrisisattheFukushimaplant.Anditisgettingworse,becausegroundwaterenteringtheplantcontinuestobecomehighlycontaminated,whilethewaterinthetanksrequiringALPSprocessingincreases.

InNovember2021,basedonTEPCOdata,therewere1,284,284cubicmetersofcontaminatedALPSwaterinthestoragetanks,ofwhich832,900cumneededfurtherALPSprocessing.AsofApril20,2023,thetotalvolumeofradioactivewastewaterstoredinthetankswas1,330,944cum—a3.6percentincreaseinlessthan2years.

Worse,about70percentor931,600cumofthewastewaterneedstobeprocessedagain(andprobablymanytimesagain)bytheALPStobringtheradioactiveconcentrationlevelsbelowtheregulatorylimitfordischarge.Thisisanincreaseofnearly12percentinlessthan2years.

TEPCOhassucceededinreducingtheconcentrationlevelsofstrontium,iodineandplutoniuminonly0.2percentofthetotalvolumeofthewastewater,anditstillrequiresfurtherprocessing.Butnosecondaryprocessinghastakenplaceinthepastnearlythreeyears.NeitherTEPCOnortheJapanesegovernmentnortheIAEAwantstotalkaboutthis.Theyhavenotsaidhowmanytimesthewastewaterneedstobeprocessed,howlongitwilltaketodosoorwhethertheeffortswilleverbesuccessful.

Problemsnotnewbutnonesolvedin5years

GreenpeacewroteabouttheseproblemsandwhytheALPSfailednearlyfiveyearsago;noneofthoseissueshasbeenresolved.Also,thereisahighpossibilityoftheALPSfailinginthefuture.

Toproceedwiththeirdischargeplan,theJapanesegovernmentandTEPCOhavebeencreatingafalseimpressiononthepublicthatsignificantprogresshasbeenmadeindecommissioningtheFukushimaplant.Butthefactis,thesourceoftheproblem—thehighlyradioactivefueldebrisinreactorpressurevessels1,2and3—continuestocontaminategroundwater.Nearly1000cumofwaterbecomeshighlycontaminatedevery10days.Sountilthenuclearfuelisisolatedfromtheenvironment,contaminatedgroundwater,potentiallyhundredsofthousandsofcubicmeters,willcontinuetoaccumulate.

WhiletheFukushimaplant,afterbeingdestroyedbytheearthquake-triggeredtsunamiinMarch2011,releasedlargeamountsofradioactiveparticlesintotheenvironment,mostoftheradioactiveinventoryremainsinsidethemeltedfuel.Assuch,thedamagedFukushimaplantontheedgeoftheoceanisalong-termradioactivethreattotheenvironment,includingthemarineenvironment.AndthisthreatwillbeaggravatedonceJapanbeginsdumpingthetoxicwaterintotheocean.

TEPCO,theJapanesegovernmentandtheIAEArefusetoacknowledgethefactthatthedecommissioningplanfortheFukushimaplantisnotattainable,andthattheymustembarkonacomprehensivereassessmentoftheplan.

Crisiscompoundedbydamagetoreactor

ThenuclearcrisisinFukushimaiscompoundedbythedamagetothereactors,inparticularunit1.TherapidmeltdownofthenuclearfuelinMarch2011severelydamagedthelargeconcreteblockthe440-tonreactorpressurevesselsitson.OneoftheagenciesresponsibleforitsdecommissioninghasrecentlydemandedthatTEPCOworkoutimmediatecountermeasurestopreventthepossiblecollapseofthereactor.Butwithveryhighradiationlevelsinsidetheplant,it"snotclearwhetheranycountermeasuresarepossible.

Buildingaverylargecontainmentstructurecoveringthereactorbuildings,likeitwasdoneattheChernobylplantinUkraineafterthenucleardisasterin1986,isprobablytheonlywaytopreventhighlyradioactivedustenteringtheloweratmosphereintheeventofafuturecollapse.Butsucha"solution"iscurrentlynotanoptionfortheJapanesegovernmentorthenuclearindustry,asitwouldsendthewrongmessagethatthedecommissioningprocessisnotgoingaccordingtoplan.

Thereisnoscientific,legalormoraljustificationforJapantodeliberatelycontaminateoursharedandcommonmarineenvironment.Andconcernedcitizens,scientists,maritimelawyers,thefishingcommunitiesacrosstheAsia-Pacificandtheworld"sleadingoceanographyuniversitiesandinstituteshavespreadpublicawarenessaboutthenucleardangers,somethingthathasrarelybeendonebefore.

ThereisaverystronglegalcaseforchallengingJapan"sdecisiontodumpthewastewaterintotheseabutdoingsoisamajorundertaking.Formanyreasons,nostateorgroupofstatesmaytakeupthechallengethroughUNCLOSthisyear.ButsincetheenvironmentalthreatfromtheFukushimaplantwillonlyintensify,futurelegalactionshouldnotberuledout.

Atatimewhenouroceansareundersomanymultiplethreats,includingfrommeltingglaciersandrelatedclimateemergencies,overfishingandbiodiversitylossandplasticpollution—thereisnoreasonwhyJapanshouldbeallowedtodumptheradioactivewaterintothesea.

Greenpeacehasbeencampaigningforprotectionofouroceansfromradioactivecontaminationsincethe1970s.AndthemostimportantthingIhavelearnedinmy30yearswithGreenpeaceisthatpositivechangeispossibleevenifitdoesnotoftenhappenasearlyasitshouldbutitcanhappenandpeoplemustnevergiveuptheireffortsorhope.

TheauthorisaseniornuclearspecialistwithGreenpeaceEastAsiaandhasworkedinJapanandwiderAsiaforover30years.

Theviewsdon"tnecessarilyreflectthoseofChinaDaily.

Japan"stoxicwaterdumpingwilldamagemarineecosystem

ByYinXiaoliang

TheJapanesegovernmentannouncedinJanuarythatitwouldstartreleasingtheradioactivecontaminatedwaterfromthedamagedFukushimaDaiichiNuclearPowerPlantintothePacificOceanthisspringorsummer.Japantookthisunilateral,irresponsibledecisionwithoutholdinganydiscussionswithpartiesthatcouldsuffertheconsequencesofitsaction,especiallybecausethecontaminatedwatercouldcauseseriousdamagetothemarineenvironmentandecology,humanhealthandseafood.

TheinternationalcommunitythereforeshouldstopJapan"sattempttopresentitscontaminatedwaterdischargeplanasscientificandsafe.

Towindomesticsupportfordumpingtheradioactivewaterintotheocean,theJapanesegovernmenthassetupan80billionyen($580million)fundtodealwiththepotentialeffectsofitsactiononthefishingindustry,ofwhich50billionyenistobeusedtosubsidizesoaringfuelcostsandanother30billionyentostoreseafood.

Insteadofsolvingtheproblem,theJapanesegovernmentandTokyoElectricPowerCompany,theFukushimanuclearplantowner,havebeentryingtoskillfullysteerpublicopinionontheirsideusingvariouspublicrelationsstunts.TheyhavereleasedadvertisementsonTV,onlineplatforms,andinnewspapers—theyhavealsoputadsatrailwaystations—topromotetheirclaimthatit"s"safe"todischargethetoxicwaterintotheocean.TheirPRexercisehasalsotargetedoverseasstudents.

Unfortunately,thecampaignseemstohavebeenreceivedwellinJapan.Forexample,anAsahiShimbunsurveyonMarch18-19showedthat51percentoftherespondentssupportthegovernment"splan,with41percentopposingit.Cunningly,theJapanesegovernmenthasbeenusingtheterm"treatedwater"torefertothenuclear-contaminatedwastewater,inordertodownplayitsradioactivecharacteristicsandpotentialhazardswiththeaimofconfusingthepublic.

Japan"saggressivepublicityhasalsoreachedthePacificislandcountries.JapaneseForeignMinisterYoshimasaHayashipaidanofficialvisittotheSolomonIslands,KiribatiandtheCookIslandsfromMarch18to22inabidtoeaseinternationalpressureonTokyooratleastmuffleasmanyopposingvoicesaspossible.

ButdespitetheJapanesegovernmenttryingtodivertglobalattentionfromthepotentialharmthetoxicwastewatercancausetothemarineenvironmentandecology,ithasnotachieveditsgoal.OneofJapan"slatestmovestoseekinternationalsupportisanattempttoincludestatementssuchastheG7memberstateshave"welcomed"itsapproachtothereleaseoftheradioactivecontaminatedwaterintothesea.However,theattempthasapparentlyfailedbecausetheG7summit"sjointstatementdidnotincludeanyendorsementofJapan"splan.Instead,itsaidtheG7groupsupportstheInternationalAtomicEnergyAgency"sindependentreviewtoensurethedischargeprocessisinlinewiththeIAEA"ssafetystandards.

Earlier,theG7Ministers"MeetingonClimate,EnergyandEnvironmenthadsquashedJapan"shopeofsecuringunanimoussupportfromtheG7foritsplannedwastewaterdischargeafterGermanyopposedit.

YettheJapanesegovernmenthasnotgivenupitseffortstogarneremotionalsupportandcreateafavorablepublicopiniononitswastewaterdumpingplan.AlthoughTokyoissparingnoeffortstowhitewashitstoxicplan,theinternationalcommunityshouldunderstandthepotentialdamagetheradioactivewastewatercouldcausetohumanhealth,seafood,andthemarineenvironmentandecology.Infact,thenuclear-contaminatedwatercontainsmorethan60radionuclidesincludingtritium,carbon-14,cobalt-60,strontium-90andiodine-129,whicharehardtofilterandwilldamagethedigestive,nervous,cardiovascularandimmunesystemsofhumans,andevencauseleukemiaifingested.

Besides,radionuclidesareathreattomarinelife.Theradioactivewastewater,ifreleasedintothesea,willfirstdealabigblowtoJapan"sfishingindustryandthenpoisonseafoodacrossthePacificandotheroceans.Also,thebalanceamongmarinespeciesiscloselyrelatedtotheirnumbers,availabilityoffoodandgrowth.Radionuclideswillchangethisbalance,leadingtotheextinctionofsomespeciesanddestabilizingtheentiremarineecosystem.

InaccordancewithgeneralinternationallawandtheUnitedNationsConventionontheLawoftheSea,Japanshouldinformandconsultwithcountriesthatmaybeaffected,andassessandmonitortheenvironmentalimpactoftheradioactivewastewater,cooperatewiththeinternationalcommunity,andtakeeverypossiblemeasuretopreventcontaminatingthemarineenvironment.Butinsteadofdoingthat,Tokyohasbeenshunningitsresponsibilitiesusingdifferentpretexts.

ActionsliketheoneJapanhasdecidedonhavehadanegativeimpactonglobalgovernance,andcouldencouragesomeothercountriestodothesame.SotheinternationalcommunityshouldaskJapantohaltitsdumpingplantillitprovidesfurtherscientificproofofthesafetyofitscontaminatedwaterreleaseplan,andcarryoutunbiasedstudiestoassesstheenvironmentalimpactsoftheFukushimaplant"stoxicwateronmarinelifeandecology.