ASIA/JAPAN - Discharge of radioactive water in the ocean: a call to "seek alternative ways"

Tokyo (Agenzia Fides) - Opposition to the discharge of radioactive contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean is growing. Twelve years after the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant - considered by experts to be the most serious radioactive contamination in the history of humanity - final preparations are being made at the Fukushima nuclear power plant for the release of more than one million tons of radioactive wastewater in the Pacific Ocean. The plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), claims to have completed the process of diluting wastewater containing the radioactive isotope tritium with seawater. The Japanese government, which has engaged the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to ensure the safety of the discharge procedures, will set a date for the discharge of the water. These days, the director of the UN nuclear agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, is in Japan to meet with government leaders and to assist in the final preparations for the discharge of radioactive wastewater into the sea. The treated radioactive water, stored in some 1,000 tanks with a capacity of close to 1.37 million tons, must be released to allow the dismantling of the plant. According to the government, the treated water, once diluted, is safe for people and marine life, but the planned spill continues to divide the international community, worrying local Fukushima businesses and fueling fears in the Japanese fishing industry. Among the many negative opinions and alarms raised in recent weeks, both domestically and internationally, the Chinese government has called for the suspension of the plan, described as "extremely irresponsible", urging Japan to "take both international and domestic concerns seriously". Concerns also hangs over South Korea, which has no intention of removing import restrictions on seafood from Fukushima and eight other Japanese prefectures. Last April, the "Radiation Monitoring Center" and the "Korean Federation of Environmental Movements" published a report after inspecting agricultural and livestock products, which confirmed extensive radioactive contamination in various types of food, such as marine, agricultural, animal and processed products. "In the era of the climate crisis, as we contemplate and work together for the transition to a sustainable world, the discharge of radioactive water from Fukushima into the ocean is a threat to the ecosystem of our common home, the earth. At the same time, it disturbs the order of the world, created by God the Creator", says a statement signed by the "Commission for the Ecological Environment" and the "Commission for Justice and Peace" of the Bishops' Conference of South Korea, which, together with a group of more than 45 Korean diocesan and civil society organizations, have launched an appeal, proposing to "actively seek optimal alternative paths". The forum calls on Japan "to disclose all data transparently and do its best to solve the problem, gathering wisdom and strength from peace-loving neighboring countries and people around the world with a more open attitude". "The Fukushima nuclear power plant accident is spreading environmental pollution on the earth, which is currently continuing. Therefore, in order to eliminate the risk of accidents and the risk of high-level nuclear waste, Korea and the world as a whole should actively strive for the transition to environmentally friendly renewable energy". (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 4/7/2023)

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