Plaintiffs File Lawsuit to Halt Release of Radioactive Wastewater from Fukushima Plant
Plaintiffs and supporters have filed a lawsuit demanding that the release of treated radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea be halted. The operator of the plant, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO), recently announced the safe completion of the first release of treated water into the Pacific Ocean. The release of the diluted wastewater began on August 24 and is expected to continue for decades as part of the plant’s decommissioning process.
However, fishing groups and neighboring countries, such as China and South Korea, strongly oppose the discharge and have raised concerns about the potential environmental and health impacts. Additionally, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has been emphasizing the safety and transparency of the release during international summits, in an effort to gain support. Prime Minister Kishida has also urged China to lift its ban on Japanese seafood imports.
During the first 17-day release, TEPCO discharged a total of 7,800 tons of treated water from 10 tanks, while still having 1.34 million tons stored at the plant. The company plans to inspect and clean the facility before commencing the second round of release in a few weeks. It is worth noting that all sampling data from seawater and fish has shown levels below set safety limits.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reviewed the safety of the project and concluded that if carried out as planned, the release will have a negligible impact on the environment, marine life, and human health. To ensure proper monitoring, a team of South Korean experts has been deployed to an IAEA office set up at the Fukushima plant.
Both TEPCO and the government claim that the treated water is within safe levels and is diluted with seawater to comply with international standards. However, the accumulation of radioactive wastewater continues due to leaks from cooling water used on the damaged reactors mixing with groundwater. To tackle this issue, TEPCO plans to release a total of 31,200 tons of treated water by March 2024, with the pace of release expected to increase in the future due to limited storage space at the plant.
This controversial issue continues to be a topic of concern and debate, with stakeholders weighing the potential risks and benefits of the release.
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