According to the latest news, the Japanese government has basically decided today to discharge nuclear sewage from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea. Next week, the Japanese government will hold a cabinet meeting to formally make a decision. The problem of nuclear sewage has always been like the “Damocles Sword” hanging above Fukushima. If not properly solved, it may cause irreparable serious consequences at any time.
The Japanese government basically decided to discharge Fukushima nuclear sewage into the sea.
On April 13, the Japanese government held a cabinet meeting to formally and finally decide. The specific emission time is expected to be two years later. The Japanese government said that the content of tritium, the radioactive material in the treated nuclear sewage, is only one-seventh of the drinking water standard of the World Health Organization. At the same time, the Japanese government stated that it called on the local government and aquaculture industry to strengthen the monitoring of the concentration of radioactive substances in nuclear sewage at the time of discharge, promised to continue to vigorously assist the revitalization of the local fisheries and tourism industry, and pointed out that if the brand image of local products is damaged by nuclear sewage discharge, it would be caused by Tokyo Electric Power. The company is liable for compensation.
The nuclear sewage into the sea program has always been controversial. In 2015, Tokyo Electric Power Company made a written guarantee to the National Fisheries Association of Japan that it would not easily emit to the sea. Last fall, the Japanese government had decided to discharge nuclear sewage into the sea, but it was put on hold due to strong opposition. Just two days ago, on April 7, the president of the Japan Fisheries Association held talks with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiro Kan to reiterate his opposition to the Japanese government’s discharge of nuclear sewage into the sea. The finalization of this plan is bound to trigger opposition from many parties at home and abroad.
Nuclear sewage treatment is a major problem in the aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear accident. The continuous cooling of reactor operations and the flow of rainwater and groundwater into reactor facilities have led to the continuous generation of nuclear sewage.The current treatment method is to filter nuclear sewage and store it in large tanks, but the filtration cannot remove the radioactive tritium contained therein. And it is expected that the storage tanks will be fully used up by September 2022. Tokyo Electric Power said that there was no spare space in the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to build new storage facilities.
But in fact, some Japanese experts and environmental protection organizations have proposed that there are a large number of uninhabitable areas around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant due to excessive radiation, and these idle land can be fully used to build new storage facilities. Some experts said that storage on land with large storage tanks is the best way to solve the problem of nuclear sewage under existing technology.
In the past interview, many people have been very impressed by the fierce and resolute opposition of many local residents of Fukushima to the sewage into the sea program. The sea around Fukushima is not only a fishing ground on which local fishermen depend, but also a part of the global ocean, affecting the global marine ecology and environment. Safe.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs responds: Fukushima nuclear sewage treatment Japanese government should make careful decisions
Regarding the Japanese government’s plan, at the regular press conference held by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs today, spokesman Zhao Lijian said that the Japanese government should make careful decisions.
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian: The radioactive material leakage caused by the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan has had a far-reaching impact on the marine environment, food safety and human health. The Japanese government should adhere to a highly responsible attitude towards its own citizens, neighboring countries and the international community, deeply assess the possible impact of the tritium-containing wastewater treatment program at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, actively disclose information in a strict, accurate, open and transparent manner in a timely manner, and make a prudent decision on the basis of full consultation with neighboring countries. Policy.
South Korea expresses concern about the discharge of nuclear sewage into the sea
Today, as soon as the news about the discharge of nuclear sewage at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan came out, Yonhap and other major South Korean media reported for the first time. South Korean society is now focusing on what explanation the Japanese government officially announced the decision on April 13. In fact, South Korean society has been concerned about the treatment of nuclear sewage in Japan. South Korea has always believed that the treatment method of nuclear sewage should not be decided by Japan alone, and the specific treatment measures must be fully scientifically verified by the international community.
According to South Korean media reports, affected by ocean currents and other factors, once Japan discharges nuclear sewage into the sea, the polluted seawater will first reach Jeju Island in South Korea after 220 days and the west coast of South Korea in 400 days. Last October, the governor of Jeju Island in South Korea filed a lawsuit against the Japanese government on the relevant issues, and the South Korean people gathered outside the Japanese Embassy in South Korea several times to protest.
After the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident, South Korea has imposed import bans and testing requirements on some Japanese aquatic products since 2013. Once aquatic products are found to contain trace radioactive substances, enterprises must issue safety certificates. At this stage, the import of 28 aquatic products caught and processed in 8 counties, including Fukushima, Japan, is still prohibited. On the other hand, the discharge of nuclear sewage will also have a huge impact on South Korea’s national health and fisheries. In recent years, whenever news comes out that Japan will discharge nuclear sewage, South Korea’s sales of aquatic products have declined to varying degrees.
