China Singapore International Observation | Japan's Forced Launch of Nuclear Polluted Water Discharging into the Sea Has Endless Harmful Effects | Zou Haodan | International

Beijing, August 24th, China News Agency (Xinhua) - Japan's forced launch of nuclear contaminated water discharge into the sea is causing endless harm

Author Su Jingxin and Zhu Chenxi

The Japanese government had previously announced, despite opposition from multiple parties, that it would begin discharging contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea on the 24th. On the 23rd, Zou Haodan, Deputy Researcher at the Japan Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, pointed out in an interview with China News Agency that the discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea proves the selfishness and shortsightedness of the Japanese government. Its considerations are all based on economic costs and partisan interests, which will cause endless harm to the marine environment and will inevitably face opposition from the international community.

Lack of transparency and effective supervision in discharging into the sea

At the end of June this year, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission of Japan completed the final inspection of offshore equipment. In July, the Japanese government received endorsement from the International Atomic Energy Agency. However, international public opinion generally believes that the nuclear contaminated water treatment process and discharge plans of the Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Company are not transparent enough.

Zou Haodan told reporters that in 2012, the Japanese government nationalized TEPCO by purchasing stocks, and through political manipulation, achieved monopoly decision-making power over the handling of the Fukushima nuclear accident. Now, the superior department of TEPCO is the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, and the Japanese government has the decision-making power to control the discharge of Fukushima nuclear contaminated water through the Ministry of Industry and Commerce. The multi nuclide processing system of TEPCO only received a qualified inspection report from the Japan Atomic Energy Regulatory Commission in 2022, which is essentially a recognition of the Japanese government's monopoly decision and lacks the credibility of any independent third-party supervision.

In terms of international supervision, Zou Haodan stated that although the International Atomic Energy Agency has promised to monitor the long-term discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea in Fukushima, it cannot obtain first-hand information and its role is only to monitor the data provided by TEPCO. Considering that after 2011, Japanese media have reported multiple incidents of TEPCO deliberately concealing nuclear contaminated water leaks, its supervisory effect can only be described as better than nothing. Therefore, it can be seen that Japan's nuclear contaminated water discharge into the sea does not have transparent and effective domestic and international supervision.

The political considerations of rushing to discharge into the sea

According to a national public opinion survey conducted by Kyodo News Agency from the 19th to the 20th, over 80% of respondents believe that the Japanese government's explanation of nuclear contaminated water is "insufficient.". On the 22nd, the Japan National Fisheries Association Federation also reiterated its opposition position. It can be seen that in addition to facing strong opposition from the international community, the sea discharge plan has not been fully understood within Japan. So what are the hidden reasons why Japan is eager to discharge into the sea?

"Energy and political factors are the dual considerations that Japan is eager to discharge into the sea." Zou Haodan pointed out that in the context of the energy crisis faced by Japan due to the Ukraine crisis, the Kishida government has decided to restart the nuclear power industry. If nuclear contaminated water is successfully discharged into the sea, it can reduce public concerns about restarting nuclear power. In addition, the 3.11 earthquake and the Fukushima nuclear accident greatly reduced the trust of the Japanese people in the government, and the Japanese government has always regarded the Fukushima revival as a showcase of the government's achievements. If nuclear contaminated water is successfully discharged into the sea, it will become a significant achievement in the revival of Fukushima. The Kishida government hopes to increase public trust and support for the government through this.

"In this situation, the Japanese government disregards other disposal plans suggested by the international community and considers the issue of Fukushima nuclear contaminated water discharge into the sea from the perspective of economic costs and party interests." Zou Haodan told reporters that the Japanese government has previously proposed five plans to treat nuclear contaminated water, two of which are more feasible in reality, but ocean discharge is the lowest cost and easiest method for the Japanese government.

Zou Haodan emphasized that the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant has transferred the risk to the world, revealing its selfishness and shortsightedness.

There are multiple ways for all parties to hold accountable

After Japan launches its plan to discharge nuclear contaminated water into the sea, over 1.3 million tons of nuclear contaminated water will continue to be discharged for at least 30 years, inevitably causing long-term negative impacts on the marine environment and the people of other countries who rely on the ocean for their livelihoods.

Regarding whether the affected countries can use legal means to prevent Japan from discharging into the sea and hold them accountable, Zou Haodan stated that international environmental law has only a history of about 100 years, and its ability to regulate and handle illegal activities is relatively limited. At present, there are international laws directly related to the marine environment, such as the 1972 London Convention on Dumping and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which provide provisions for post event damage.

Zou Haodan pointed out that Pacific Rim countries can join forces to explore the possibility of initiating lawsuits and pursuing claims against Japan under the premise of determining the extent of damage.

Zou Haodan suggested that Pacific Rim countries should each set up monitoring points to monitor the concentration of radioactive isotopes in the ocean for a long time, accumulate evidence, and then hold the Japanese government accountable through political, legal, and international public opinion channels.

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