How to arrange the monitoring of marine radiation environment in China? The Ministry of Ecology and Environment responded by targeting the Fukushima nuclear contaminated water discharge nuclear power plant | Fukushima, Japan | China
According to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the relevant person in charge of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment answered questions from reporters regarding the release of the comprehensive assessment report on the disposal of Fukushima nuclear contaminated water by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Q: Recently, the International Atomic Energy Agency released a comprehensive assessment report on the disposal of nuclear contaminated water in Fukushima, Japan. What do you think?
Answer: The spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed his attitude on behalf of the Chinese government. This report did not fully reflect the opinions of all experts involved in the evaluation work, and the relevant conclusions were not unanimously recognized by all experts. There are still many issues with the legitimacy of Japan's discharge into the sea, the reliability of purification devices, and the completeness of monitoring plans. The Japanese side should face the legitimate and reasonable concerns of all parties, effectively dispose of nuclear contaminated water in a scientific, safe, and transparent manner, and establish a long-term international monitoring mechanism that includes the participation of stakeholders such as Japan's neighboring countries as soon as possible.
Q: How does the Ministry of Ecology and Environment evaluate the radiation monitoring arrangements related to the discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan from a professional perspective?
Answer: The current monitoring arrangement of Japan still has the following problems: firstly, there is a delay in monitoring before the discharge of nuclear contaminated water, which makes it difficult to determine whether the discharge is qualified in a timely manner, which may lead to the direct discharge of substandard nuclear contaminated water into the ocean. Secondly, monitoring the mixing of nuclear contaminated water may cause unreasonable dilution. The Japanese side mixed 10 cans of nuclear contaminated water and took samples for monitoring, which may cause high concentration nuclear contaminated water to be diluted into standard nuclear contaminated water by low concentration nuclear contaminated water. Thirdly, there should be open and transparent long-term international monitoring. The discharge of contaminated water from Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea is related to the global marine environment and public health, and should be subject to open and transparent international monitoring and supervision with the participation of stakeholders, rather than just arranging "demonstration" monitoring led by Japan.
Q: What is the arrangement for monitoring the marine radiation environment in China regarding the discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan?
Answer: Our department attaches great importance to the issue of Japan's Fukushima nuclear contaminated water discharge into the sea. In 2021 and 2022, China organized and carried out monitoring of the marine radiation environment in the waters under its jurisdiction, and understood the current background situation of the marine radiation environment in relevant waters.
Our department has made arrangements for monitoring the marine radiation environment after the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan. If any abnormalities are found, timely warnings will be issued to effectively safeguard the interests of our country and the health of the people.
Q: It is rumored online that China's nuclear power plants emit 6.5 times more tritium than Japan's Fukushima nuclear contaminated water. What is the fact?
Answer: In fact, there is a fundamental difference between the contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan and the liquid effluent from the normal operation of nuclear power plants around the world. One is different sources, the other is different types of radioactive isotopes, and the third is different processing difficulties. The contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear reactor in Japan comes from the cooling water injected into the melted and damaged core after the accident, as well as the groundwater and rainwater that seeped into the reactor, including various radioactive nuclides present in the molten core, making treatment difficult. In contrast, the wastewater generated by the normal operation of nuclear power plants mainly comes from process drainage, ground drainage, etc., containing a small amount of fission nuclides. It strictly complies with international standards, adopts the best feasible technology for treatment, and after strict monitoring and compliance, it is discharged in an organized manner. The discharge amount is far below the specified control value.
We must be highly vigilant against such schemes of "villains reporting first," attempting to confuse the public and deceive others. What we oppose is the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan, and we have never opposed the normal operation and discharge of nuclear power plants. Misleading propaganda related to the Fukushima nuclear contaminated water in Japan cannot replace the truth, program design cannot replace engineering practice, verbal promises cannot replace real results, carefully packaged plans cannot conceal attempts to shift harm, and limited selective inspections cannot replace long-term fair international supervision.