Kishida plans to meet the IAEA director on Tuesday during his visit to the country
Tokyo seeks to silence criticism and recalls that it is one of the “most sensitive” countries to nuclear issues
July 1 (EUROPA PRESS) –
Japan is about to implement its plan to dump the treated water from the Fukushima plant into the sea twelve years after the 2011 nuclear catastrophe occurred. The release of these waters, which is now pressing due to the lack of capacity storage in the plant’s tanks, has sparked controversy at the national and regional level since the Government announced it in April 2021.
From Tokyo they insist that reconstruction is essential for the plant, a process that involves acquiring more space in the tanks, especially given the concern of some experts who fear that they will collapse in the event of a new natural disaster.
For the purification and treatment of this water before it is released into the sea, Japan submits it to the so-called Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS), which allows practically all radioactive substances to be eliminated, with the exception of tritium –an isotope of hydrogen–, so that it is diluted and the radiation levels meet international standards.
The ALPS, precisely, is a pumping and filtration system that uses a series of chemical reactions to remove dozens of radionuclides from contaminated water, although it is not capable of removing tritium from contaminated water.
However, the Japanese authorities insist on the safety of this nuclear waste and ensure that this type of discharge is not new. “For us, security is the highest priority. If these regulations were not complied with, the Japanese would be the first to suffer the consequences. Our Government would never make a decision that would endanger the lives and health of citizens. The commitment is firm “, Japanese government sources have indicated in statements to Europa Press.
Thus, they have clarified that this discharge is “safe” since the water “is sufficiently purified and diluted.” “It complies with the safety regulations regarding the radioactive concentration. The concentration of radioactive materials is well below the regulations and the discharge into the sea complies with international standards”, they have insisted before recalling, in addition, that other countries such as China and South Korea “also discharge this type of treated water in accordance with international law.”
Most nuclear power plants around the world regularly discharge treated water containing low-level concentrations of tritium and other radionuclides as part of their operations, including two Spanish nuclear power plants, according to these data.
THE ROLE OF THE IAEA
In this line, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has expressed itself, which created a specific group to carry out monitoring and review tasks to guarantee the safety of the release of water. “It is the international authority on nuclear issues and the ideal organization to analyze this,” said the aforementioned sources, who have maintained that “the group is made up of experts from numerous countries and international renown.”
Tokyo is, in fact, waiting to receive the final go-ahead from the IAEA to launch the process, scheduled for this summer, despite criticism from some countries in the region and from the fishing industry, which has shown its concern about the possibility that the reputation of their products may be affected.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Tuesday, with a view to presenting a comprehensive report that will serve as a conclusion and allow the plan, which could last several decades, to be launched. , as pointed out by senior officials of the Japanese Government. “We are waiting,” they say, but not before emphasizing that “it is one thing to prove that the water is safe and another to make the citizens of the area feel safe.”
REGIONAL SITUATION
The distrust shown by China is one of the main obstacles for Japan when it comes to gaining the support of neighboring countries. The Asian giant, which has even called for a boycott, affirms that the process poses a “danger” to the populations of the region and the surrounding marine environment.
Beijing points out that it is an “irresponsible” measure that “endangers marine life and public health” of the populations of the region, a position that is joined by the fishing industry in the area and several defense organizations. of the environment, which stress that this implies a “lack of respect for Human Rights and the interests of the people of Fukushima”.
Organizations such as Greenpeace have previously noted that the decision allows the Japanese power company TEPCO, which manages the nuclear plant, to put in place a process that, “instead of using available technology to minimize radiation by storing and treating water over a long period of time, go for the cheapest option.
In contrast, the South Korean government has shown a rapprochement towards Japan and has stressed, after sending a team of experts to the neighboring country, that the impact will be “minimal” on its coasts, particularly due to ocean currents. From the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs they have praised the South Korean position and have said they value “very positively the attitude of the Government of South Korea”.
“Sending a South Korean delegation has been very important. They are being faithful to science and taking into account the concerns of their population without dramatizing the issue. They seek to get as much scientific information as possible so that the South Korean people can better understand this issue “, has pointed out a senior official.
They have also highlighted the role played by the current government of the president, Yoon Suk Yeol, as opposed to that of his predecessor, Moon Jae In, and has said “noticing a change” since the new Executive was sworn in. “I am not saying that the previous government did not communicate with us, but with the new one the dialogue was activated a lot,” he stated.
In turn, they have reiterated that they are “one of the most sensitive peoples to nuclear issues due to their own history” and that they “would never release contaminated water into the sea, even less off their own coasts.”
These same government sources have explained that the water in question will be subjected to measurements before it is released. “There are rigorous opinions from the IAEA, which has sent five task group missions to Japan and has issued six reports on safety and regulatory issues. We hope that next week we can receive a comprehensive report with an assessment that fully reflects what we have come doing so far”, they have expressed before attacking “erroneous information that causes reputational damage and negatively affects the inhabitants of Fukushima”.
More than a decade after a massive tsunami ripped through the east coast of Japan and caused the plant’s safety systems to fail, the Japanese people continue to fight after what has been considered one of the worst nuclear accidents in history.
Unlike the Chernobyl accident, the particles released in Fukushima were mainly discharged into the sea and not into the atmosphere, which could have reduced the health risk. However, this has made the fishing industry one of the main victims in economic and labor terms.
The sector is still waiting for a return to normality in order to finally recover from the severe setback as the plan to discharge treated water from the plant seems to materialize.
