China News Service, July 22 (Reporter Zhang Aolin) On the 22nd local time, the Atomic Energy Regulatory Commission of Japan officially approved the nuclear-contaminated water discharge plan after the Tokyo Electric Power Company's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident, arguing that there is no safety issue.

　　With regard to the discharge of pollutants into the sea, there have been constant protests at home and abroad, but since the Japanese government and TEPCO announced the plan for more than a year, they have continued to act, intending to pass on their own crisis to the international community.

How to supervise the pollution after the start of pollution is even more difficult.

Schematic diagram of the partial structure of the nuclear sewage discharge facility at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

Image source: Screenshot of the video of the Japan Broadcasting Association (NHK)

"The longer the time, the better"

　　According to the plan, the nuclear sewage will be diluted with sea water, temporarily stored in the shaft and confirmed the concentration, and then discharged about 1 km offshore through the submarine tunnel.

　　In fact, TEPCO started construction near the Fukushima nuclear power plant in April, but claimed that it was only carrying out preparatory works.

Japan's Atomic Energy Regulatory Commission approved TEPCO's pollution discharge plan in May, and the outside world believes that Japan's nuclear regulator "gives the green light" on the pollution discharge plan.

Data map: The nuclear sewage water storage tank of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan.

　　Lv Yaodong, a researcher at the Institute of Japanese Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, pointed out in an interview with a reporter from Chinanews.com that the Japanese government supports TEPCO's plan, and the pollution discharge will eventually be carried out jointly by the government and enterprises.

　　After the "311" earthquake in 2011, TEPCO temporarily stored a large amount of nuclear sewage in the water storage tank in order to cool the large amount of nuclear sewage generated by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, which was melted down by the earthquake core.

Since the Japanese government has no plans to build more water storage tanks, its reserves will reach their limit around November 2022.

　　In fact, nuclear sewage could have been better treated, and the Japanese government has formulated various solutions such as solid-state burial, evaporative release, and discharge to the ocean.

Among them, solidifying the nuclear sewage and burying it in the ground is obviously a better choice, but the cost is dozens or even hundreds of times that of discharging it into the sea.

Data map: Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

　　The emission timeline announced by Japan is also intriguing.

TEPCO will start the full construction of nuclear sewage discharge facilities after obtaining the approval of the local government, and the sewage discharge plan is expected to start in the spring of 2023.

Although the announcement was made in April 2021, it will take two years to "prepare". Some analysts pointed out that this is actually a delay, and it is hoped that the international community will acquiesce in this decision as a fait accompli.

　　Lv Yaodong believes that in addition to technical coordination, the Japanese government and TEPCO also have scruples about domestic and foreign opposition, and the longer it takes, the better it will be for them.

"Lack of Regulation" 　

　　According to the Japanese government, once the pollution starts, it will last for at least 30 years.

According to data released by TEPCO, the Fukushima nuclear sewage contains 63 kinds of radioactive substances.

Tepco believes that after treatment, most of the radioactive elements in nuclear sewage can be removed except for "tritium" which cannot be completely removed.

Data map: The nuclear residue inside Unit 2 of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant was photographed by the Tokyo Electric Power Company of Japan using a tubular device with a clamp with a camera at the front.

　　However, the report of the German Greenpeace organization shows that the technology currently adopted by Japan cannot treat strontium-90 and carbon-14 in nuclear sewage. Hazardous.

　　In an interview with a reporter from Chinanews.com, Jin Yongming, a professor at Ocean University of China, pointed out that the discharge of nuclear waste into the sea will definitely have an impact on fisheries, the marine environment and human health. Difficulty, and at the same time, to find out the degree of contamination to organisms, it is necessary to carry out specific and long-term experiments.

And Japan has seized this loophole.

　　For follow-up monitoring, Jin Yongming believes that there is currently a lack of international supervision on nuclear sewage discharge.

He pointed out that although a multi-national and multi-disciplinary expert group led by the International Atomic Energy Agency can be established to conduct checks, even if such an agency is established, the investigation report issued by it lacks compulsion.

　　The lack of international law supervision, coupled with the relatively low cost of discharging into the sea, made Japan finally choose the most time-saving, labor-saving and money-saving "shortcut".

Jin Yongming concluded that the essence of this plan is to "transform from one kind of pollution to another kind of pollution, and transfer the pollution from one place to the pollution of many places".

Pushing forward with opposition

　　Since the Japanese government announced the plan to discharge sewage into the sea, the opposition from the "party" Fukushima has never stopped.

Data map: Japanese people rally to protest the Japanese government's nuclear sewage discharge plan.

　　According to a survey conducted by the Fukushima People's Daily in April, 44 of 59 local officials in Fukushima prefecture believed that the plan was not understood by the local population, and the paper pointed out that if these numbers are not improved, the The resulting negative effects "will be unavoidable".

　　Fishing plays an important role in Japan, but plans to discharge pollution into the sea have put the industry at risk.

When meeting with Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Koichi Ogikuta in April, Chairman of Japan National Fisheries Federation Kishi Hiro and Fukushima Prefecture Fishery Federation Chairman Nozaki Tetsuya said in a strong manner, "We firmly oppose the discharge of sewage into the sea, and this position has not wavered in the slightest." .

　　Since there are only about 9 months before the start of the sewage plan, NHK also pointed out in the report that how to promote the plan amid the strong opposition from local people and fishery practitioners is a major problem faced by the Japanese government and TEPCO.

　　In this regard, Lu Yaodong believes that the Japanese central government is very supportive of the sewage plan, but it also has to be concerned about local interest groups.

He pointed out that the Japanese government will definitely continue to persuade the Fukushima local government and the Fisheries Association, while steadily advancing the plan, and it should not delay the start of sewage discharge.

Data map: In April 2021, after Japan announced its nuclear sewage discharge plan, slogans such as "Boycott Japanese products" were hung in the seafood sales area of ​​a large supermarket in Seoul, South Korea.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Zeng Nai

'One of the greatest nuclear disasters of our time'

　　The international community, including China and South Korea, has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction and concern over Japan's discharge of nuclear sewage.

In May, when Japanese Foreign Minister Lin Fangzheng visited Fiji and Palau, a non-governmental organization called "Pacific Community" described Japan's sewage discharge into the sea as "one of the biggest nuclear disasters of our time", urging Japan to reconsider its sewage plan. .

　　However, the Japanese government has insisted on going its own way and continued to act. Although it is actively in contact with the International Atomic Energy Agency on the surface, it has so far failed to make sufficient conclusions about the legitimacy of the plan, the reliability of nuclear-contaminated water data, and the effectiveness of purification devices. Description of the letter.

　　Regarding Japan's actions, Lv Yaodong believes that the Japanese government is trying to use crisis public relations methods to defuse criticism from the international community, including strengthening ties with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

　　Lv Yaodong further pointed out that up to now, the actions taken by Japan are actually only to defuse the possible negative impact on Japan's national image, and have not taken into account the international community, let alone the impact of pollution on the entire marine environment and relations with neighboring countries, as well as the entire region. Consider issues from the point of view of common interests.

　　Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on July 22 that the Japanese side has always turned a deaf ear to the legitimate concerns and reasonable demands of the international community and the Japanese people. Promote the construction of sea discharge pipelines and the approval of sea discharge plans.

It is extremely irresponsible for Japan to ignore the concerns of all parties and attempt to create established facts. We firmly oppose it.

The disposal of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear issue is related to the global marine environment and the public health of Pacific Rim countries, and is by no means a private matter for the Japanese family.

　　Wang Wenbin pointed out that China once again urges Japan to earnestly fulfill its due international obligations, dispose of nuclear-contaminated water in a scientific, open, transparent and safe manner, stop forcibly pushing the sea discharge plan, and fully consult and reach an agreement with stakeholders and relevant international institutions. Before, it was not allowed to initiate the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea without authorization.

If Japan insists on putting its own self-interest above the international public interest and insists on taking a dangerous step, it will definitely pay the price for its irresponsible behavior and leave a historical stain.

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