In the matter of "draining the sea", Japan has become more and more "isolated"

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) task force arrived in Japan on May 5 to begin another site visit to Tokyo Electric Power Company's plan to discharge contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the sea.

It is reported that the work will continue until June 6.

It was also the last field visit before the IAEA task force released its final assessment report on the discharge of contaminated water into the sea in Japan. The findings will be reflected in the final report.

Although the IAEA's final assessment report has not yet been released, the Japanese side has already put on a posture of going its own way, claiming that it will complete the sea-drainage equipment project by the end of June and officially launch the sea-drainage plan by the end of July.

As the scheduled discharge date approaches, whether Japan will use the IAEA's assessment and review process to seek a "passport" for the discharge of the sea, or even "cut the ground" before the release of the IAEA's final report, is causing serious concern and vigilance among many countries and stakeholders.

"Since it's safe, they can keep it for themselves"

As we all know, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident in 2011 was one of the highest level of nuclear accidents.

The nuclear-contaminated water produced is cooling water that is continuously injected after the accident to prevent the core of the reactor from melting, and is mixed with a continuous flow of rainwater and groundwater. These mixed waters contain large amounts of radionuclides and there is no global precedent for their release.

However, in April 2021, the Japanese government decided to "treat and dilute the contaminated water" and discharge it into the sea on the grounds that the storage tanks were full, causing widespread shock and concern in the international community.

In order to blind the public, the Japanese government and TEPCO vigorously promote the so-called "safety" of nuclear contaminated water to be discharged into the sea, on the basis that the so-called Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) can filter out 62 radionuclides.

However, it does not include the important radioactive substance - tritium.

CNN reports that tritium cannot be completely filtered because current technology cannot. But TEPCO and the Japanese government deliberately emphasize that tritium occurs naturally in the environment and that small releases are "safe."

However, as early as 2012, a French study warned that tritium could be harmful to the DNA and reproductive processes of aquatic animals, especially invertebrates, and that the sensitivity of different species to different levels of tritium concentrations needed further investigation.

Even a technical paper released last year by TEPCO acknowledged that assessing tritium's effects on fish in Fukushima is "very difficult," that only a few analytical agencies have the capacity to make such measurements, and that they often yield different results.

Over the past two years, from the Japanese people, to Japan's neighbors such as China, Russia, and South Korea, to the vast number of Pacific island countries, they have all expressed strong opposition to Japan's irresponsible unilateral plan to drain the sea.

Lee Jae-myung, head of South Korea's Democratic Party, recently responded directly to the Japanese government's quibbles: "Since Japan claims that the contaminated water in Fukushima is safe enough to drink, they should use it as drinking water, at least for agriculture or industry." ”

"Lobbying fails, Japan's disillusionment is shattered"

It is said that Japan, as the only country in the world that has been bombed by a nuclear bomb, should be more keenly aware of nuclear radiation and nuclear hazards than other countries.

However, the government representing such a country and the companies that bear the primary responsibility for serious nuclear accidents always and everywhere give the bad impression of being "dishonest."

Ironically, the United States, which bombed Japan, is so far the only country to openly support Japan's discharge of contaminated water into the sea at the governmental level.

After the Japanese government abruptly announced its decision to drain the sea in April 2021, the U.S. State Department issued a statement saying Japan's practices "appear to be in line with globally accepted nuclear safety standards."

However, the rhetorical support of the United States is clearly not enough. Therefore, Japan has been calculating to attract more "allies" to endorse itself.

So, taking advantage of this year's presidency of the G7, Japan began to manipulate all kinds of things.

But it didn't take long for Japan to be slapped in the face in public by its allies.

The joint statement issued by the G7 climate, energy and environment ministers meeting in April did not express support for the Japanese government's plan to drain the sea.

At a press conference after the meeting, Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yasuminoru Nishimura said that "the G7 welcomes the process of discharging contaminated water from Fukushima" was refuted on the spot by German Environment Minister Lemke: "It is clear that (G7) environment ministers will not support the discharge of contaminated substances into water in any way anywhere in the world." ”

At the G5 Hiroshima summit in May, the Japanese government, which is not dead, wants to make another "secret crossing of Chen Cang". But the joint statement issued after the meeting once again disappointed Japan.

The statement only stressed the importance of implementing the highest standards of nuclear safety and supported the IAEA's independent review, and did not "welcome the discharge to the sea" as designed by Japan.

In this regard, some South Korean media ridiculed that the Japanese government tried its best to lobby other countries to "welcome" the discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea, but it ended in complete failure.

Even the G7 allies do not buy Japan's account, let alone the international community.

At the 76th World Health Assembly held recently, the Chinese representative once again stressed that the discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima is not a private matter of the Japanese side, but a major issue related to global public health.

"The Pacific Ocean is not a sewer where Japan dumped nuclear-contaminated water ... Before reaching an agreement with all parties, the Japanese side shall not initiate the discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea without authorization. (Global Information Broadcast)