Japan began releasing treated nuclear wastewater into the ocean from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station last week, prompting a variety of different opinions from around the world.
Over 1 million tons of the treated water will be dumped into the Pacific Ocean over the next 30-40 years, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
The wastewater was used to cool fuel rods in the plant, which was destroyed by a deadly earthquake in March 2011. Since then, the water has been held in roughly 1,000 tanks, which must be emptied to prevent leaks, per the Associated Press.
Multiple radionuclides in the water will be filtered out until the concentration is below international thresholds. The water will then be filtered 100 times with seawater before it is released.
Japan prepared for the August 24 dump after obtaining safety clearance from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN’s nuclear watchdog. A two-year review from an IAEA task force claimed that the plan would have a “negligible radiological impact on people and the environment.”
Despite the IAEA claiming Japan’s plan for releasing the water is safe, other countries are still split.
Some countries, such as the United States, have said they support the plan.
“Since the disaster, Japan has been open and transparent as it has sought to responsibly manage the Fukushima Daiichi site and the eventual release of treated water, proactively coordinating with scientists and partners from across the Indo-Pacific region as well as with the [IAEA], which concluded that Japan’s process is safe and consistent with internationally accepted nuclear safety standards,” said U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, per a press release.
Australia has also voiced support for the plan, stating in a press release that it “has confidence in the process that has led to the decision by Japan to release the treated water.”
Other countries have been more critical of the plan.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement saying that the country “firmly opposes and strongly condemns” the plan, which was allegedly enacted in “disregard of the strong criticism and opposition from the international community.”
“The Japanese government failed to prove the legitimacy and legality of the ocean discharge decision, the long-term reliability of the purification facility, and the authenticity and accuracy of the nuclear-contaminated water data. It failed to prove that the ocean discharge is safe and harmless to the marine environment and people’s health, and that the monitoring plan is sound and effective,” the statement reads.
Chinese customs authorities banned all “aquatic products,” such as seafood, imported from Japan, according to the AP. They stated that the country will “dynamically adjust relevant regulatory measures as appropriate to prevent the risks of nuclear-contaminated water discharge to the health and food safety of our country.”
South Korea has also expressed concerns with the plan.
“[W]e want to make clear that our government does not necessarily agree with or support the plan to release contaminated water,” said the South Korean government in a statement, according to Reuters.