Earlier this year, the Japanese government announced that they would discharge contaminated water at Fukushima Daiichi into the ocean despite the strong criticism from fishing communities in Fukushima, Japanese civil society and the international community.
The contaminated water is currently being treated by the so-called ALPS (Advanced Liquid Processing System). However, this process cannot remove all the nuclear materials in the water, and the radiation level of around 70% of those once-treated water still exceeds the regulatory level. Government and TEPCO claim they will treat the water again and dilute it with ocean water before discharge. However, they have not disclosed enough information about how much radioactive materials will remain after secondary treatment.
There have been no public briefings or hearings since the ALPS subcommittee reported how to treat the water back in February 2020. There were proposals for solidified mortar and stable storage in large robust tanks used to store oil, but such alternatives were not considered or discussed further.
The decision to release the water was made through a highly undemocratic process, ignoring many voices of opposition and concern nationally and internationally, including those in the fishing industry. FoE Japan strongly condemned this decision and have co-submitted an international petition with other organisations demanding the government to reverse the decision. The petition is still running, and FoE Japan encourages everyone to sign it.
If the current plan proceeds, the discharge will start in 2 years. Together with local communities, FoE Japan will keep working to stop the further spread of radioactive materials into the environment.
Read the FoE Japan Statement.
Watch the video ‘Fishermen from Fukushima “Don’t dump ‘contaminated water’!”
Sign the petition.
For campaign updates, follow FoE Japan on Facebook and Twitter.
For more information contact:
Climate Change and Energy Campaigner
Friends of the Earth Japan
Cover photo credit: Richard Atrero de Guzman