Japan Set to Pour Fukushima Water Into Pacific, Irking China

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(Bloomberg) — Japan is set to get approval to drain more than 1 million cubic meters of treated water from the site of the Fukushima nuclear disaster into the Pacific Ocean, a controversial plan that has strained relations with neighbors including China.

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The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, is scheduled to visit Japan from Tuesday to deliver a final report on the safety of the operation, and meet officials including Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi. A local regulator has also been appointed to issue a critical assessment.

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Both studies are preparing to provide support for Tokyo Electric Power to begin releasing water—equivalent in volume to about 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools—into the sea, a step required to allow the complete decommissioning of the Fukushima site after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that caused the world’s worst atomic disaster since Chernobyl. .

Japan has assured other countries that releasing the water is safe, in line with standard industry practices and is necessary, because about 1,000 storage tanks at Fukushima will reach capacity in early 2024. Other countries with nuclear plants are already safely discharging similarly diluted marine waste, according to the International Energy Agency. Atomic.

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It also comes as Japan joins a broader global reassessment of nuclear energy, with many countries seeking to boost energy self-sufficiency by reviving broken reactors, adding plants or investing in new technology. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida aims to build on improving domestic support for the energy resource, and Japan’s efforts to complete the Fukushima site shutdown are seen as crucial to inspiring confidence.

Read more: Nuclear revival reaches home to its final meltdown

Despite Japan’s diplomatic push, the demobilization plan complicates some global relations.

The ocean is “not Japan’s private sewer,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said last month, warning that the proposed launch carries risks for the country’s neighbors and Pacific island nations. Wang called it a selfish move that “endangers the common interests of all mankind”.

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Japanese cosmetics brands have been targeted by a viral campaign linked to the case that posted unproven safety claims on Chinese social media platforms. In South Korea, demand for sea salt has skyrocketed as consumers stock up on the spice amid concerns that sewage spills could contaminate future supplies.

While the central government in Seoul has not publicly backed down from Japan’s plans, a May poll by the Yomiuri newspaper and South Korea’s Hankook Ilbo found 84% of respondents opposed demobilization. A separate poll showed that nearly three-quarters of South Koreans surveyed do not trust a delegation of experts sent from Seoul to review Japan’s preparations.

The Pacific Islands Forum, a group of 18 countries including Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Australia, has urged Japan to consider alternatives and called for additional discussions about the risks.

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“People’s fears and suspicions in the region are real, but the release will be handled safely, no matter how small the risks,” said Nancy Snow, a distinguished security consultant in Tokyo and author of a book on public diplomacy for Japan. “Their concerns cannot be taken lightly or ignored.”

Japan announced in 2021 that it plans to gradually release about 1.3 million cubic meters of treated wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant that has accumulated at the site since 2011. TEPCO cycles the water to keep debris and fuel in the crashed nuclear reactors cool, contaminated liquid – along with other groundwater and rain – it is treated to remove most of the radioactive elements. Treated water still containing tritium was collected and stored.

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Tepco expects the fleet of about 1,000 storage tanks to reach maximum capacity between February and June of next year, and the facility has argued that it cannot continue to free up space for additional vessels because this is necessary for other parts of the decommissioning process. Storing water also carries risks of leaks, which are exacerbated by the nation’s status as one of the most earthquake-prone.

In one of its initial reports in April, the IAEA said TEPCO had taken into account issues raised in previous safety reviews and had “made significant progress in updating its plans,” indicating that the agency was likely to grant final approval. The IAEA said Friday that Grossi will visit Fukushima during his trip to Japan and open an IAEA office at the site.

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Tepco plans to mix the treated liquid with seawater to dilute the tritium concentration to “well below” the Japanese government and World Health Organization guidelines, before draining it into the ocean over a 40-year period via an undersea tunnel. Tritium has a radioactive half-life of just over 12 years, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The Japanese government has not yet set any specific date for the water release to begin, and has said it will continue to hold talks with local communities, including the fishing sector, in an effort to alleviate their concerns.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said earlier that the release of water from nuclear power plants is standard practice and most operations globally release small amounts of tritium and other radioactive material into rivers and oceans.

– With the help of Ben Westcott.

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