On August 22, local time, the Japanese government announced after holding a relevant cabinet meeting that it will discharge contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean from August 24, 2023, and the discharge time is expected to last 20 to 30 years. The German Marine Scientific Research Agency pointed out that once the contaminated water is discharged into the sea, the radioactive material will spread to most of the Pacific Ocean within 57 days, and spread to the global sea in 10 years...
More than 10 years have passed since the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011, and over the years, domestic and international opposition has continued against the Japanese government's decision to discharge nuclear wastewater into the sea.
March 2011
The Fukushima nuclear power plant accident caused a problem of nuclear sewage
On March 11, 2011, due to the impact of the Great Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Units 1 to 3 melted down, resulting in a level 7 nuclear accident at the highest level of the international nuclear incident classification standards.
After the accident, TEPCO continued to inject water into the containment vessels of units 1 to 3 to cool the core, and with groundwater and rainwater continuously flowing in, about 1.3 million tons of contaminated water has been stored at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, which is increasing at a rate of 140 tons per day.
Storage tanks for nuclear-contaminated water.
Over time, the storage tanks for nuclear-contaminated water at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant approached saturation. TEPCO claims that the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant has a limited area, there is no more vacant land for the construction of a large number of water storage tanks, the storage capacity of the existing water storage tanks of 1.37 million tons will be used up in the fall of 2023, and in the event of a major earthquake, there is a risk of leakage of a large amount of contaminated water, so the contaminated water will have to be filtered, purified, diluted and discharged into the sea.
September 2019
Japan's environment minister "personally advocated" to be discharged into the sea
On September 10, 2019, Yoshiaki Harada, then Japan's environment minister, said he believed TEPCO should discharge radioactive effluent from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean. Harada's "personal opinion" immediately attracted attention. Harada said at a press conference in Tokyo, Japan's capital on the 10th: "I think there is no choice but to discharge (Fukushima) sewage into the sea and dilute the sewage." ”
The Government of Japan had previously commissioned a group of experts to evaluate the Fukushima sewage treatment plan, which now awaits the conclusions of the expert group before making a decision. According to Harada, "The Japanese government still needs to discuss this, and I want to provide my opinion."
Harada's "personal opinion" caused speculation. In the face of media inquiries, then Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga responded at another press conference on the 10th that Harada's remarks belonged to "his personal opinion."
How Japan disposes of Fukushima sewage has been closely watched by the international community. On August 19, 2019, the South Korean government summoned the Economic Minister of the Japanese Embassy in South Korea, Nishiyong Chishi, and sent a note expressing South Korean concerns and asking the Japanese government to "clearly explain the sewage treatment plan." The South Korean side hopes that Japan will continue to store Fukushima sewage and not discharge it into the sea in the short term, and proposes that the two countries regularly explore appropriate plans to avoid damaging the marine ecosystem.
North Korea has also expressed concern about the matter. North Korea called on Japan in September 2019 to immediately cancel its plan to dump nuclear waste into the Pacific Ocean, claiming it would be a disaster for the Korean Peninsula and the world, South Korea's Arirang TV reported.
In addition, fishermen in Japan have expressed dissatisfaction. "We are firmly opposed to any plan to discharge nuclear sewage into the sea." Tetsuya Nozaki, president of the Fukushima Prefectural Fisheries Federation, said it was a major blow to the local fishing industry.
April 2021
The Japanese cabinet officially decided to discharge the pollution into the sea in two years
On April 13, 2021, the Japanese government will hold a cabinet meeting to formally decide to discharge nuclear wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the sea. According to NHK, the Japanese government has asked TEPCO to carry out specific preparations with the goal of starting to discharge nuclear wastewater into the ocean in two years.
After the Japanese government officially announced its decision, the U.S. State Department responded that it supported the Japanese government's decision.
According to the website of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on April 12, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said that Japan should be careful and properly grasp to ensure that with the participation of all relevant parties, it effectively avoids further damage to the marine environment, food safety and human health.
On the same day, the spokesman of the South Korean Foreign Ministry commented on the above incident, saying that this move may have a direct or indirect impact on the security of the South Korean people and the surrounding environment, and the South Korean side is deeply worried about this. On the morning of the 13th, in front of the Japanese Embassy in South Korea, many groups in South Korea held a press conference to protest the Japanese government's decision to discharge nuclear wastewater into the sea. Rally people put up signs and chanted slogans such as "nuclear wastewater is a no-no" and "the sea is not a garbage can."
A large number of Japanese people oppose the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea. Image source/network
Polls show that 50 percent of Japanese citizens do not agree to the discharge of nuclear wastewater into the sea, and the Fukushima fishing community strongly opposes the decision, saying it may deal a heavy blow to the local fishing industry.
August 2021
Finalization of discharge method: lead to the sea by submarine tunnel
According to the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK), the Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Company have basically finalized that in the future, the construction of an undersea tunnel will divert sewage from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea 1 km off the coast.
Since April, the Japanese government and TEPCO have been discussing emission methods. Previously, the two sides had two options, in addition to diverting the nuclear sewage into the seawater 1 km from the coast, the other option was to discharge it directly from the shore. In the end, the two sides basically settled on the first option, because then "[nuclear sewage] is easier to spread."
According to reports, TEPCO plans to complete the construction of the undersea tunnel in the spring of 2023.
July 2022
Japan approved the nuclear discharge plan, but China firmly opposes it
On the morning of July 22, local time in Japan, the Japan Atomic Energy Regulation Commission officially approved the Tokyo Electric Power Company's plan for discharging contaminated water into the sea after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident. In December 2021, TEPCO formally submitted an application to the committee for the discharge of nuclear wastewater, which is expected to be discharged into the ocean in the spring of 2023.
On July 22, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that China and Russia submitted a joint technical questionnaire to the Japanese side, but have not received feedback from the Japanese side. Not long ago, the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders' Meeting and the Foreign Ministers' Meeting also expressed serious concerns on related issues. Regrettably, the Japanese side has always turned a deaf ear to the legitimate concerns and legitimate demands of the international community and the Japanese people, and instead of holding full and meaningful consultations with stakeholders and relevant international institutions, it has insisted on advancing the construction of the pipeline and the approval of the drainage plan. Japan's attempt to create established facts regardless of the concerns of all parties is extremely irresponsible, and we firmly oppose it.
Come this year
Japan has gradually promoted pollution discharge, and many parties strongly oppose it
Since the beginning of this year, Japan has gradually promoted the process of pollutant discharge, but various parties at home and abroad have expressed strong opposition.
On January 16, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that it was very irresponsible for Japan to forcibly approve the plan for discharging nuclear-contaminated water into the sea and to advance the construction of the drainage project. On the same day, the National Federation of Fisheries Associations of Japan also once again stated its opposition. The South Korean Foreign Ministry also said on the same day that Japan must deal with Fukushima nuclear contaminated water in a safe and consistent manner in accordance with international laws and international standards from an objective and scientific perspective.
In 2011, a hydrogen explosion occurred at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Image source/network
Oleg Katukin, director of the Department of International Scientific and Technical Cooperation of the Pacific branch of the All-Russian Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography of Russia, said that the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea could adversely affect marine ecosystems. Anna Marimborg-Uyi, deputy director of the Asian Century Institute of Strategic Studies in the Philippines, said that the contaminated water will affect the nearby marine as well as the coastal environment and the health of residents, and Japan should carefully consult with countries that may be affected by the decision before implementing its plan.
In March this year, some of the equipment related to the discharge of contaminated water from Japan's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant passed the inspection of the Japan Atomic Energy Regulation Commission and began operation on the 17th, which is the first time that the equipment related to the discharge of the sea has begun to operate.
In April, TEPCO announced that it had completed the excavation of the tunnel for the discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima. In May, South Korea decided to send a Fukushima nuclear contaminated water expedition to Japan.
The Japanese government held a cabinet meeting on August 22 and announced that it would discharge contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean starting August 24. Tokyo Electric Power Company announced the detailed steps for discharging into the ocean on the 22nd. In fiscal 2023, it is expected to emit about 31,200 tons, and the total amount of tritium is 5 trillion becquerel, which is about 20% of TEPCO's annual planned emission limit (22 trillion becquerel).
On the same day, Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong summoned Japanese Ambassador to China Hideo Tsutsuo to lodge solemn representations on the Japanese Government's announcement that it would start the discharge of Fukushima's nuclear-contaminated water into the sea on August 24. Sun Weidong pointed out that ignoring the strong doubts and opposition of the international community, the Japanese government insisted on announcing that it would soon start the discharge of Fukushima's contaminated water into the sea. This act is extremely selfish and irresponsible in blatantly transferring the risk of nuclear pollution to neighboring countries and the international community, including China, and putting selfish interests above the long-term well-being of the people of the region and the world. China expresses its grave concern and strong opposition.
The Hong Kong SAR government of China and the Macao SAR government said on the 22nd that from August 24, the import of related food from 10 prefectures in Japan will be banned. The 10 prefectures include Tokyo, Fukushima, Chiba, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Gunma, Miyagi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama.
In-depth analysis
Five disposal options, the cheapest to discharge into the sea
In fact, the treatment of nuclear-contaminated water is not the only option: entering the sea. According to Japan's "Asahi Shimbun", the Japanese government working group proposed five solutions for treating sewage in 2016, including five options such as injection into the formation, discharge into the ocean, steam discharge, electric interpretation and discharge, and solidification and landfill.
The cost of the five disposal options is not the same. Image source/CCTV news screenshot
Among the five options, it is estimated that 1.7 billion to 3.4 billion yen, or about 102 million to 203 million yuan, will be required to discharge contaminated water into the sea. The most expensive method is to bury it in the ground, which is estimated to cost about 243.1 billion yen, dozens of times more than discharging into the sea. In addition, it would cost at least 18 billion yen to inject into the formation; The electric interpretation discharge costs 100 billion yen; Steam emissions require 34.9 billion yen.
In February 2020, the Japanese government's committee responsible for dealing with nuclear wastewater issued an assessment report saying that it was "more feasible" to discharge pollution into the sea based on operational, technical, economic and time factors.
Yasuro Kawai, a Japanese chemical engineer and member of the Citizens' Committee of the Japanese Nuclear Force, said that the Japanese government ignored more feasible solutions for treating nuclear-contaminated water and chose the least costly and most harmful plan to discharge the sea, which is extremely irresponsible.
Japanese media analysis that the Japanese government decided to discharge nuclear sewage, possibly because the storage tank capacity of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to store nuclear sewage is about to reach the upper limit. The Yomiuri Shimbun reported that TEPCO is now adding 140 tons of "treated water" per day.
A hose that has ruptured. Image source/Screenshot of Japan's NHK report
The hose ruptured and the nuclear-contaminated water storage tank leaked
TEPCO recently released the results of the investigation, confirming that the hose of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant ruptured, causing the leakage of contaminated water.
In June, TEPCO reportedly detected higher concentrations of radioactive materials in rainwater near the nuclear-contaminated water storage tank at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and later analyzed it to confirm that the content of tritium, a radioactive substance in the rainwater, was 33,000 becquerels per liter, indicating a possible leak in the tank. Water samples taken near the reservoir in question showed tritium levels of 67,000 becquerels per liter, exceeding even the so-called "discharge standard to the natural environment" set by the Japanese government.
Expert: Nuclear contaminated water contains 64 nuclear radioactive elements
Gao Zhiguo, president of the China Society for the Law of the Sea and former judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, said in an interview with the media that Japan has been misleading that "the problem is only tritium", but many scientists in the world have a consensus that nuclear contaminated water contains up to 64 kinds of nuclear radioactive elements, and more than seventy percent of them exceed the standard, and it is difficult to completely dispose of multi-nuclide equipment.
After these radioactive elements enter the marine environment ecology, tritium may not be the most dangerous, the most harmful to humans and marine life is carbon-14 and iodine-129, carbon-14 half-life is about 5370 years, iodine-129 half-life is longer, about 15.7 million years. Carbon-14 accumulates in marine organisms, i.e. fish, and can be 50 times more abundant or concentrated than tritium.
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Editor: Yang Bo
Responsible editor: Wang Rong, Guan Yi
Reviewed: Feng Fei