Japan Begins Controversial Release of Fukushima Cooling Water into the Pacific Ocean

Japan Begins Introduction of Fukushima Cooling Water into the Sea

Japan has begun the introduction of treated radioactive water from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea. The discharge into the Pacific Ocean started at 1:03 PM local time on Thursday, as confirmed by the plant’s operator, Tepco.

According to Japanese authorities, the release is deemed safe as the filtered and heavily diluted water falls below internationally acceptable contamination limits. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also gave its approval in July, stating that the water meets international standards and the impact on humans and the environment is “negligible”.

However, neighboring countries have strongly criticized Japan’s actions, expressing concerns that the water could contaminate food sources. China condemned Japan’s approach, with the Foreign Ministry in Beijing stating that the disposal of contaminated water is a crucial nuclear safety issue with cross-border implications, rather than being solely Japan’s concern. China has banned seafood imports from ten Japanese prefectures, including Fukushima and Tokyo. The Chinese special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau have also announced their intention to implement an import ban from Thursday. Japan anticipates significant losses as a result, given that China is the largest importer of Japanese seafood. In 2022, seafood worth $600 million was shipped to the People’s Republic of China.

In South Korea, the police in the capital city of Seoul arrested 16 individuals for attempting to enter the Japanese embassy. Approximately 50 predominantly young people had gathered outside the building to protest. Banners held by the demonstrators read, “The sea is not Japan’s trash can” and “Stop immediately, do not discharge contaminated water into the sea.”

While South Korea stated that it does not have scientific objections to Japan’s actions, it has urged Japan to ensure transparency. However, South Korea has temporarily banned the import of fish and other food products from the Fukushima region.

Tepco has been storing the contaminated water on the premises of the nuclear power plant, which was destroyed by a tsunami triggered by a severe earthquake in 2011. According to the company, the discharge of the currently over 1.3 million metric tons of water is expected to take around 30 years.