US backs Japan's plan to release radioactive water from Fukushima despite pushback from South Korea, China, and Russia
Advertisement
Cheryl Teh
Apr 19, 2021, 10:22 IST
An areal view of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant undergoing decommissioning work and tanks (bottom) for storing treated water.STR/JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Images
Washington has backed Japan's plan to release radioactive water from Fukushima into the Pacific Ocean.
On Sunday, US climate envoy John Kerry said the US has "confidence" that Japan will be "transparent."
South Korea, China, and Russia all object to the release of 1.2 million tons of contaminated water.
Advertisement
The US has backed Japan's controversial decision to release over 1.2 million tonnes of contaminated water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean.
Climate envoy John Kerry said during a press conference in Seoul on Sunday that he was "confident" that the Japanese government would "continue following due procedures."
"The US is confident that the government of Japan is in very full consultations with the International Atomic Energy Agency," Kerry said on Sunday, adding that the IAEA has "set up a very rigorous process."
He noted that Washington would be monitoring the release of the water closely, to make sure the release of the water would not pose a threat to public health.
Advertisement
According to Al Jazeera, Kerry also clarified that the US would stay out of the "process that's already underway," as there are "very clear rules and expectations" in place.
"Minister Chung conveyed our government and people's serious concerns about Japan's decision, and asked the US side to take interest and cooperate so that Japan will provide information in a more transparent and speedy manner," said the South Korean foreign ministry in a statement on April 17.
The water - which was used to cool the melted-down core reactors in the wake of the disaster - has been handled by the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO) for the last decade. In 2018, TEPCO admitted that not all the radioactive material it claimed to have filtered out of the water had been processed.
South Korea, China, and Russia object to radioactive water release
China and South Korea have objected to Japan's plan to release the contaminated water in stages, arguing that the sheer volume of contaminated water flowing into the Pacific Ocean could become a health, food safety, and environmental hazard.
Environmental groups in South Korea staged rallies last week calling for Japanese prime minister Yoshihide Suga to reconsider his decision to release the contaminated water. Protesters gathered outside the Japanese embassy in Seoul with banners bearing pictures of salmon steaks, prawns, and mussels with radioactive symbols slapped onto them.
Zhao's comments came as hashtags including "Fukushima water could destroy half the Pacific Ocean in 57 days" and "Japan is inflicting a disaster on other nations" trended on Weibo, with some calling for a boycott of Japanese seafood.
Advertisement
Russia has also expressed "serious concern" over Japan's plan to release the treated wastewater, asking for a "detailed explanation."
{{}}
NewsletterSIMPLY PUT - where we join the dots to inform and inspire you. Sign up for a weekly brief collating many news items into one untangled thought delivered straight to your mailbox.