Last April the government of Japan made a decision to release polluted water to the ocean from the Fukushima nuclear power stations. It will spend 30-40 years. In October the new government leader, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, told no time should be spared to implement the plan. Finally, TEPCO, the Tokyo Electric Power Co., presented its plan in December to the Nuclear Regulation Authority that the water would be released to the sea in the 2023 spring.
CONTAMINATION AND DESTRUCTION OF ENVIRONMENT CANNOT BE ALLOWED
Government should keep its pledge!
In January, 2015, leaders of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) expressed that ‘no solution would be taaken without right understanding of relevant people’ in the meeting held between the government and TEPCO, on one hand, and the mayors of the neighboring municipalities, on the other. The recent government/TEPCO’s decision of ocean release violate unilaterally the pledge they made.
Simultaneously, explanations made by the government/TEPCO contain lots of disinformation of the facts, concealing several points. Firstly, the government refers to ‘treated water’, but actually it is polluted with radioactive substances.
One of the executives of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)’s Working Group on Policies of Contaminated Water told, too, that it is proven that, according to the report compiled by TEPCO December 24, 2020, tritium and other 12 nuclear substances cannot be removed from the treated water even after it has a secondary screening.
The government says it will be safe as it is watered-down, but the total radioactivity remains the same. One of the NGO’s leaders warns: ‘if such contaminated water is released to the ocean, radioactive materials will be mixed with seawater to spread throughout the world. Thus, concentration will occur in the food chain of the ecological system.’
Stop generation of polluted water!
The place where reservoir tanks will be built is the area prepared for the No.7 and No.8 power stations, which had been planned but abandoned. The dirt disposal area is ready, too. Space is enough. Ocean release is unnecessary, if a massive preservation plan is carried out: as the country has successful achievements in the tank reservation technologies, including oil reservation and renovation of reservoir tanks.
In addition to watering for cooling down the reactor buildings, rainwater and underground water flow in. On the daily basis in total 150 tons of contaminated water is generated. The frozen-wall project of soil has been futile. Chairman Fuketa Toyoshi of the Nuclear Regulation Authority told, too, that ‘the major element to tackle underground water lies in pumping up from the sub-drains’.
As of January 2022, the total contaminated water in the tanks counts 1.29 million cubic meters; if it increases daily by 150 tons, the annual total is 55 thousand tons =55 thousand cubic meters. In forty years, the volume will be 2.2 million cubic meters, a twice as much as the quantity of today.
Some experts advise ‘building in steel panels and concrete walls instead of the frozen-wall method’; it is necessary for the government to respect the recommendation and effectively halt generation of polluted water.
Listen to voices of local people!
Almost 70% of all the 59 local assemblies of Fukushima Prefecture have shown a negative stance toward the government decision to release the polluted water to the ocean. The fishermen’s unions are the most fervent opponents, including the National Federation of Fishermen’s Unions of Japan and the Fukushima’s Federation. The government should listen sincerely to and respect opinions of the local municipalities and relevant people.
政府は約束を守れ
２０１５年１月、政府・東電と地元の市町村長らとの会合で、経産省幹部は「関係者の理解を得ることなくして、いかなる処分も考えていない」と言い切った。今回の政府・東電の放出計画は、この間の約束をホゴにする一方的なものだ。
同時に、政府・東電の説明には、多くの事実誤認・隠蔽が含まれている。まず、政府は「処理水」と言うが、実際は放射能汚染水である。
自民党「処理水等政策勉強会」の役員も、「東京電力が２０２０年12月24日に公表した資料によると、処理水を二次処理してもトリチウム以外に12の核種を除去できないことがわかっています」と述べている。
「希釈するから大丈夫」とも言うが、放出される放射性物質の総量は変わらない。ＮＧＯの役員は「これらを含んだ汚染水が海に放出されれば、放射性物質は海水に紛れてそれぞれ世界中に拡散し、（食物連鎖の）生態系の中で生態濃縮が起こる」と警告している。
汚染水発生止めよ
汚染水の貯蔵タンクを設置する敷地は７、８号機建設予定地、土捨て場など十分に確保できる。貯蔵タンクの更新も含め、石油備蓄などに使われ、多くの実績をもつ大型タンク貯留を実施すれば、海洋放出は不要だ。
現在、核燃料冷却のための注水に加え、建屋への雨水や地下水の流入が続き、１日１５０㌧のペースで放射性物質を含む汚染水が発生しているが、凍土遮水壁方式の無残な敗北だ。原子力規制委の更田豊志委員長も「地下水対策の主役はサブドレンの汲み上げ」と断言する。
汚染水の22年1月現在の貯蔵量は１２９万㎥だが、増加量１日１５０㌧が続けば、年間５・５万㌧＝ ５・５ 万㎥ 増加し、40年間では２２０万㎥と、現在量の約２倍になる。
「凍土壁をやめて鋼板やコンクリート壁などを埋め込むべきだ」との専門家の意見を尊重し、汚染水発生を効果的に抑制すべきである。
地元の声こそ聴け
汚染水海洋放出に対して、福島県内全59市町村議会の約７割が否定的な姿勢で、漁協は全国漁業協同組合連合会や福島漁連を始めほぼすべてが反対である。地元自治体や関係者の意見を丁寧に聴き、尊重すべきだ。
英訳版↓
No. 1247 Release of Contaminated Water to Ocean
Last April the government of Japan made a decision to release polluted water to the ocean from the Fukushima nuclear power stations. It will spend 30-40 years. In October the new government leader, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, told no time should be spared to implement the plan. Finally, TEPCO, the Tokyo Electric Power Co., presented its plan in December to the Nuclear Regulation Authority that the water would be released to the sea in the 2023 spring.
CONTAMINATION AND DESTRUCTION OF ENVIRONMENT CANNOT BE ALLOWED
Government should keep its pledge!
In January, 2015, leaders of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) expressed that ‘no solution would be taaken without right understanding of relevant people’ in the meeting held between the government and TEPCO, on one hand, and the mayors of the neighboring municipalities, on the other. The recent government/TEPCO’s decision of ocean release violate unilaterally the pledge they made.
Simultaneously, explanations made by the government/TEPCO contain lots of disinformation of the facts, concealing several points. Firstly, the government refers to ‘treated water’, but actually it is polluted with radioactive substances.
One of the executives of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)’s Working Group on Policies of Contaminated Water told, too, that it is proven that, according to the report compiled by TEPCO December 24, 2020, tritium and other 12 nuclear substances cannot be removed from the treated water even after it has a secondary screening.
The government says it will be safe as it is watered-down, but the total radioactivity remains the same. One of the NGO’s leaders warns: ‘if such contaminated water is released to the ocean, radioactive materials will be mixed with seawater to spread throughout the world. Thus, concentration will occur in the food chain of the ecological system.’
Stop generation of polluted water!
The place where reservoir tanks will be built is the area prepared for the No.7 and No.8 power stations, which had been planned but abandoned. The dirt disposal area is ready, too. Space is enough. Ocean release is unnecessary, if a massive preservation plan is carried out: as the country has successful achievements in the tank reservation technologies, including oil reservation and renovation of reservoir tanks.
In addition to watering for cooling down the reactor buildings, rainwater and underground water flow in. On the daily basis in total 150 tons of contaminated water is generated. The frozen-wall project of soil has been futile. Chairman Fuketa Toyoshi of the Nuclear Regulation Authority told, too, that ‘the major element to tackle underground water lies in pumping up from the sub-drains’.
As of January 2022, the total contaminated water in the tanks counts 1.29 million cubic meters; if it increases daily by 150 tons, the annual total is 55 thousand tons =55 thousand cubic meters. In forty years, the volume will be 2.2 million cubic meters, a twice as much as the quantity of today.
Some experts advise ‘building in steel panels and concrete walls instead of the frozen-wall method’; it is necessary for the government to respect the recommendation and effectively halt generation of polluted water.
Listen to voices of local people!
Almost 70% of all the 59 local assemblies of Fukushima Prefecture have shown a negative stance toward the government decision to release the polluted water to the ocean. The fishermen’s unions are the most fervent opponents, including the National Federation of Fishermen’s Unions of Japan and the Fukushima’s Federation. The government should listen sincerely to and respect opinions of the local municipalities and relevant people.
February 23, 2022