Fukushima crisis in the Pacific… Japan dumps irradiated water into the ocean, countries in the region stand their ground

After the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami, radioactive water from the heavily damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant began to be released into the Pacific Ocean, increasing tension in the region.

In a statement issued by the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), operator of the plant, it was reported that the unloading process began today. The statement states that the diluted radioactive wastewater was discharged through a 1 kilometer tunnel that stretches from underground to the sea.

TEPCO expects the wastewater discharge process, which exceeds 1.3 million tons, to take approximately 30 years.

CHINA: SELFISH JAPAN

Many environmental organizations point out that radioactive water will damage seawater for years and affect shellfish, something very important in the region.

How to drain the radwater in Fukushima has been debated for years.

Neighboring countries reacted to the implementation of the evacuation plan, which has been controversial for a long time. China has banned all imports of seafood from Japan, criticizing it as “selfish and irresponsible”.

A Chinese customs official explained that “China is very concerned about the risk of radioactive contamination posed by the export of food and agricultural products from Japan to China.” China points out that the Japanese government has not been able to prove that the water dumping complied with the law.

“Japan must not harm the local population or the peoples of the world for its own selfish interests,” China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

TENSION IN SOUTH KOREA: DETENTION OF STUDENTS

South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo urged Japan to disclose information about the radioactive wastewater discharge in a “transparent” manner. Referring to concerns about water drainage, Han stressed that people’s safety is a priority, and if the evacuation plan is carried out properly, it will not cause serious damage.

On the other hand, after the Fukushima radioactive wastewater spill, 16 university students were caught trying to break into the Japanese embassy in Seoul. The police statement said that the students tried to break into the embassy chanting slogans against the drainage of the water around 1:00 p.m. local time.

North Korea has also called for an immediate halt to the evacuation.

US AMBASSADOR: I WILL EAT FISH THERE

As the reactions continued, some officials supported the evacuation.

Rahm Israel Emanuel, US ambassador to Tokyo, reported that he will visit the city near the Fukushima In-Dai nuclear power plant on August 31, where radioactive wastewater has begun to be dumped into the ocean, and there he will eat fish to show his support for the evacuation decision.

Emanuel noted that the evacuation plan was “fully supported by transparent and scientific data” and stated that Japan was “following the right path.”

JAPAN: evacuation is safe

Japan, against criticism, maintains that sewage discharged into the ocean is diluted with clean water, such that the amount of radioactive material in the water is less than a quarter of what is considered harmful to human health and environment.

The International Atomic Energy Agency, in its report released on July 4 following its investigations at the power plant, claimed that Japan’s sewage dumping plan complied with safety standards.

The tsunami caused by the 9 magnitude earthquake that occurred in March 2011 damaged 3 of the 4 nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Dai-içi Nuclear Power Plant, and the vicinity of the power plant was declared an “evacuation zone” due to radioactive fallout. (AGENCIES)