Pushback over Japanese request to release nuclear wastewater into ocean

Japan’s request to release nuclear wastewater from the disabled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power plant has been met with pushback from Pacific Island nations. During the recent G7 Environment Ministers meeting, environmentalists around the world added to the opposition against the power plant’s request. VOA’s Jessica Stone reports. The Pacific Islands region is home to millions of marine animal species. Experts say some 44% are endangered or under threat. It’s also home to people who make their living off the bounty of the sea. Teburoro Tito Kiribati Ambassador to the UN and US The ocean is life. The ocean provides almost everything that we need for livelihood because we are ocean states. Kiribati Ambassador Teburoro Tito says that is why people of the region are concerned about a proposal by Japan’s nuclear power company – TEPCO – to release more than a million metric tons of treated nuclear wastewater from the Fukushima plant into the Pacific. Japanese officials maintain they can make the water safe. Yasutoshi Nishimura Japanese minister of economy, trade and industry The continued progress in decommissioning efforts, including the release of Advanced Liquid Processing System treated water into the sea, as well as Japan’s science-based and transparent approach, has been appreciated. The International Atomic Energy Agency says Japan is running out of storage space for the water and is following recommended safety standards for treating the contaminated water. But at a recent gathering of Group of Seven environment ministers, Germany’s top environment official refused to endorse the plan. Steffi Lemke German environment minister It is obvious that ministers of environment cannot support the feeding back of contaminated substances into water anywhere in the world. Ivana Nicolic Hughes Columbia University This release is absolutely unprecedented in terms of the scale. Ivana Nikolic Hughes is a chemical engineer who directs Columbia University’s nuclear research in the Marshall Islands. It was here that the United States conducted 67 nuclear tests between 1946 and 1958. Nikolic Hughes says more than 60 years later, her research team found radioactive elements in the coconuts here. Ivana Nicolic Hughes Columbia University The radiation is still there. And I think for me, you know, the big lesson is there’s no such thing as this kind of safe use or safe testing. In February, the Pacific Islands Forum met with TEPCO, demanding additional studies of the decontamination process — to assure members the release won’t poison the water or the wildlife. Teburoro Tito Kiribati Ambassador to the UN and US "It must be safe. It must not impact adversely on the lives of the people." TEPCO has so far delayed the release, giving opponents more time to push for other options. Nikolic Hughes says one alternative should be locating additional storage tanks to house the nuclear wastewater until the radioactive isotopes break down further. Jessica Stone, VOA News.