discharging nuclear contaminated-凯发网

a general view shows storage tanks for contaminated water at the tokyo electric power company's fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant, in okuma of fukushima prefecture, japan, on january 20, 2023. （photo: vcg）

by tang zhexiao

at an open debate on the direct threat of climate change-induced sea-level rise held on february 14 by the united nations security council, representatives criticized tokyo over its plans to discharge nuclear contaminated-water from the fukushima power plant.

dmitry chumakov, deputy permanent representative of the russian federation to the un, called on tokyo to demonstrate transparency, inform others of its actions, allow for monitoring and to minimize negative environmental impacts.

according to a previous study by germany's geomar helmholtz centre, discharged fukushima nuclear contaminated-water will pollute half of the pacific ocean in 57 days. and it will pollute the entire ocean in the next decade.

japan's neighbouring countries condemned its decision. choi kyoung-sook, the coordinator from korea radiation watch, a seoul-based civic environmental activist group, said there isn't any reliable scientific proof whatsoever to what the japanese government has released to argue the discharge is safe, according to the korea times.

with the influence of ocean currents, the nuclear contaminated-water will no doubt reach the west coastline of the u.s., endangering of health and food security of many americans.

however, washington does not worry about discharge. ned price, the spokesperson for u.s. department of state, said at the press briefing on february 15 that japan's discharge plan, "has been transparent" and "it has adopted an approach in accordance with globally accepted nuclear safety and security standards."

in 2022, the u.s. ambassador to japan rahm emanuel said at a lecture in tokyo that the japan-u.s. alliance has entered an era of "projection" into the indo-pacific from "protection."

but it seems the two are in a form of "alliance pollution" more than "projection alliance," ganging up to endanger the pacific and even the global ecosystem.

the "alliance pollution" is vividly demonstrated by u.s. military base's being suspected of polluting lands and groundwater in japan for years.

in january 2016, the government of okinawa prefecture detected high concentrations of organic fluorides pfos (a man-made surfactant which is regarded as a global pollutant and potentially cancer-causing chemical compounds) in a water source near the kadena air base of the u.s. military.

also okinawa prefecture, a high concentration of pfos was detected in the area near kadena air base and u.s. marine corps air station futenma, in 2021.

in september 2022, pfos were detected in wastewater from a wastewater treatment plant at u.s. yokosuka naval base in kanagawa prefecture. the volume of the chemical compounds detected equals 172 times the japanese government-set provisional target value, according to japan's the mainichi.

the ocean is the bedrock for survival and development of all countries in the world. no matter who discharges toxic wastewater will gravely undermine the marine environment, eco-system, and lives and health of people in many countries.

the u.s. and japan should earnestly fulfill their international obligations, find a proper way to dispose of the nuclear contaminated-water and wastewater in a science-based, open, transparent and safe manner, and protect the marine environment as well as people's lives and health.