Speaking of #Fukushima...

Editorial: Unresolved disposal of Fukushima #nuke disaster soil a barrier to full recovery

January 10, 2025

"The recovery of #FukushimaPrefecture cannot be considered complete until the disposal of soil generated from #radiation #decontamination work after the 2011 #FukushimaDaiichi #NuclearPlant triple-meltdown is resolved.

"The nuclear accident released vast amounts of #radioactive material over a wide area. The decontamination efforts in residential and agricultural areas across Fukushima Prefecture resulted in the collection of approximately 14 million cubic meters of contaminated soil. This soil has been transported to interim storage facilities built in the towns of #Futaba and #Okuma, where the power plant is located.

"Local communities only agreed to the construction of these facilities on the condition that the soil would eventually be disposed of outside the prefecture. By law, final disposal must be completed by March 2045, 30 years after storage began. To meet this deadline, the Japanese government held a meeting involving all Cabinet members late last year. The goal is to draft a concrete timeline for disposal by this summer.

"The government has also proposed reusing soil with radiation levels below a certain threshold. The plan envisions using the soil for public projects across the country, including road embankments and #farmland development.

"In Fukushima Prefecture, pilot projects are underway to confirm that reusing the soil is safe. In September 2024, the International Atomic Energy Agency (#IAEA) concluded that the government's plan complies with its safety standards. However, scientific assurances on safety alone have not been enough to advance the plan. Concerns about potential health risks and local reputational damage remain unresolved.

"In 2022, the Ministry of the Environment attempted to reuse the soil at three facilities it manages, including Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden in Tokyo, but the plan was derailed by strong opposition from residents. To this day, there is no clear timeline for implementation.

"Additionally, about a quarter of the removed soil is still too highly contaminated to be reused. This portion will require final disposal outside Fukushima Prefecture, but no schedule or location has been determined.

"Public understanding of the issue remains insufficient. A December 2023 survey conducted by the Ministry of the Environment revealed that over 70% of people outside Fukushima Prefecture were unaware of the plans for reusing or disposing of the soil.

"The electricity generated by the Fukushima Daiichi plant was primarily consumed in metropolitan areas, especially the Tokyo region. Dealing with the waste soil is a responsibility that must be acknowledged by those who benefited from that power.

"Meanwhile, the decommissioning of the plant is behind schedule, and those displaced from their hometowns around it are growing increasingly anxious. It is the government's responsibility to urgently present a clear path forward to address the aftermath of the nuclear disaster."

Source:
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20250111/p2a/00m/0op/010000c

#TEPCOLies #IAEALies #NuclearPowerCorruptionAndLies #RethinkNotRestart #NoNukes #Bioaccumulation #NuclearPollution #NuclearContamination #Japan

South Korean opposition party rebukes #IAEA chief over Japan’s plans to release treated [but still #radioactive] #Fukushima #wastewater

by Kim Tong-Hyung, Associated Press
World Jul 9, 2023

"'If you think (the treated wastewater) is safe, I wonder whether you would be willing to suggest the Japanese government use that water for drinking or for industrial and agricultural purposes, rather than dumping it in the sea,' Woo Won-shik, a Democratic Party lawmaker who attended the meeting, told Grossi. The party said Woo has been on a hunger strike for the past 14 days to protest the Japanese discharge plans.

"Further details from the meeting weren’t immediately available after reporters were asked to leave following opening statements. Closely watched by parliamentary security staff, dozens of protesters shouted near the lobby of the National Assembly’s main hall where the meeting was taking place, holding signs denouncing the IAEA and #Japan."

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/south-korean-opposition-party-rebukes-iaea-chief-over-japans-plans-to-release-treated-fukushima-wastewater

#IAEALies #TEPCOLies #Bioaccumulation #WaterIsLife #NoDumping #RethinkNotRestart #NoNukes #NuclearPowerCorruptionAndLies #FukushimaIsntOver

After #Fukushima: A Survey of #Corruption in the Global #NuclearPower Industry

Richard Tanter
Asian Perspective
Vol. 37, No. 4, Special Issue: After Fukushima: The Right to Know (Oct.-Dec. 2013)

Abstract:

"Investigations of the #FukushimaNuclearPowerAccident sequence revealed the man-made character of the catastrophe and its roots in regulatory capture effected by a network of corruption, #collusion, and #nepotism. A review of corruption incidents in the global nuclear industry during 2012-2013 reveals that the Japanese experience is not isolated. Gross corruption is evident in #nuclear technology exporting countries such as #Russia, #China, and the #UnitedStates, and in a number of nuclear technology importing countries. The survey results make clear that national nuclear regulatory regimes are inadequate and that the global regime is virtually completely ineffective. Widespread corruption of the nuclear industry has profound social and political consequences resulting from the corrosion of public trust in companies, governments, and energy systems themselves."

https://www.jstor.org/stable/42704842

#IAEALies #TEPCOLies #Bioaccumulation #WaterIsLife #NoDumping
#RethinkNotRestart #NoNukes #NuclearPowerCorruptionAndLies #FukushimaIsntOver

Nothing to see here...

Japan denies reported political donations to #IAEA over #Fukushima findings

June 23, 2023

"Japan on Thursday denied a foreign media report that it made political donations of over €1 million to the International Atomic Energy Agency over the planned release of treated water from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant into the ocean."

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/06/23/national/iaea-political-donations-fukushima/

#IAEALies #TEPCOLies #Bioaccumulation #WaterIsLife #NoDumping #RethinkNotRestart #NoNukes #NuclearPowerCorruptionAndLies #FukushimaIsntOver

I guess the #IAEA hasn't heard about #bioaccumulation, eh? Also, #radiation #hormesis has been DISPROVEN! smh

IAEA: #FukushimaDaiichi treated water release meets intl. safety standards

January 30, 2024

"The agency said in its earlier report in July that it found Japan's plan for handling the treated water to be consistent with international safety standards. It added that the discharge as planned would have a negligible radiological impact to people and the environment."

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240131_07/

#IAEALies #TEPCOLies #WaterIsLife #FukushimaIsntOver #NoDumping #NuclearPowerPlant #RadioactiveWater

#Japan announces date for #Fukushima #radioactive #water release

August 2023

"As of 8 June 2023, there were 1,335,381 cubic meters of radioactive wastewater stored in tanks, but due to the failure of the #ALPS (Advanced Liquid Processing System) processing technology, approximately 70% of this water will have to be processed again. Scientists have warned that the #radiological risks from the discharges have not been fully assessed, and the biological impacts of #tritium, #carbon14, #strontium90, and #iodine129, which will be released in the discharges, have been ignored.

"The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) endorsed Japan’s plans for discharge. However, the IAEA has failed to investigate the operation of the ALPS, has completely ignored the highly radioactive fuel debris that melted down which continues every day to contaminate ground water – nearly 1000 cubic meters every ten days. Furthermore, the discharge plan has failed to conduct a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment, as required by its international legal obligations, given that there is a risk of significant transboundary harm to neighboring countries. The IAEA is not tasked with protecting the global marine environment but it should not encourage a state to violate it."

https://www.greenpeace.org/international/press-release/61364/japan-announces-date-for-fukushima-radioactive-water-release/

#IAEALies #TEPCOLies #WaterIsLife #FukushimaIsntOver #FukushimaDaiichi #NoDumping #NuclearPowerPlant #RadioactiveWater

#Fiji PM’s stance on #Fukushima waste discharge worrisome

by Shania Shayal Prasad, August 8, 2023

"Civil society organizations are urging Prime Minister #SitiveniRabuka to reevaluate his position regarding #Japan’s intentions to dispose of the #FukushimaDaiichi #Nuclear Plant’s waste into the #PacificOcean.

"Rabuka recently expressed contentment with the International Atomic Energy Agency’s report, which appeared to allay worries about potential harm to the #ocean #environment.

"#Climate activist and Pacific Conference of Churches general secretary Reverend #JamesBhagwan says that they been voicing apprehensions about this matter for several years.

"#ReverendBhagwan claims that this situation coincides with Japan’s increased development assistance to the region. Bhagwan asserts that the credibility of the #IAEA report is being contested.

"These organizations are appealing to the government to reconsider its stance and take a firmer position in advocating for the implementation of secure and sustainable solutions for handling Fukushima’s nuclear waste water."

Source and audio snips: https://www.fbcnews.com.fj/news/pms-stance-on-fukushima-waste-discharge-worrisome/

#NoDumping #FukushimaWater #TEPCOLies #PacificOcean #WaterIsLife #Corporatism #Corruption #JapanGovernment #IAEALies #IAEAFail #TEPCO