- 6
- 09.09.2023 11:58:00
- 2 min read
About 150 residents of Japan's Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures have filed a lawsuit to stop the release of radioactive water cleaned from the Fukushima 1 nuclear power plant into the ocean, the Kyodo agency writes.
The lawsuit is filed by the country's central government and power plant operators Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. given over. The plaintiffs claim that the dredging operation, which began on August 24, threatens the safety of citizens and hinders the business of local fishermen.
They are also demanding the cancellation of the radioactive water discharge permit and a ban on dumping the water into the ocean.
It is noted that this is the first lawsuit filed by the Japanese people in the issue of NPP water.
China banned the purchase of seafood from Japan after the nuclear power plant started dumping water into the ocean. The Japanese government announced a new aid package of 20.7 billion yen ($141 million) to support the local fishing industry.
China is against dumping water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean
After the disaster caused by the earthquake and tsunami in 2011, more than 1,000 water reservoirs used to cool the damaged reactors at the Fukushima nuclear power plant accumulated, which is about 1.3 million cubic meters of water. According to the Japanese authorities, all reservoirs will be full by the beginning of 2024.
The water stored in them is thoroughly purified, but it still contains tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen, which does not disappear without a trace. The Japanese government says that it is necessary to pour this water into the sea, noting that this is a common practice in other nuclear power plants around the world.
China is strongly opposed to dumping water from NPP into the ocean. The Chinese ambassador called this program wrong and said that Japan should stop the program and first consult with neighboring countries. On July 4, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, visited Japan and approved the decision to dump the water into the ocean. He noted that the discharge will not have a significant impact on water quality, fish and nearby settlements.
On August 24, Japan's Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) began dumping treated radioactive water from the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant into the ocean.
Source: Daryo.uz
