Its one of the pressing issues that concern Pacific Island nations, that Japan proposes to discharge a million tonnes of nuclear wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean in the next four decades.
Opposition and concerns have been expressed by island leaders and represented by the Pacific Island Forum in discussions with Japanese leaders.
Back in December 2020, Forum Members “urged Japan to take all steps necessary to address any potential harm to the Pacific”
Acting Forum Secretary General, Dr. Filimoni Manoni, recalled and emphasised then the assurance by Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida that “Japan will not discharge the treated nuclear wastewater until such time it is verifiably safe to do so and based on a relationship built of trust and in the spirit of friendship.”
But there have been five meetings so far this year without consensus. And now the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is sending their experts to discuss with Forum leaders about the planned wastewater discharge.
Meetings earlier last month are said to focus discussions on scientific and technical issues. Earlier reports claim that IAEA may have given a clearance advise that the contaminated wastewater may be sufficiently safe enough to be discharged into the Pacific Ocean.
But the question remains, if the nuclear wastewater is safe enough to be discharged to the Pacific Ocean, why not dump it in Japan, a country with many lakes?
