Japan said on Tuesday it will start releasing radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant on Aug. 24, putting into motion a plan that has drawn strong criticism from China.
UN nuclear watchdog says treated radioactive water would have 'negligible' impact on people, environmentEnvironmentalists, fishers and neighbouring countries have raised concerns about Japan's plan to begin releasing more than one million metric tonnes of treated radioactive wastewater from the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan.
"I promise that we will take on the entire responsibility of ensuring the fishing industry can continue to make their living, even if that will take decades," Kishida said on Monday.The water was used to cool the fuel rods of Fukushima Daiichi after it melted down in 2011, when it was struck by a catastrophic tsunami following a 9.0-magnitude earthquake off Japan's eastern coast.
The International Atomic Energy Agency , the UN nuclear watchdog, greenlighted the plan in July, saying that it met international standards and that the impact it would have on people and the environment was "negligible."Fishing unions in Fukushima have urged the government for years not to release the water, arguing it would undo work to restore the damaged reputation of their fisheries.
China bans seafood imports from 10 prefectures in Japan, including Fukushima and the capital, Tokyo. Seafood imports from other prefectures are allowed but must pass radioactivity tests and have proof they were produced outside the 10 banned prefectures. Pacific Island nations have been split over the matter, given their own history of being nuclear testing sites for the United States and France. Fiji's prime minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, issued a statement on Monday saying that he backed the IAEA report, but acknowledged that the issue is controversial in the Pacific Islands.
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