FilephotooftheFukushimaDaiichiNuclearPowerStation.[Photo/Agencies]TheJapanesegovernment"sdecisiontodischargethenuclear-contaminatedwaterfromtheFukushimaDaiichinuclearpowerplantintotheseahas,fromtheverybeginning,beenquestionedandopposedbytheinternationalcommunity.NewsreportssayJapanplanstoreleasethetritium-contaminatedwaterfromthecrippledplantintotheseathissummer.
Japan"splanisanextremelyirresponsiblemove.Ithasignoredtheprofessionalandauthoritativeopinionsofinternationalagenciesandoppositionathomeandabroad,showingitsdisregardforthemarineenvironmentandpublichealth.
Thevolumeofnuclear-contaminatedwaterJapanhasdecidedtodischargeintotheseaanditspotentialrisksareunprecedented.Theradioactivewastewatercontainsmorethan60radionuclides,manyofwhichcannotbeeffectivelytreatedwithexistingtechnologies.
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Someofthoseradionuclidescouldbespreadacrosstheoceansbycurrentsandeddiesanddamagethemarineenvironmentandecology.Thecontaminatedwastewater,plannedtobedischargedintotheseaoveraperiodof30years,willhaveanimpactonthemarineenvironmentandpublichealthworldwide.
AccordingtoaGermanmarinescientificresearchinstitute,giventhestrongcurrentsalongthecoastofFukushima,radioactivematerialscouldspreadtomostofthePacificOceanwithin57daysfromthedayofthedischarge,andreachalloceanswithinadecade.AndGreenpeacenuclearexpertshavesaidtheleveloftheradioactiveisotopecarbon-14inthewastewaterwillremainhazardousforthousandsofyearswithpotentialtocausegeneticdamage.
AllcountriesareobligedtoabidebytheprovisionsoftheUnitedNationsConventionontheLawoftheSeaontheprotectionandpreservationofthemarineenvironment,andjointlyprotectplanetEarth.
AccordingtoprovisionsofgeneralinternationallawandtheUNCLOS,Japanisobligedtotakeallpossiblemeasurestopreventpollutionofthemarineenvironment,notifyandconsultwithstateslikelytobeaffected,assessandmonitortheenvironmentalimpact,takeprecautionarymeasurestominimizethepossiblehazardouseffects,ensuretransparency,andengageininternationalcooperationtoreducetherisksofdamagingthemarineenvironment.
ButtheJapanesesidehasbeenshunningitsresponsibilitiesandinternationalobligationsusingvariouspretexts,andhasaudaciouslydecidedtodischargethenuclearcontaminatedwaterintothesea.Infact,theInternationalAtomicEnergyAgencytaskforce,whichhasconductedasafetyassessmentandreleasedareportinJapan,hasaverylimitedmandateasagreedbetweenJapanandtheIAEA.Also,theIAEAisnotauthorizedtoevaluateoptionsotherthanthedischargeplan.Therefore,JapancannotusetheIAEA"sreportasanexcusetodumpthenuclear-contaminatedwastewaterintotheocean.
Japan"splantodumpthetoxicwastewaterintotheseaisnottheonlywaytodealwiththecontaminatedwaternorisitthesafestwayofdisposal.Butbeforethoroughlyexploringallsafemeansofdisposal,Japanhasunilaterallydecidedtodischargethetoxicwastewaterintotheoceantoreduceeconomiccosts,andputmarinelifeandhumanhealthatseriousrisk.
TheJapanesegovernmenthasrepeatedlyclaimed,albeitwithoutprovingit,thatthecontaminatedwaterissafeenoughtodrinkafterbeingtreated.ButaccordingtothedatareleasedbyJapan,morethan70percentofthetreatedcontaminatedwaterstoredintanksstillhasradioactiveelementsthatfarexceedtheregulatorylimitsfordischarge.Asamatteroffact,areportfromJapansaidfishcaughtintheharborclosetothecripplednuclearplantcontainradioactivecaesiummorethan180timesJapan"slegallimit.
ItisapitythatsomeWesterngovernmentsandmediaoutlets,whicharepronetohypingupenvironmentalissuessuchastheChernobylnuclearaccidentintheSovietUnionin1986andsmogandsandstormsinChinainpastyears,haverespondedtoJapan"sdecisionratherpassively.Theyavoidtalkingaboutthehazardstheradioactivewastewaterposetothemarineenvironmentandhumanlife,withsomeevenacquiescingtoJapan"smove,thusexposingtheirhypocrisy.
TheoceanisneitherJapan"strashbinnorsewer.Insteadofsacrificingmarinelifeandhumanhealth,Japanshouldheedinternationalconcerns,fulfillitsinternationalobligations,changeitsdischargeplan,andexploreallalternativemeanstodisposetheradioactivewastewaterinascientific,transparentandsafemannerunderinternationaloversight.
TheauthoristhecommissioneroftheMinistryofForeignAffairsofthePeople"sRepublicofChinaintheMacaoSpecialAdministrativeRegion.
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