August 30, 2022

A group of citizens working for Fukushima's recovery from the 2011 disaster on August 29 conducted negotiations in Fukushima City with officials of the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) and Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), the operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, demanding that the plan to discharge radioactive water into the ocean be canceled. Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Councilors Iwabuchi Tomo participated online in the negotiations.

Reportedly, the ocean release of radioactive water will start next April.

Pointing out that many people in Fukushima are opposed to or concerned about the ocean release, the group of citizens lodged a protest with TEPCO over the commencement of preparatory work to dump radioactive water in the sea.

They said that experts are proposing, based on a geological and phreatic analysis, that "wide-area impermeable walls" be installed to prevent radiation-tainted water generation, and demanded that TEPCO adopt this method and give top priority to taking appropriate measures to avoid further generation of radiation-tainted water.

TEPCO officials, however, only said, "The scale of wide-area impermeable walls required is too large. We will continue to consider optional large-scale measures we may take."

They said that the central government and TEPCO had made a promise to Fukushima fishermen that radioactive water would not be released into the ocean without local people's understanding and consent. They asked if TEPCO and METI obtained people's understanding, but TEPCO and METI officials could not answer this question.

JCP Dietmember Iwabuchi said, "As you haven't obtained local residents' consent, as a matter of course, you should consider cancelling the plan."

Past related article:
> Fishery industry opposes ocean release of radiation-tainted Fukushima water [June 25, 2020]