Japan Press Weekly

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2020 April 1 - 7 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Fukushima residents oppose gov’t plan to discharge radioactive Fukushima water into ocean

A national government plan to discharge radioactively-contaminated water into the ocean or the atmosphere from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant met fierce local opposition in a public hearing held on April 6 in the prefecture.

Regarding ways to deal with the radioactive water stored at the crippled NPP site, a government sub-committee in February compiled a report stating that oceanic or atmospheric release of the contaminated water is a realistic option.

In the public hearing, Nozaki Tetsu, who heads the Fukushima Prefectural Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives, condemned the ocean disposal plan by saying that it will ruin not only the future livelihoods of Fukushima fishermen who have been working hard to restore their businesses but also the future of younger generations.

The head of the Fukushima local of the National Federation of Forest Owners’ Co-operatives Association, Akimoto Kimio said that his organization has made efforts to encourage forest owners living away from Fukushima to come back to the prefecture, but those efforts will come to nothing if the radioactive water is discharged into the ocean or air.

The president of the Fukushima Ryokan (Japanese-style inn) and Hotel Association, Koido Hidenori, stressed that the government’s decision to release the radioactive water into the ocean or atmosphere will deliver a heavy blow to Fukushima’s tourism industry.

Fukushima Governor Uchibori Masao called on the national government to take measures to prevent false rumors about health risks caused by the release of contaminated water, while stopping short of revealing his position toward the discharge plan.

In front of the venue of the public hearing, citizens carrying banners staged a protest to oppose the government’s disposal plan.

Past related articles:
> Mayors against nuclear power oppose ocean release of radioactive water [ February 18, 2020]
> Anti-nuke citizens’ commission proposes ways to dispose of radioactive contaminated water at Fukushima NPP [October 4, 2019]