Beach season has kicked off in Japan, bringing seafood for vacationers and prosperity for business owners. However, in Fukushima, this may soon come to an end. Within a few weeks, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which was hit by a tsunami, is expected to release treated radioactive wastewater into the sea. This plan has faced strong opposition both in and outside of Japan. Local residents are concerned that this water discharge, 12 years after the nuclear disaster, could further damage Fukushima’s reputation and harm their businesses. They feel helpless as the government has yet to announce when the water release will begin.
Yukinaga Suzuki, a 70-year-old innkeeper in Iwaki, located about 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of the plant, stated, “Without a healthy ocean, I cannot make a living.” Suzuki has requested that officials postpone the plan until the end of the swimming season in mid-August. He is against the water release, but believes there is nothing he can do to stop it since the government has unilaterally formulated the plan and will proceed with it regardless. He expressed his disagreement with releasing the water while people are swimming, even if there is allegedly no harm. The Usuiso beach, where Suzuki’s inn is located, will be in the path of the treated water traveling south on the Oyashio current from off the coast of Fukushima Daiichi.
The government and Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO), the plant operator, have been struggling to manage the significant amount of contaminated water accumulated since the 2011 nuclear disaster. They have announced plans to release the water into the ocean during the summer after treating it and diluting it with seawater. They claim that this method is safer than what national and international standards require.
However, many residents, including Suzuki, remain skeptical of the government’s safety assurances. The Usuiso area used to have over a dozen family-run inns before the disaster, but now Suzuki’s inn is the only one still operating. He serves fresh local fish to his guests and operates the only beach house in the area, relying on the ocean for his livelihood.
The Fukushima Daiichi plant’s cooling systems were destroyed by an earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, leading to the meltdown of three reactors and contamination of their cooling water. The contaminated water has been continuously leaking since then. Currently, it is collected, filtered, and stored in around 1,000 tanks, which will reach their capacity in early 2024.
The government and TEPCO argue that the water must be removed to create space for the plant’s decommissioning and to prevent accidental leaks from the tanks, as much of the water is still contaminated and requires reprocessing. Katsumasa Okawa, a seafood business owner in Iwaki, is more concerned about the tanks containing contaminated water than the release of treated water. He wants them removed as soon as possible, particularly after seeing large tanks occupying a significant portion of the plant complex during his visit a few years ago.
The fishing industry, tourism, and economy in Fukushima are still in the process of recovery. The government has allocated 80 billion yen ($573 million) to support the struggling fisheries and seafood processing sector and counter any potential damage to the region’s reputation resulting from the water release. However, concerns have been raised by Japanese fishing organizations, as well as groups in South Korea and China, turning the matter into a political and diplomatic issue. Hong Kong has vowed to ban the import of aquatic products from Fukushima and other Japanese prefectures if Tokyo proceeds with discharging the treated radioactive wastewater into the sea. China also plans to increase import restrictions, and Hong Kong restaurants have already started excluding Japanese seafood from their menus. Japan is urging China to base its decisions on scientific grounds.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was invited by Japan to assess the transparency and credibility of the water release plan. The IAEA’s final report, released this month, concluded that the method meets international standards and that the environmental and health impacts would be minimal. According to the IAEA Director General, Rafael Grossi, the radioactivity in the water will be almost undetectable and will not have any cross-border impact. While most scientists believe that the environmental impact of the treated water would be negligible, some argue that more attention should be given to the dozens of low-dose radionuclides that remain in the water. They claim that data on the long-term effects of these radionuclides on the environment and marine life is insufficient.
TEPCO and government officials assert that the treated water is primarily a tritium issue, as it is difficult to separate tritium from water. They claim that the water will be diluted to contain only a fraction of the national discharge limit for tritium. However, experts argue that heavy dilution is necessary to sufficiently lower the concentration of other radionuclides as well. It is acknowledged that the impact of these radionuclides on the environment is not fully known. While the plan is considered safe, diligent sampling of the water, transparency, and broader cross-checks involving reputable labs are crucial to building trust among the public.
The release of the treated water is seen as a less challenging task compared to dealing with the radioactive melted debris that remains in the reactors or the continuous, minor leaks of radioactivity to the outside. Experts stress that the potential impact of the treated water on the ecosystem must not overshadow the need to closely monitor the controlled release of the water, as small amounts of radioactivity from the Fukushima Daiichi plant have continuously leaked into groundwater and the port over the past 12 years.
Takayuki Yanai, an executive of a local fisheries cooperative, expressed his concerns about forcing the water release without public support. The fishing industry in Fukushima is still struggling to recover and relies on rebuilding its reputation. The final decision on the timing of the water release is expected to be a political one made by the government.