By Jai Midha ’27
Twelve years after the infamous incident at Fukushima’s nuclear plant, in which an earthquake caused the release of nuclear waste, Japan initiated a 30-year decontamination program known as “The Fukushima Water Release” on August 24, 2023. The decision to release radioactive water waste into the Pacific Ocean has stirred significant public concern. Many regard it as a demonstration of the Japanese government’s lack of commitment to considering the long-term consequences of waste disposal.
Over 1,000 tanks of wastewater are held near the nuclear plant, equivalent to the amount of water needed to fill 540 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Yet, the program received a green light from the United Nations watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Prioritizing public concern is of utmost importance for the government. In the case of the Fukushima Water Release, the domestic public believed that the government did not adequately address the potential long-term impacts of its waste disposal strategy.
Despite public disapproval, the Japanese government stated that the plan is an unavoidable step in the process of decommissioning the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, built by the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO). Although some scientists believe that the plan is safe, many biologists are concerned about the long-term environmental effects.
There are also impacts beyond marine life. On the day that Japan announced the Fukushima Water Release, China, Japan’s biggest seafood buyer, placed a ban on all Japanese seafood; consequently, many fishermen have protested against the plan as the wastewater has gutted their sales. Haruo Ono, a protestor and fisherman, stated, “The government hasn’t listened to fishing communities in deciding how to deal with the water. It has abandoned the people of Fukushima to protect TEPCO.”
Although the government has allocated over ¥80 billion, equivalent to $550 million U.S. dollars, to support the seafood and fishing markets in Japan, they haven’t been able to address the potential impacts the water release may have on international markets. Rampant protests have circulated throughout nearby territories, including South Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong.
The primary purpose of a government should be to serve and protect its people. In the case of the Fukushima Water Release, both public interest and scientific opinion were completely ignored. The legislators’ disregard for the different parties affected by the Fukushima Water Release was not only a clear violation of government loyalty to their public bodies but also a failure to consider the global repercussions of their policies. The Japanese government’s oversights regarding this issue underscore the importance of considering public opinion to create a secure and forward-looking society.
