NFLA media release, 22 August 2023, For immediate use
Keep the faith: Japan’s wastewater plan to poison the Pacific can still be stopped
The UK/Ireland Nuclear Free Local Authorities were disappointed by Japanese Prime Minister
Kishida’s announcement that dumping into the Pacific Ocean of radioactive wastewater from theFukushima Daishi nuclear station can commence from Thursday (24 August).
The announcement was made shortly after the Prime Minister met with leaders of Japan’s largest fishingunion, whose members remain bitterly opposed to the plan fearing it will destroy their industry andlivelihoods.
As of 8 June 2023, there were 1,335,381 cubic metres of radioactive wastewater stored in tanks at theformer nuclear plant. The Fukushima Daishi plant was near destroyed by an earthquake and tsunami inMarch 2011. Water has since been used to cool the damaged inoperable reactors and this has been storedon site in barrels.
Rather than finding a solution that provides for the long-term storage of the water until its radioactivity
had decayed so sparing the marine environment, operator TEPCO and the Japanese Government, with theacquiescence of the International Atomic Energy Agency, have determined instead to take that shortcut sobeloved of the nuclear industry everywhere when seeking to dispose of radioactive waste – dumping it atsea.
Historically such practice in the UK led to the Irish Sea, the beaches of Cumbria and North Wales, and thecoastline of Northern Scotland becoming contaminated and at Fukushima a pipeline has been built throughwhich Japan intends to dispose of the 1.3 million tons of now-radioactive water.
Though treated to remove many of the radionuclides, the wastewater still contains tritium, carbon-14,
strontium-90 and iodine-129, and regional and international campaigners concerned for the ocean
environment, human health, and the fishing community are outraged by the plan.
The UK/Ireland Nuclear Free Local Authorities have previously protested the plan in letters to TEPCO
executives and government ministers from the Prime Minister down, and more recently also wrote to theUnited Nations charging that the discharge would be contrary to the undertakings that Japan gave underinternational law to refrain from contaminating our oceans, particularly with radioactive waste.
The NFLAs also supplied a message of solidarity to an international campaign of opposition, beingcoordinated by a South Korean civil society coalition, for use at a press conference held in Seoul. Details of
this conference – and our statement - were included in this briefing:https://www.nuclearpolicy.info/briefings/nfla-policy-briefing-271-global-media-conference-of-the-globalcampaign-network-against-japans-ocean-dumping-of-nuclear-wastewater-seoul-korea/
In response to the news, Korean civil society will hold a 24-hour candlelight rally from today at City Hall
Plaza in the capital to put pressure on the Korean president and political leaders to act, followed byTHE LOCAL GOVERNMENT VOICE ON NUCLEAR & RENEWABLE ENERGY ISSUES
C/o NFLA Secretariat, Level 6, Town Hall Extension, Manchester, M60 3NY
Tel: 07583 097793 Email: Richard.outram@manchester.gov.uk Website: http://www.nuclearpolicy.info

regional rallies and then a national rally on 8 September. Elsewhere in the Pacific nations and in Europe,
similar protests are planned.
The dumping plan will not happen overnight. According to the Atomic Energy Society of Japan this will lastat least 17 years, but, according to Beyond Nuclear https://beyondnuclear.org/ decommissioning work at
the Fukushima is expected to take at least 40 years so the operation may take many decades to complete.
Whilst we in the UK and Republic of Ireland are many thousands of miles away from this calamity, ourinternational solidarity can still make a difference. For it is not too late for Japan to change tack and choose
to halt the plan.
The Chair of the UK/Ireland NFLA Steering Committee Councillor Lawrence O’Neill urges British and Irish
anti-nuclear activists not to give up hope and recommends taking some action:“One action that we can all take is signing the One Million Global Citizens’ Joint Statement calling on Japanto curtail this criminal plan https://campaigns.do/campaigns/1029.
“The NFLAs have also twice written to Japanese Ministers and TEPCO officials and to the United Nations
opposing the plan. You could also follow our example and register your protest with the Japanese Embassyin the UK or the Republic of Ireland.
“To become better informed on the impact of tritium when released into the marine environment, we canrecommend the podcast Nuclear Hotseat www.NuclearHotseat.com with campaigner Libbe HaLevy, who
has hosted several broadcasts with renowned British marine radiation expert Tim Deere-Jones.
“Details of the relevant contacts follow in the notes.
“Don’t give up - keep the faith”.
Ends://.. For more details about this media release please contact Richard Outram, NFLA Secretary, byemail at richard.outram@manchester.gov.uk

Thismedia
releasecanalsobefoundontheNFLA
websiteathttps://www.nuclearpolicy.info/news/keep-the-faith-japans-wastewater-plan-to-poison-the-pacificcan-still-be-stopped/

Notes to Editors
Embassy of Japan in the UK
His Excellency, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Mr Hajime Hayashi
info@ld.mofa.go.jp
Embassy of Japan in Ireland
His Excellency, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Mr Norio Maruyama
consular@ir.mofa.go.jp

THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT VOICE ON NUCLEAR & RENEWABLE ENERGY ISSUES
C/o NFLA Secretariat, Level 6, Town Hall Extension, Manchester, M60 3NY
Tel: 07583 097793 Email: Richard.outram@manchester.gov.uk Website: http://www.nuclearpolicy.infoThe podcasts made by Nuclear Hotseat (www.NuclearHotseat.com) and campaigner Libbe HaLevy can befound at:NH #613: TRITIUM: Japan’s Radioactive Water Dump Lies, Tritium Truth w/Marine Biologist Tim
Deere-Jones - https://nuclearhotseat.com/podcast/japans-radioactive-water-tritium-truth/
NH #629: SPECIAL: Japan’s Radioactive Fukushima Water Dump – Media Propaganda, Report fromSouth Pacific - https://nuclearhotseat.com/podcast/japan-radioactive-fukushima-water-dump/

And for the basics:
NH #271: How Radiation in Oceans Contaminates Our Food Supply – Tim Deere-Jones- https://nuclearhotseat.com/podcast/nuclear-hotseat-271-how-radiation-in-oceans-contaminateour-food-supply-tim-deere-jones/

THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT VOICE ON NUCLEAR & RENEWABLE ENERGY ISSUES
C/o NFLA Secretariat, Level 6, Town Hall Extension, Manchester, M60 3NY
Tel: 07583 097793 Email: Richard.outram@manchester.gov.uk Website: http://www.nuclearpolicy.info