處理核污水絕不是日本自家私事

日本政府近日稱，將于2023年春夏期間開始向海洋排放經過處理的福島第一核電站核污水。日本罔顧國內民眾及周邊國家的屢屢反對，企圖將核污水“一倒了之”，把一件關乎全球海洋生態環境和公眾健康的事當成了自家私事。

資料圖：日本福島第一核電站。

　　2011年，福島核電站事故發生后，大量放射性物質泄漏到大氣層和太平洋，對周圍環境造成了難以逆轉的傷害，數十萬人被迫撤離該地區。時至今日，作為日本鄰國之一的韓國仍未解除福島海鮮禁令。

　　日本以核污水存儲能力即將達到上限為由，在2021年4月13日，正式決定將福島第一核電站核污水排入太平洋。過去一年多，日本政府和東京電力公司一直在持續推進核污水排海計劃。

　　日本政府辯稱，這些核污水經多核素處理系統(ALPS)處理后很安全，甚至“可以喝”，這樣的表態無疑在愚弄大眾。

　　事實上，經過處理的核污水仍含有多種放射性物質，核污水一旦排放入海就無法回收，長期來看，將會給海洋生態帶來難以估量的潛在威脅，最終危害人類健康。

　　因此，核污水排海計劃推出后，遭到日本民眾強烈反對。日本《朝日新聞》2022年3月公布的問卷調查顯示，福島縣、宮城縣和巖手縣受訪的42個市町村長中，約六成反對東京電力公司福島第一核電站核污水排放入海。日本全國漁業協會聯合會也多次申明立場，反對該計劃。

　　日本政府認為，核污水排海是最便宜、最省事的解決方案，但此舉卻將周邊國家乃至全世界置于核污染風險中。太平洋非日本一家之海，核污水會隨著洋流流動，其影響勢必會跨越國界，危害周邊國家乃至整個國際社會的公共福祉和利益。

　　《韓國經濟新聞》發文稱，相關研究認為，福島核污水如果排放入海，約7個月后將到達濟州等韓國海域，該國水產業和旅游業將遭受相當大的損失。

　　德國南極海洋機構也曾發出警告，若日本將所有核污水排入海中，不到半年，整個太平洋都將面臨高度輻射威脅，包括遠在大洋另一端的美國。太平洋地區人民更是對日本該計劃持反對意見。

　　日本作為《聯合國海洋法公約》締約國，有義務保護海洋環境。然而，在核污水排海方案的正當性、核污水數據的可靠性、凈化裝置的有效性、環境影響的不確定性等問題上，日本未能作出科學、可信的說明。

　　國際原子能機構技術工作組雖已三次赴日實地考察評估，但尚未就日排海方案的安全性給出結論，并且對日本提出諸多澄清要求和整改意見。在此情況下，日本仍執意推進核污水排海工程建設，這是極不負責任的行為。

　　太平洋不是日本的下水道，日本必須正視各方合理關切，在與周邊國家等相關利益方和國際原子能機構充分協商后，制定合理的核污水處理方案。日本也要著眼長遠，若只顧眼前，執意將核污水排放入海，不僅其自身，周邊國家乃至全世界都將為之買單，其后果必將會危害數代人。

　　Fukushima water disposal by no means Japan’s own business

　　By John Lee

　　(ECNS) -- Japan has announced it will release treated wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean this year.

　　Although Fukushima wastewater disposal affects global marine ecological environment protection and public health, Japan has turned a deaf ear to domestic and international opposition to dumping the contaminated water into the sea, treating the "global" matter as its own business.

　　The Fukushima accident in 2011 had sent large quantities of radiation into the atmosphere and the Pacific Ocean, causing irreversible damage to the surrounding environment, and hundreds of thousands of people were forced to evacuate the area. South Korea still maintains its import ban on Japanese seafood from areas affected by the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

　　On April 13, 2021, Japan announced it had decided to discharge contaminated radioactive wastewater in Fukushima Prefecture into the sea due to dwindling storage space, with the Japanese government and plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. promoting the release plan over the past year.

　　The Japanese government argues that the water treated by an advanced liquid processing system, or ALPS, is safe and drinkable, which is undoubtedly fooling the public.

　　In fact, the treated wastewater still includes a variety of radioactive substances and can’t be recycled once discharged into the sea, which will pose a great threat to marine ecology and ultimately endanger human health in the long run.

　　Therefore, the discharge plan has been strongly opposed in Japan. According to a questionnaire conducted by The Asahi Shimbun, nearly 60 percent of mayors of 42 municipalities in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures oppose the discharge plan. The National Fisheries Cooperative Federation of Japan has also repeatedly stated its opposition in public.

　　The Japanese government believes that dumping Fukushima wastewater into the sea is the cheapest and most convenient solution, but neighboring countries and even the whole world will be at risk of nuclear pollution.

　　The Pacific Ocean doesn’t belong to Japan and the wastewater flow along oceanic currents will surely break boundaries and endanger public welfare and the interests of neighboring countries and even the international community.

　　The Korea Economic Daily reported that related research concluded that if contaminated water from Fukushima is released into the ocean, it would only take seven months for the contaminated water to reach the shores of Jeju Island, with the country's aquaculture and tourism suffering considerable losses.

　　According to the calculation of a German marine scientific research institute, radioactive materials will spread to most of the Pacific Ocean within half a year from the date of discharge, and the U.S. and Canada will be affected by nuclear pollution. People in the Pacific region also oppose the discharge plan.

　　As a participant of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, Japan has the obligation of protecting the marine environment.

　　However, it hasn’t offered a full and convincing explanation on issues like the legitimacy of the discharge plan, the reliability of data on the nuclear-contaminated water, the efficacy of the treatment system or the uncertainty of environmental impact.

　　Though the IAEA has yet to complete a comprehensive review after three investigations in Japan, the Japanese side has been pushing through the approval process for its discharge plan and even started building facilities for the discharge. It is rather irresponsible for Japan to act against public opinion at home and concerns abroad.

　　The Pacific Ocean is not a private Japanese sewer. The country must seriously heed the voices of the international community and make a reasonable plan for the Fukushima wastewater disposal after full consultation with stakeholders and international agencies.

　　If it only seeks instant interest and insists on discharging the contaminated water into the sea, not only itself, but also its neighboring countries and the entire world will pay for the decision and several generations will be forced to bear the consequence.