Calls for Japan to halt plan to dump nuclear waste into Pacific Ocean

Friday, 2 September 2022

An estimated 30,000 anti-nuclear activists attended a rally in Tokyo's Yoyogi Park, in 2012, to protest against the government's plan to reopen several of Japan's nuclear reactors.

The Pacific Islands Forum and civil society groups are calling on Japan to halt plans to dump radioactive nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced last week his government would restart idled nuclear plants to develop the country’s next-generation reactors.

Pacific civil society and non-governmental organisations criticised Kishida’s plans.

In a joint statement, they said the move by Japan was a fundamental breach of the Pacific peoples' right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.

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From left, Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Japan's PM Fumio Kishida, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, NZ PM Jacinda Ardern and South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol during the NATO summit in Spain in June.

Japan has kept most of its nuclear plants idled in the decade since a massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011 triggered a nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant.

Japan had said then it would not build new reactors, so a change in that policy would be a stark turnaround, environmentalists warned.

“This sets the stage for a major policy shift on nuclear energy a decade after the Fukushima disaster,” Greenpeace said.

But Kishida said Japan would not discharge the nuclear wastewater if it was not safe.

The Japanese government would ensure no harm would come to the environment from dumping treated nuclear wastewater into the ocean, he said.

In June, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern called for nuclear disarmament during her speech at the Nato Leaders’ Summit in Madrid.

Pacific Islands Forum secretary-general Henry Puna wants access to all data and evidence underpinning Japan’s decision to restart its idled nuclear plants.

“New Zealand is a Pacific nation. Our region bears the scars of decades of nuclear testing. It was because of these lessons that New Zealand has long declared itself proudly nuclear-free,” Ardern said.

“Some may observe this status and assume us to have the naive privilege of such a position. I would argue, the world can’t afford anything less.”

Kishida said he had instructed officials to come up with concrete measures by the end of 2022. This included “gaining the understanding of the public” on sustainable energy and nuclear power.

Japan needs nuclear power because its grid is not connected to neighbouring countries nor is it able to boost output of domestic fossil fuels, Kishida said.

While New Zealand does not support nuclear power for itself, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said on Friday “we recognise that each country is entitled to make its own decisions regarding its domestic energy sources.”

“We note that Japan is engaged with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on its plans to release treated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific. The IAEA is the appropriate international agency to work with Japan on the safety of its proposed release,” MFAT said in a statement. “Nuclear power is a separate issue to nuclear disarmament.”

Vanuatu and the Federated States of Micronesia have both expressed serious concerns at Japan's plans.

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) has introduced a joint resolution condemning any plans by Japan to dump treated nuclear waste from Fukushima into the Pacific Ocean.

Introduced by Sheila Babauta, who chairs the CNMI House of Representatives' Natural Resources Committee, the joint resolution opposes any government action related to nuclear testing, storage and waste disposal in the Pacific.

“This also reaffirms everyone's fundamental right to a safe and healthy living environment,” Babauta said. “The people of Oceania have throughout history been disproportionately impacted by foreign powers' nuclear activities within the Pacific region.”

The Pacific Islands Forum secretary-general, Henry Puna, met with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi in Fiji this week.

'Discussions included a range of common Japan-Blue Pacific priorities, and updates relating to the planned discharge of treated Fukushima nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean,” Puna said.

“Japan is an important Forum Dialogue Partner and bilateral partner to Forum Members,” said Puna, who emphasised the need to work together in an open and transparent manner, with experts, to ensure no harm to the ocean, environment and the health of Pacific peoples.

Puna also called for access to all data and evidence underpinning Japan’s decisions, and he requested Tokyo deferred the nuclear discharge.”

The forum secretariat this year appointed an international expert panel to advise Puna and the leaders on Japan’s actions. A report is pending.