South Korean opposition Tells IAEA Head to scrap Japan’s Nuclear Wastewater Plan
The South Korean opposition on Sunday asked the International Atomic Energy Agency director general to halt Japan’s plan to discharge treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant and find alternatives to the ocean disposal.
In a meeting with IAEA chief Rafael Grossi, five Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers accused the United Nations atomic watchdog of bias and described its final assessment of the safety of the Japanese plan as “shoddily concluded” and “lacking in neutrality.”
Rep. Wi Seong-gon, who is heading a Democratic Party committee against the disposal, suggested that the IAEA, together with the Korean government, ask the Japanese government to defer its plan to dispose of the treated water.
“It’s regrettable that in reaching the conclusions, the IAEA considered no other alternatives, such as keeping the wastewater on Japanese soil,” he said.
He said what happened to the Fukushima plant in 2011 was the “worst nuclear disaster known to mankind” alongside Chernobyl, and the disposal of wastewater from a crippled nuclear power plant in the ocean was “unprecedented.”
He said the IAEA has failed to look into the possible long-term consequences of Japan’s water discharge plan, which the Japanese government has said would be gradual over two to three decades.
“And yet the IAEA has concluded Japan discharging the radioactive contaminated water would have minimal impact on people and the environment. This is deeply concerning,” he said. The wastewater stored at the wrecked plant in Fukushima was “radioactive waste,” he added.
He pointed out that 30 years ago, Japan had similarly objected to Russia dumping low-level radioactive waste in the waters near the country. At Japan’s protests, London Convention, the international convention on marine pollution, was amended in 1993 to prohibit radioactive waste from being disposed of in the ocean.
“South Korea is an IAEA member state, and our contributions make up about 2.5 % of the IAEA budget. We urge the IAEA to consider our concerns and reasonable objections responsibly,” he said.
Rep. Woo Won-shik, who is on his 14th day of a hunger strike to protest the water discharge, said the IAEA final report was “full of question marks.”
“If you are so certain that the Fukushima contaminated water is safe, I wonder if you would consider recommending the Japanese government to use the wastewater as drinking or agricultural water domestically,” he said.
He said the water being discharged into the ocean would leave a “terrifying precedent” for not only Korea but other neighboring countries.
“Fukushima may be just the first in a series of future dumping of radioactive waste in our seas,” he said.
Woo said when he spoke with relocated residents of Fukushima four years after the disaster, he was told they were “deceived by scientists.”
“They agreed to the nuclear power plant being built in their neighborhood because the scientists said it would be safe. Unfortunately that was not the case,” he said, adding he hoped for “no repetition of any of this” in the future.
In opening remarks, Grossi said he understands the remaining concerns of the Korean public and other stakeholders, and vowed transparency in the IAEA’s work in reviewing the safety of Japan’s plan.
“My attitude is attitude of respect and openness about all this,” he said, adding that he will “continue to be available at all times for the Korean public, the political parties, those in government to provide necessary explanations.”
He stressed the IAEA conclusion released earlier this week was an outcome of “intense analysis, intense study and careful evaluation for more than two years” by not only the agency’s experts but “renowned scientists” from 11 countries, including Korea.
“As you know, our conclusion has been that this plan, if carried out in the way it is presented, it would be in line with international safety standards,” he said.
Sunday’s meeting, which took place at the Democratic Party floor leader’s conference room, was open to the press for the first 40 minutes, then the remaining 40 minutes was behind closed doors. It was held at the request of the opposition party.
Fierce protests that greeted Grossi upon his arrival in Seoul on Friday followed him to his visit to the National Assembly Sunday. A swarm of Democratic Party supporters booed the IAEA chief, chanting “Grossi, go home.” Some of the signs held by protesters read, “Grossi, do your job well” and “IAEA, discard the biased report.”
Kim Arin
The Korea Herald
Asia News Network
