Opinion | Japan needs to rethink the dumping of Fukushima nuclear plant’s waste water into the sea
- Given the potentially serious environmental fallout and its legal obligations against marine pollution, Japan should pause, consult its neighbours – and consider being safe rather than sorry
Although the government has said it would not proceed before receiving a comprehensive report from the International Atomic Energy Agency, there are four important arguments why it should mull over this dumping of waste water and consider revoking its plan.
This precautionary principle is part of several international legal instruments and a pillar of environmental law. It is enshrined in principle 15 of the 1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, which states: “In order to protect the environment, the precautionary approach shall be widely applied by states according to their capabilities.
“Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation.”
Second, there is the argument that Japan should consult its neighbours on its release plan. The Rio Declaration clearly states that international cooperation is needed to discourage and prevent one state from moving to another state substances that may cause severe environmental degradation or are harmful to human health.