Did Japan ignore viable alternatives of dumping contaminated Fukushima water?

Tokyo says it reached the decision after examining five methods of disposing over a million tons of treated radioactive water

Other options included dumping the water into concrete pits or evaporating and releasing it, ideas critics say were not genuinely considered

Reading Time:4 minutes

A protester holds a slogan which reads, ‘Don’t release the radioactive water’, at a rally in Tokyo on April 13, 2021. Photo: AFP

Published: 2:40pm, 15 Apr 2021Updated: 3:07pm, 15 Apr 2021

Experts and environmental groups have taken issue with the Japanese government’s insistence that releasing water contaminated with radiation from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean is the best solution to the problem, accusing the authorities of ignoring perfectly viable alternatives for a cheap “quick fix”.

They point out that the government’s announcement on April 13 has already provoked so much anger at home and abroad – South Korea has already confirmed that it is planning to take legal action to halt the release and other nations may join its campaign – that the decision may seriously damage Japan’s international reputation.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Tuesday said that “disposing of the treated waters is an unavoidable issue for decommissioning the Fukushima Daiichi plant”.

He added that the water would be released “while ensuring that safety standards are cleared by a wide margin”.

Tokyo says that releasing the water is the best option as the water has been treated to remove contaminants. The authorities admit that tritium cannot be removed from the water, but insist it is not harmful to human health.

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