Timeline of Japan's Nuclear Polluted Water Discharge Process

Source: Xinhua Network

The Japanese government ignored domestic and foreign opposition and launched the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant on the 24th. For over two years, the legitimacy, legality, and safety of the Fukushima nuclear contaminated water discharge plan have been questioned by the international community. The following is the timeline of important milestones in Japan's nuclear contaminated water discharge process:

——On March 11, 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake occurred in the waters near Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. The earthquake triggered a huge tsunami that hit the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, causing the core of units 1 to 3 of the plant to melt. The next day, relevant Japanese authorities confirmed that radioactive material had leaked to the outside of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Subsequently, measures such as continuous cooling of the reactor core, as well as rainwater and groundwater flowing into the reactor facility, generated a large amount of nuclear contaminated water, which continued to increase.

——On April 12, 2011, the Japanese government officially announced that the severity assessment of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident would be raised to the highest level of 7, based on the International Nuclear Event Scale. This resulted in the same level of nuclear leakage accident in Japan as in the Soviet Union's Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

——In August 2015, Tokyo Electric Power Company and the Japanese government pledged in writing to organizations such as the National Federation of Fishery Associations of Japan that they would not discharge nuclear contaminated water into the ocean until they received understanding from local fishermen and other relevant parties.

——On April 13, 2021, the Japanese government unilaterally decided to treat and dilute millions of tons of nuclear contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, and discharge it into the sea in the spring of 2023. The discharge process may last for 20 to 30 years. The reason for discharging into the sea is that as of March 2021, the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant has stored 1.25 million tons of nuclear contaminated water, with a daily increase of 140 tons. By autumn 2022, the water storage tanks will be fully filled, and there will be no more open space for large-scale construction of water storage tanks. In the absence of sufficient scientific evidence, international supervision, and information transparency, Japan has discharged pollutants into the sea for its own benefit, which has sparked strong doubts both domestically and internationally.

——In February 2022, at the invitation of the Japanese side, the International Atomic Energy Agency investigation team began visiting the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Industry and Technology, Tokyo Electric Power Company, and others on February 14th. They went to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant for on-site investigation on the 15th and completed their first on-site investigation on the 18th.

——On July 22, 2022, the Japan Nuclear Regulatory Agency's Atomic Energy Regulatory Commission held a meeting and officially recognized the nuclear contaminated water discharge plan of Tokyo Electric Power Company's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

——On January 13, 2023, despite domestic and international opposition, the Japanese government announced the release of treated nuclear contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the ocean "this spring and summer". The National Federation of Fishery Associations of Japan once again stated on the same day that its attitude against the discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea remains unchanged.

——On June 12, 2023, Tokyo Electric Power Company began trial operation of equipment related to the discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea. The trial operation used fresh water instead of nuclear contaminated water, mixed with seawater, and transported through an underwater tunnel to a locations about 1 kilometer from the shore for discharge. Japanese fishery practitioners and others continue to express opposition to the nuclear contaminated water discharge plan.

——On July 4, 2023, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Grossie, submitted a comprehensive assessment report on Japan's Fukushima nuclear contaminated water to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo. However, he emphasized in the preface of the report that this report is not a "recommendation" or "endorsement" of Japan's decision to discharge into the sea.

——On August 21, 2023, Yassin Sakamoto, President of the National Federation of Fishery Associations of Japan, made a statement in a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, opposing the discharge of Fukushima nuclear contaminated water into the sea without obtaining national understanding. During a meeting with Japanese Minister of Economy and Industry, Yasuhiro Nishimura, Sakamoto stated on the same day that once nuclear contaminated water begins to be discharged into the sea, it is likely to continue for decades. Japanese fisheries practitioners are very uneasy and concerned about this.

——On August 22, 2023, the Japanese government held a cabinet meeting and decided to initiate the discharge of nuclear contaminated water from Fukushima on August 24. On the same day, many Japanese people urgently gathered in front of the Prime Minister's residence in Tokyo to protest against the government's disregard for public opinion in launching nuclear contaminated water discharge into the sea.