AROUND 150 residents with the Fukushima District Court filed a lawsuit against the Central government and Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) for the ongoing nuclear wastewater release, which the plaintiff says is a hindrance to fishing businesses as well as their safety.
The plaintiffs are also eyeing also want the nullification of nuclear regulators’ approval of facilities installed for the water discharge together with the ban on the release,
Further lawsuit to be filed in October is also being planned.
To recall, the Japanese government stated that the discharge is dire to carry on with the decommissioning of the reactors of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
Also, the ongoing discharge process is expected to continue for about 30 years.
According to Hiroyuki Kawai, a plaintiffs’ lawyer, the wastewater release is a misconduct by the Central government and the plant’s operator TEPCO.
On the other hand, the Nuclear Regulation Authority said it could comment on the matter since it has yet to receive the legal complaint; TEPCO however, confirmed the complaint has been received.
To further answer the safety concerns, the Japanese government stated that before releasing it to the sea, the water has been diluted to reduce tritium levels to less than 1/40th of the concentration permitted under National Safety Standards, in addition tritium is less harmful than other radioactive materials.
The move came as various protesters from Japan, South Korea, and other countries are urging for the discharge to stop.
Other countries, like the Solomon Islands, condemned Japan’s move, while China imposed a seafood ban on Japan.
Residents file suit to halt wastewater release from Fukushima Plant.
