THE head of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War Dr. Tilman Ruff described the plan to release nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean as a ‘very cheap and dirty approach.’
In a recent interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Dr. Ruff said there is no clear evidence that the purification system works effectively adding that the move violates international law.
“…This is an unnecessary and avoidable discharge into the environment, it’s a very cheap and dirty, I would say, approach to dealing with pollution on land as it contravenes Japan’s obligations as a party of the UN Convention on the law of the sea. And it certainly violates the spirit of the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone, and it’s creating a transgenerational and transboundary problem,” Dr. Tilman ruff, co-President, of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, said.
The Nobel Peace Prize Winner and the University of Melbourne Associate Professor pointed out that the plan to dump the radioactive water in the Pacific Ocean will not only bring a major negative impact on people who live along the coast and make a living in the fishing industry, but will also force countries to impose more stringent requirements on the import of seafood.
In a report released by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in July, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said the plan to release treated water into the sea is consistent with the IAEA safety standards and noted that its radiological impact on people and the environment is considered negligible or insignificant.
The report however was slammed by the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin as limited, one-sided and failed to address the concerns of the international community.
According to Wenbin, if the Fukushima contaminated wastewater is truly safe for drinking or swimming as claimed by Grossi, he proposed that Japan should allow its citizens to drink it or swim in it, rather than dumping it into the ocean.
In March 2011, Northeastern Japan was rocked by magnitude 9.0 earthquakes, which then triggered a giant tsunami and flooded three reactors.
The Fukushima disaster was considered the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl which forced more than 150,000 people to evacuate from the area.
The Australian expert urged the international community to use diplomatic channels in expressing their concern about the issue and to support Pacific Island nations in urging Japan to take more responsibility.
