Fukushima: UN experts concerned over release of nuclear wastewater in the ocean

In a formal communication to the Japanese government, UN Human Rights Council special rapporteurs expressed concern over the release of more than one million metric tonnes of treated nuclear wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean. The rapporteurs said they are alarmed by the “environmental and human rights risks” posed by the release of the wastewater, emphasizing that they go beyond Japan’s borders. Potential radioactive contamination, for example, could endanger indigenous peoples across the Pacific Ocean, given the migratory nature of fish and the reliance of local communities on seafood for livelihood. The rapporteurs asked the Japanese government to provide more information on how the Radiological Environmental Impact Assessment was conducted before deciding on the wastewater release. The UN letter follows a complaint submitted by Ocean Vision Legal in August 2023, when Japanese authorities began to discharge wastewater from the crippled nuclear power plant. The complaint was on behalf of the Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG) and endorsed by several civil society groups in the Pacific region and beyond. Japan has repeatedly said that the release is safe.