A lawsuit has been filed by approximately 150 residents from various Japanese prefectures, including Fukushima and Miyagi, to stop the release of treated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, the Kyondo news agency reported. The lawsuit targets both the Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO), the operator of the plant.
The plaintiffs argue that the release of treated water not only endangers citizens’ safety but also poses a significant threat to local fisheries. They claim that the release, which has been labeled as “fresh misconduct,” violates a 2015 agreement in which both the government and TEPCO committed to not releasing water without unanimous approval from all relevant parties. The Japan Fisheries Association has officially protested the discharge.
The plaintiffs demand that the government and TEPCO find an alternative solution for managing the radioactive water at the plant that does not harm the environment. They also seek the revocation of the approvals granted by Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority earlier this year for the water discharge plan.
On August 24, Japan started discharging treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean after diluting it with seawater. The Japanese government claims that the water has been cleansed of all radionuclides except tritium, which is within acceptable limits.
This decision has faced strong opposition from neighboring countries, particularly China, which has referred to the discharged water as “contaminated” and has suspended seafood imports from Japan. Japan plans to use World Trade Organization rules to challenge this ban. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has stated that the radiological impact of the treated wastewater on people and the environment is minimal.
The lawsuit marks a critical moment in the ongoing debate over the discharge of treated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, as citizens express their concerns about the potential consequences.
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