Japan Pushes to Include 'Welcome Fukushima Contaminated Water Discharge' in G7 Joint Statement

"Plan to Include in April G7 Environment Ministers' Joint Statement"
Strong Opposition from Germany and Others Makes Inclusion Uncertain

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jin-young] Japan is facing controversy both domestically and internationally as it has been reported that it will discuss with involved countries the inclusion of a phrase welcoming the "Fukushima contaminated water process" in the joint statement of the upcoming G7 Environment, Climate, and Energy Ministers' Meeting scheduled for April. Ahead of the contaminated water discharge expected to begin as early as April this year, Japan appears to be undertaking preliminary efforts to gain major countries' support and secure legitimacy as the G7 chair.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the Asahi Shimbun on the 22nd, Japan has started coordinating with participating countries to include the phrase "welcoming the transparent process toward (contaminated water) discharge" in the joint statement of the G7 Environment, Climate, and Energy Ministers' Meeting to be held in Sapporo in April. Asahi reports that Japan is also discussing including a phrase "welcoming progress" regarding the recycling of contaminated soil.

This information was conveyed to representatives of each country at the G7 working-level meeting held in Tokyo from the 1st to the 3rd. A Japanese government official told Asahi, "We can appeal the safety of (contaminated water discharge) at the G7."

However, there are negative voices doubting that Japan's actions will gain persuasiveness. Asahi pointed out, "It is questionable whether an issue concerning only Japan should be included in the G7 joint statement," and added, "Among the G7 participating countries, some, such as Germany, hold negative views on nuclear power generation, so it is unclear whether persuasion is possible." Another Japanese official also stated, "There will likely be countries opposing it. It is still unknown whether the phrase welcoming it can be included."

The Japanese government plans to dilute the contaminated water, which it claims has been treated by the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS), with seawater in front of the nuclear power plant before discharging it. Regarding tritium, which cannot be removed by ALPS, Japan has announced that it will release it at a concentration below 1,500 becquerels (Bq) per liter (ℓ), which is 1/40th of its domestic regulatory standard. However, concerns from neighboring countries such as South Korea, China, and Russia continue.

Public opinion within Japan is also unfavorable. The government plans to reuse contaminated soil generated from decontamination work, and in Fukushima Prefecture, projects are underway to use contaminated soil as farmland on a village scale. However, these projects have not been able to expand due to opposition from residents.

In this situation, the Japanese government seems to be working to legitimize the contaminated water discharge both domestically and internationally. The plan is to calm domestic public opinion first and then shift overseas public opinion through the G7 joint statement. Previously, the Japanese government allocated 30 billion yen (28.8 billion won) to the "Rumor Countermeasure Fund" to address baseless rumors related to the nuclear accident, and in December last year, conducted nationwide promotional activities including TV and newspaper advertisements for two weeks, stating "We will inform the scientific safety of Fukushima contaminated water."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.