Urgent international petition calling for immediate action on the uncontrolled radioactive discharges at Tepco’s Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant
- This is clearly not an appropriate time for Japan to restart nuclear plants or export nuclear technology
- The ocean, the source of life, must not be contaminated further
We hereby petition the Japanese national government and related entities to undertake the following commitments.
- Clarify the Japanese government’s responsibility concerning the radioactive discharges into the ocean. Concentrate fully on dealing with this issue, and suspend all activity aimed at restarting nuclear plants in Japan and exporting nuclear power reactors to other countries. Japan’s new post-Fukushima regulatory standards do not take into account the possibility of uncontrolled radioactive releases into the ocean. Processing applications to restart nuclear plants in Japan under these conditions can result in additional uncontrolled releases and must be suspended.
- Implement maximum efforts to prevent further contamination of the ocean. Install tanks for the storage of the contaminated water that are more robust and sustainable in order to prevent leakage. Deliberate discharge of the contents of the radioactive water in tanks into the ocean absolutely must not be permitted.
- Bring together the combined wisdom of independent experts with no vested interests from within Japan and internationally (i.e. domestic and international independent expertise) and ensure its practical implementation.
- Ensure transparency. Make all government meetings concerning this issue public, including the meetings of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s Radioactive Contamination Discharges Countermeasures Committee. Immediately hold a public assessment of the proposed ice wall strategy.
- Retract Prime Minister Abe’s following statements made at the International Olympic Commission (IOC): “The situation is under control.” “The effects of the [radioactive] discharges are completely blocked within the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant's harbor.”
The uncontrolled radioactive discharges into the marine environment as a result of Tepco’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident are alarming. It is essential to undertake urgent measures to stop the leaks of contaminated ground water and to deal with the high-level contamination leaking from the storage tanks.
This situation is so serious that one can almost say yet another serious accident has occurred.
Countermeasures to effectively contain the leakage of the water used to cool the molten fuel remaining in the reactors are yet to be put in place. There are serious doubts about the technical and economic efficacy of the proposed ice-wall strategy.
The ocean, the source of life, must not be contaminated further. This is a serious international issue. Those who fish for their livelihood are raising their voices in anger against this contamination of the ocean.
It is absolutely self-evident that Tepco is not capable of dealing with this situation. But the Japanese government is not engaging with the problems head on. Instead, the nuclear regulatory authorities are allocating their manpower to processing applications from electric utilities to restart their nuclear power plants. The Ministry of Economy and Trade continues to hold secretive closed-door meetings with industry, providing a market-place for general contractors to lobby for contracts. In addition, Prime Minister Abe flies around the world playing top salesman for the export of Japan’s nuclear power reactors.
To address this urgent situation, the government must now actively draw upon international expertise and make maximum efforts to prevent further uncontrolled radioactive discharges into the ocean.
To address this urgent situation, the government must now actively draw upon international expertise and make maximum efforts to prevent further uncontrolled radioactive discharges into the ocean.
Release of part of the radioactivity into the ocean after treatment of the contaminated water is being considered. This must be prevented at all cost. There must not be any deliberate discharge into the Pacific Ocean.
This is clearly not an appropriate time for Japan to restart nuclear plants or export nuclear technology.
At the International Olympic Committee (IOC) presentation, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stated, when addressing the radioactive discharge issue, that “The situation is under control.” “The effects of the [radioactive] discharges are completely blocked within the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant's harbor.”On the contrary, the contaminated water continues daily to leak, the government’s measures to deal with the problem are woefully inadequate, and the extent of the effects of uncontrolled radioactive discharges are not known. Prime Minister Abe’s assertions are therefore groundless.
Contact:
Green Action
Suite 103, 22-75 Tanaka Sekiden-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8203 Japan
E-mail: info@greenaction-japan.org
Green Action
Suite 103, 22-75 Tanaka Sekiden-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8203 Japan
E-mail: info@greenaction-japan.org
Organizations calling for the petition:
Green Action, Greenpeace Japan, FoE Japan, Mihama-no-Kai, Fukuro-no-Kai, Lawsuit Group to Shut Down the Ohi Nuclear Power Plant, The Nuclear Regulation Authority Citizen Watchdog
Green Action, Greenpeace Japan, FoE Japan, Mihama-no-Kai, Fukuro-no-Kai, Lawsuit Group to Shut Down the Ohi Nuclear Power Plant, The Nuclear Regulation Authority Citizen Watchdog
SIGN NOW: Urgent international petition calling for immediate action on the uncontrolled radioactive discharges at Tepco's Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant
This is a disaster of international scope and proportions and global leaders, engineers, scientists, ecologists and nuclear radiation experts must be collectively engaged in making it an urgent priority to do whatever is possible to prevent further radioactive spread and damage.
ReplyDeleteAnd situating global Olympic games in Tokyo will constitute an unnecessary distraction and economic drain from the crisis at hand and is an extremely ill advised decision.