[PDF] National Association of Marine Laboratories
Position Paper

Scientific opposition to Japan’s planned release of over 1.3 million tons of radioactively contaminated water from the #FukushimaDaiIchi #NuclearPowerPlant
disaster into the #PacificOcean.

December 2022

“The National Association of Marine Laboratories (#NAML), an organization of more than
100 member laboratories, opposes Japan’s plans to begin releasing over 1.3 million tons of radioactively contaminated water from the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean commencing in 2023. This opposition is based on the fact that there is a lack of adequate and accurate scientific data supporting Japan’s assertion of safety.

"Furthermore, there is an abundance of data demonstrating serious concerns about releasing radioactively contaminated water.

“The Pacific Ocean is the largest continuous body of water on our planet, containing the greatest biomass of organisms of ecological, economic, and cultural value, including 70 percent of the world’s #fisheries. The health of all the world’s #OceanEcosystems is in documented decline due
to a variety of stressors, including climate change, over-exploitation of resources, and pollution.

"The proposed release of this #contaminated water is a #transboundary and #transgenerational issue of concern for the health of marine ecosystems and those whose lives and livelihoods depend on them. We are concerned about the absence of critical data on the radionuclide content of each tank, the Advanced Liquid Processing System, which is used to remove radionuclides, and the assumption that upon the release of the contaminated wastewater,
‘dilution is the solution to pollution.’

“The underlying rationale of #dilution ignores the reality of biological processes of #OrganicBinding,
#bioaccumulation, and #bioconcentration, as well as accumulation in local seafloor sediments. Many of the radionuclides contained in the accumulated waste cooling water have half-lives ranging from decades to centuries, and their deleterious effects range from #DNADamage and
#cellular stress to elevated #cancer risks in people who eat affected marine organisms, such as clams, oysters, crabs, lobster, shrimp, and fish.

"Additionally, the effectiveness of the Advanced Liquid Processing System in almost completely removing the over 60 different #radionuclides present in the affected wastewater—some of which have an affinity to target specific tissues, glands, organs, and metabolic pathways in #LivingOrganisms, including people—remains a
serious concern due to the absence of critical data.

"The supporting data provided by the Tokyo Electric Power Company and the #JapaneseGovernment are insufficient and, in some cases, incorrect, with flaws in sampling protocols, statistical design, sample analyses, and assumptions, which in turn lead to flaws in the
conclusion of safety and prevent a more thorough evaluation of better alternative approaches to disposal. A full range of approaches to addressing the problem of safely containing, storing, and disposing of the radioactive waste have not been adequately explored, and alternatives to ocean dumping should be examined in greater detail and with extensive scientific rigor.

“NAML calls on the Government of #Japan and International Atomic Energy Agency (#IAEA) scientists to more fully and adequately consider the options recommended by the #PacificIslandsForum’s Expert Panel. We believe public policy decisions, regulations, and actions must keep pace with and make use of relevant advancements in our scientific understanding of the #environment and human health. In this case, we believe policy makers have not fully availed themselves of the available science and should do so before making any final decisions on releasing this contaminated water into the Pacific. NAML members are unified in our concern about use of the oceans as a dumping ground for radioactively contaminated water and other #pollutants because such actions can negatively affect the long-term health and sustainability of
our planet.

“We urge the Government of Japan to stop pursuing their planned and precedent-setting release of the radioactively contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean and to work with the broader scientific community to pursue other approaches [like #ClosedLoop systems or binding radionuclides in concerete] that protect #OceanLife; human health; and
those communities who depend on ecologically, economically, and culturally valuable marine
resources. “

Adopted by the NAML Board of Directors, December 12, 2022

naml.org/policy/documents/2022…

#WaterIsLife #OceansAreLife
#IAEAHides #TEPCOLies
#FukushimaIsntOver #NoDumping #NuclearPowerPlants #RadioactiveWater #RethinkNotRestart #PacificOcean #DataFalsification #ALPSSystem

From Detailedpedia: Discharge of radioactive water of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant

Last updated at 2024-08-21

"Discharge to ocean, treated water

Advanced Liquid Processing System (2013–)

"To prevent the reactor meltdowns from worsening, a continuous supply of new water is necessary to cool the melted fuel debris. As of 2013, 400 metric tonnes of water was becoming radioactively contaminated each day. The contaminated water is pumped out and combined into the reactor-cooling loop, which includes strontium–cesium removal (KURION, SURRY) and reverse osmosis desalination processes.

"In October 2012, TEPCO introduced the "Advanced Liquid Processing System" (ALPS, Japanese: 多核種除去設備), which is designed to remove radionuclides other than tritium and carbon-14. ALPS works by first pre-processing the water by iron coprecipitation (removes alpha nuclides and organics) and carbonate coprecipitation (removes alkali earth metals including strontium elements). The water is then passed through 16 absorbent columns to remove nuclides.

"Wastewater is pumped to ALPS along with the concentrated saltwater from desalination. As some tritium still remains, even treated water would require dilution to meet drinkable standards. Although carbon-14 is not removed, the content in pre-treatment water is low enough to meet drinkable standards without dilution.

"Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) approved the design of ALPS in March 2013. ALPS is to be run in three independent units and will be able to purify 250 tons of water per day. Unit "A" started operation in April. In June, unit A was found to be leaking water and shut down. In July, the cause was narrowed down to chloride and hypochlorite corrosion of water tanks; TEPCO responded by adding a rubber layer into the tanks. By August, all systems were shut down awaiting repair. One unit was expected to come online by September, with full recovery planned by the end of 2013.

"By September 2018, TEPCO reports that 20% of the water had been treated to the required level.

"By 2020, the daily buildup of contaminated water was reduced to 170 metric tonnes thanks to groundwater isolation installations. TEPCO reports that 72% of the water in its tanks, some from early trials of ALPS, needed to be #repurified. The portion of ready-to-discharge water raised to 34% by 2021, and to 35% by 2023.

"Some scientists expressed reservations due to potential #bioaccumulation of #ruthenium, #cobalt, #strontium, and #plutonium, which sometimes slip through the ALPS process and were present in 71% of the tanks.

[...]

"Ferenc Dalnoki-Veress, a scientist-in-residence at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, said regarding dilution that bringing in living creatures makes the situation more complex. Robert Richmond, a biologist from the University of Hawaiʻi, told the BBC that the inadequate #radiological and #ecological assessment raises the concern that #Japan would be unable to detect what enters the environment and 'get the genie back in the bottle'. Dalnoki-Veress, Richmond, and three other panelists consulting for the #PacificIslandsForum wrote that #dilution may fail to account for #bioaccumulation and exposure pathways that involve organically-bound tritium (#OBT)."

Read more [includes references]:
detailedpedia.com/wiki-Dischar…

#NoNukes #WaterIsLife #OceansAreLife #TEPCOLies #FukushimaIsntOver #NoDumping #NuclearPowerPlants #PacificOcean #MarineLife

Speaking of #Fukushima...

Editorial: Unresolved disposal of Fukushima #nuke disaster soil a barrier to full recovery

January 10, 2025

"The recovery of #FukushimaPrefecture cannot be considered complete until the disposal of soil generated from #radiation #decontamination work after the 2011 #FukushimaDaiichi #NuclearPlant triple-meltdown is resolved.

"The nuclear accident released vast amounts of #radioactive material over a wide area. The decontamination efforts in residential and agricultural areas across Fukushima Prefecture resulted in the collection of approximately 14 million cubic meters of contaminated soil. This soil has been transported to interim storage facilities built in the towns of #Futaba and #Okuma, where the power plant is located.

"Local communities only agreed to the construction of these facilities on the condition that the soil would eventually be disposed of outside the prefecture. By law, final disposal must be completed by March 2045, 30 years after storage began. To meet this deadline, the Japanese government held a meeting involving all Cabinet members late last year. The goal is to draft a concrete timeline for disposal by this summer.

"The government has also proposed reusing soil with radiation levels below a certain threshold. The plan envisions using the soil for public projects across the country, including road embankments and #farmland development.

"In Fukushima Prefecture, pilot projects are underway to confirm that reusing the soil is safe. In September 2024, the International Atomic Energy Agency (#IAEA) concluded that the government's plan complies with its safety standards. However, scientific assurances on safety alone have not been enough to advance the plan. Concerns about potential health risks and local reputational damage remain unresolved.

"In 2022, the Ministry of the Environment attempted to reuse the soil at three facilities it manages, including Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden in Tokyo, but the plan was derailed by strong opposition from residents. To this day, there is no clear timeline for implementation.

"Additionally, about a quarter of the removed soil is still too highly contaminated to be reused. This portion will require final disposal outside Fukushima Prefecture, but no schedule or location has been determined.

"Public understanding of the issue remains insufficient. A December 2023 survey conducted by the Ministry of the Environment revealed that over 70% of people outside Fukushima Prefecture were unaware of the plans for reusing or disposing of the soil.

"The electricity generated by the Fukushima Daiichi plant was primarily consumed in metropolitan areas, especially the Tokyo region. Dealing with the waste soil is a responsibility that must be acknowledged by those who benefited from that power.

"Meanwhile, the decommissioning of the plant is behind schedule, and those displaced from their hometowns around it are growing increasingly anxious. It is the government's responsibility to urgently present a clear path forward to address the aftermath of the nuclear disaster."

Source:
msn.com/en-xl/science/environm…
#TEPCOLies #IAEALies #NuclearPowerCorruptionAndLies #RethinkNotRestart #NoNukes #Bioaccumulation #NuclearPollution #NuclearContamination #Japan