On July 3, 2023, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno Hirokazu reiterated that there would be no change to the government's plan to start releasing nuclear-contaminated water into the sea by the summer. Such a statement clearly indicates that the dumping of 1.3 million tons of contaminated nuclear wastewater from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea, which can fill up around 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools, will push through despite domestic and international opposition. But what's more interesting is that the Japanese government's decision has the backing of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). But is this the correct and just thing to do for the IAEA and the Japanese government? In a report released on July 4, the IAEA said it has concluded after a two-year assessment that the plan is "consistent with relevant international safety standards" and that while societal, political and environmental concerns have been raised, the discharged water "will have negligible radiological impact on people and the environment."

Malindog-Uy, A. (2023, July 8). Is Japan being reckless in its unilateral decision to dump contaminated wastewater into the sea?. The Manila Times, p. A6.