Page 30 - Zenith 2023-웹용

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Zenith 2023 ↘ 2) Global Issues 30

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Japan controversially

plans to discharge

contaminated water

from Fukushima nuclear

power plant

The issue of radioactive contaminated water from the
Fukushima nuclear power plant, which is emerging as a
global environmental problem, has been controversial in the
international community due to the Japanese government's
plan to release it. As a result, the Japanese government
and the international community are facing a complex
situation which requires a lot of consideration in terms of
environment, health, and economy.
On March 11, 2011, a 9.0 earthquake hit the Fukushima nuclear power plant
in Japan. As a result, parts of the nuclear power plant were submerged and
the system for cooling the reactor failed to function, leading to the biggest
nuclear accident since the Chernobyl nuclear accident in Ukraine in 1986.
The Japanese government spent about 10 weeks without making a proper
initial response. In the meantime, a large amount of radioactive material was
released. Twelve years later, the Japanese government and TEPCO, which
operates the Fukushima nuclear power plant, are still dealing with the accident.
In April 2021, Japan decided to release Fukushima radioactive contaminated
water into the sea 1km away from the nuclear power plant over 30 years from
2023, after completing the necessary procedures and construction. Since
the contaminated water of nuclear power plants contains a large number of
radionuclides, if these substances enter the ocean, they can affect sea crabs
and other marine life.
In response, international environmental groups are calling on the Japanese
government to provide transparency and public information, raising concerns
about the effects of radioactive pollution on the ecology and health problems