Koreans Are Pissed at Radioactive Water Dumping by TEPCO

Yomiuri's Seoul Correspondent reports (in Japanese; 11:19AM JST 4/5/2011):

(Seoul: Takashi Nakagawa) Regarding the release of radiation contaminated water into the ocean from Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, the South Korean government conveyed its worries to Japan's Foreign Ministry through its Embassy in Japan at night of April 4 [when TEPCO started dumping], that "this may cause problems in international law."

The South Korean government is not pleased that there was no prior, formal notice from the Japanese government concerning the release of the contaminated water.

【ソウル＝仲川高志】韓国政府は４日夜、福島第一原発で汚染水が海に放出された問題で、在日韓国大使館を通じ、日本外務省に「国際法的問題を引き起こす可能性がある」との懸念を伝えた。

　韓国政府は、日本政府から汚染水の放出について、事前に正式な通告がなかったことを問題視している。

The response to that from the Japanese government? Here's what the government's mouthpiece Chief Cabinet Secretary Edano said in the morning presser on April 5 (from Asahi):

Question: This (dumping contaminated water) may be in violation of the international treaty to prevent pollution of the ocean. Have you explained [the situation] to the countries that would be affected?

Edano: The government has notified according to the treaty. However, the affected countries are on the Pacific Ocean, so the government has reported to an international organization [he doesn't say which international organization] instead of each individual countries.

――国際法の海洋汚染防止条約に違反するのではないかと思うが、周辺国には説明をしているのか。

　「条約に基づいての通報はしている。ただこの場合、周辺国というのが太平洋側なので、直接に個別の国というよりも国際機関の方に報告している」

Hmmmm. South Korea is on the Japan Sea side, and it is already been affected by the radioactive materials falling on their country.

(I'd better take a closer look at the French paper on radiation effect on marine environment. It has a simulation on how the radioactive water may travel. It's in French, though, and that's my problem...)

Tweet