TheJapanesegovernment"sdecisiontodischargethenuclear-contaminatedwaterfromtheFukushimaDaiichinuclearpowerplantintotheseahas,fromtheverybeginning,beenquestionedandopposedbytheinternationalcommunity.NewsreportssayJapanplanstoreleasethetritium-contaminatedwaterfromthecrippledplantintotheseathissummer.

Japan"splanisanextremelyirresponsiblemove.Ithasignoredtheprofessionalandauthoritativeopinionsofinternationalagenciesandoppositionathomeandabroad,showingitsdisregardforthemarineenvironmentandpublichealth.

Thevolumeofnuclear-contaminatedwaterJapanhasdecidedtodischargeintotheseaanditspotentialrisksareunprecedented.Theradioactivewastewatercontainsmorethan60radionuclides,manyofwhichcannotbeeffectivelytreatedwithexistingtechnologies.

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Someofthoseradionuclidescouldbespreadacrosstheoceansbycurrentsandeddiesanddamagethemarineenvironmentandecology.Thecontaminatedwastewater,plannedtobedischargedintotheseaoveraperiodof30years,willhaveanimpactonthemarineenvironmentandpublichealthworldwide.

AccordingtoaGermanmarinescientificresearchinstitute,giventhestrongcurrentsalongthecoastofFukushima,radioactivematerialscouldspreadtomostofthePacificOceanwithin57daysfromthedayofthedischarge,andreachalloceanswithinadecade.AndGreenpeacenuclearexpertshavesaidtheleveloftheradioactiveisotopecarbon-14inthewastewaterwillremainhazardousforthousandsofyearswithpotentialtocausegeneticdamage.

AllcountriesareobligedtoabidebytheprovisionsoftheUnitedNationsConventionontheLawoftheSeaontheprotectionandpreservationofthemarineenvironment,andjointlyprotectplanetEarth.

AccordingtoprovisionsofgeneralinternationallawandtheUNCLOS,Japanisobligedtotakeallpossiblemeasurestopreventpollutionofthemarineenvironment,notifyandconsultwithstateslikelytobeaffected,assessandmonitortheenvironmentalimpact,takeprecautionarymeasurestominimizethepossiblehazardouseffects,ensuretransparency,andengageininternationalcooperationtoreducetherisksofdamagingthemarineenvironment.

ButtheJapanesesidehasbeenshunningitsresponsibilitiesandinternationalobligationsusingvariouspretexts,andhasaudaciouslydecidedtodischargethenuclearcontaminatedwaterintothesea.Infact,theInternationalAtomicEnergyAgencytaskforce,whichhasconductedasafetyassessmentandreleasedareportinJapan,hasaverylimitedmandateasagreedbetweenJapanandtheIAEA.Also,theIAEAisnotauthorizedtoevaluateoptionsotherthanthedischargeplan.Therefore,JapancannotusetheIAEA"sreportasanexcusetodumpthenuclear-contaminatedwastewaterintotheocean.

Japan"splantodumpthetoxicwastewaterintotheseaisnottheonlywaytodealwiththecontaminatedwaternorisitthesafestwayofdisposal.Butbeforethoroughlyexploringallsafemeansofdisposal,Japanhasunilaterallydecidedtodischargethetoxicwastewaterintotheoceantoreduceeconomiccosts,andputmarinelifeandhumanhealthatseriousrisk.

TheJapanesegovernmenthasrepeatedlyclaimed,albeitwithoutprovingit,thatthecontaminatedwaterissafeenoughtodrinkafterbeingtreated.ButaccordingtothedatareleasedbyJapan,morethan70percentofthetreatedcontaminatedwaterstoredintanksstillhasradioactiveelementsthatfarexceedtheregulatorylimitsfordischarge.Asamatteroffact,areportfromJapansaidfishcaughtintheharborclosetothecripplednuclearplantcontainradioactivecaesiummorethan180timesJapan"slegallimit.

ItisapitythatsomeWesterngovernmentsandmediaoutlets,whicharepronetohypingupenvironmentalissuessuchastheChernobylnuclearaccidentintheSovietUnionin1986andsmogandsandstormsinChinainpastyears,haverespondedtoJapan"sdecisionratherpassively.Theyavoidtalkingaboutthehazardstheradioactivewastewaterposetothemarineenvironmentandhumanlife,withsomeevenacquiescingtoJapan"smove,thusexposingtheirhypocrisy.

TheoceanisneitherJapan"strashbinnorsewer.Insteadofsacrificingmarinelifeandhumanhealth,Japanshouldheedinternationalconcerns,fulfillitsinternationalobligations,changeitsdischargeplan,andexploreallalternativemeanstodisposetheradioactivewastewaterinascientific,transparentandsafemannerunderinternationaloversight.

TheauthoristhecommissioneroftheMinistryofForeignAffairsofthePeople"sRepublicofChinaintheMacaoSpecialAdministrativeRegion.

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