Groups call for a nuclear power ban and no radioactive water dump at Fukushima

By No Nukes Asia Forum Japan • Citizens’Nuclear Information Center • Friends of the Earth Japan

On the 10th Anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, groups in Japan have initiated an international signature campaign against the discharge of contaminated water and calling for the discontinuation of nuclear power plants now! Please join this campaign by signing the petition.

The Japanese government is planning to release Fukushima’s radioactive contaminated water into the ocean. Japanese citizens, from Fukushima Prefecture and beyond, are strongly opposed to this plan.

The Fukushima Prefecture Fishermen’s Association, with the backing of the Fishermen’s Association from all over Japan, have submitted an opinion of opposition to the government. The Fukushima Prefecture Agricultural Cooperatives and Forestry Associations along with 43 local governments in Fukushima Prefecture also participated in this campaign, and 450,000 citizens from across Japan have signed a petition against the government plan.

Fishermen from all over Japan, as well as a huge groundswell of Japanese public, are strongly opposed to the proposal to dump radioactive water into the ocean from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant site. (Photo:Matthias Lambrecht/Creative Commons)

The threat of the release of contaminated water has triggered much concern and opposition among citizenry overseas as well, including those from neighboring countries.

Contaminated water from Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant has already exceeded 1.24 million tons. We are deeply concerned about the adverse effects the water will have on the human body by way of consuming fish and shellfish, which are staples in the region’s diet.

We demand the Japanese government keep the contaminated water stored in the tanks until the water’s levels of radioactivity are significantly reduced. The government could also adopt mortar-induced radioactive waste solidification technology.

Meanwhile, in neighboring South Korea, the government has advocated for denuclearization with its energy plan on paper but has not ceased to build new nuclear power plants (NPPs). Serious safety breaches have been reported repeatedly, including (but not limited to) the recent tritium leak at Wolsong NPP in Gyeongju and the disclosure of an air gap in the containment building at Yeonggwang Hanbit NPP.

Serious safety breaches have been reported repeatedly at South Korea’s Wolsong nuclear power plant. (Photo: IAEA/Wikimedia Commons)

In Taiwan, the government is ostensibly advancing forward to become the first nuclear-free country in Asia under the slogan of “Zero nuclear power generation in 2025.” However, the Taiwanese government plans to hold a referendum on resuming the construction of the 4th NPP in August 2021.

The construction of NPPs continues in Turkey and India while other countries, including the Philippines, seek new opportunities to build NPPs.

Debates over safe storage and disposal of nuclear waste that will affect future generations for hundreds of thousands of years continue in Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Australia.

Ten years have passed since the Fukushima nuclear disaster yet attempts to maintain nuclear power linger on in Asia and other regions of the world. However, at a time the world is turning to renewable energy, we are becoming increasingly aware the time of nuclear power has expired.

We demand that:

·The Japanese government stop its plan to discharge Fukushima NPP’s contaminated water into the ocean;

·The Korean government disclose information on the actual state of radioactive leakage at Wolseong NPP;

·All governments abandon plans to build new NPPs and instead focus on expanding renewable energy;

·All governments discontinue the operation of hazardous NPPs and drop plans to extend their life spans; and

·Stop building nuclear waste facilities without explicit consent of residents.

The petition was initiated by24 countries (255 organizations)

【Australia】Friends of the Earth Australia、Marrickville Peace Group、People for Nuclear Disarmament、Port Adelaide/Semaphore Amnesty International Australia Action Group、Remembering and Healing、Sydney Peace & Justice Coalition、Uranium Free NSW

【Austria】Independent Salzburg Platform Against Nuclear、Wiener Plattform Atomkraftfrei

【Belarus】Institute of Radiation Safety(BELRAD)

【Belgium】Fin du nucleaire、Nucleaire Stop Kernenergie

【Brazil】Coalition for Brazil free of Nuclear Plants、International Uranium Film Festival

【Bulgaria】Za Zemiata (FoE Bulgaria)

【China】Blue Dalian

【Czech】Javorice

【Finland】Women Against Nuclear Power、Women for Peace、

【France】Bure en Retz、CCOA-ADN75、ECHO-Echanges、Editions de Fukushima、Fukushima blog、Fukushima informations 福島新たな原子力、Nos Voisins Lointains 3.11、Pectine Nonuke、Reseau Sortir du Nucleaire、Sortir du nucleaire Sarthe、Sortir du Nucleaire Tregor in Brittany、The Fukushima Voices、Vosges Alternatives au Nucleaire、STOP NUCLEAIRE DRÖME ARDECHE、よそものネット・フランス(パリ)

【Germany】Aktionsbuendnis Energiewende Heilbronn、Arbeitsgemeinschaft AtomErbe Neckarwestheim、Buendnis Fukushima-Neckarwestheim、Buergerinitiative GegenGift Heilbronn/UnterLand、Bund der Buergerinitiativen Mittlerer Neckar、Bundesverband Bürgerinitiativen Umweltschutz、さよなら ニュークス デュセルドルフ

【India】National Alliance of People’s Movements、Indian Social Action Forum、Indigenous Perspectives、Jharkhandi Organisation Against Redaition-JOAR-JADUGODA、Poovulagin Nanbargal、Socialist Party、SUTRA(Society for Social Uplift Through Rural Action)

【Indonesia】MANI(Indonesia Anti-Nuclear Society)

【Italia】Centro di documentazione(Semi sotto la neve)、日伊の架橋-朋・アミーチ

【Japan】会津放射能情報センター、Friends of the Earth Japan、核燃サイクル阻止1万人訴訟原告団、柏崎刈羽原発反対地元三団体、柏崎巻原発に反対する在京者の会、上関原発止めよう!広島ネットワーク、9とよさかピースの会、熊本・原発止めたい女たちの会、グリーン・アクション、グローバリゼーションを問う広島ネットワーク、玄海原発プルサーマル裁判の会、原子力教育を考える会、原子力行政を問い直す宗教者の会、原発事故被害者団体連絡会、子ども脱被ばく裁判の会、これ以上海を汚すな!市民会議、Citizens’Nuclear Information Center、原水爆禁止日本国民会議、原発いらない福島の女たち、原発おことわり三重の会、原発さよなら四国ネットワーク、原発とめよう!九電本店前ひろば、再稼働阻止全国ネットワーク、さようなら柏崎刈羽原発プロジェクト、さよなら玄海原発の会・久留米、さよなら島根原発ネットワーク、さよなら原発神戸アクション、さよなら原発なら県ネット、市民放射能監視センター(ちくりん舎)、ストップ秘密保護法かながわ、ソーラーネット、高木基金、脱原発アクションin香川、脱原発福島ネットワーク、たまあじさいの会、たんぽぽ舎、とめよう原発!関西ネットワーク、豊橋いのちと未来を守る会、虹とみどりの会、No Nukes Asia Forum Japan、浜岡原発を考える静岡ネットワーク、ピースボート、東日本大震災避難者の会 Thanks & Dream、フクシマ・アクション・プロジェクト、ふくしま地球市民発伝所、プルトニウムフリーコミニケーション神奈川、ベクレルフリー北海道、放射能から豊中の市民・子どもを守る会、放射能ゴミ焼却を考えるふくしま連絡会、緑の党グリーンズジャパン、緑のハーモニー、緑ふくしま、みやぎ金曜デモの会、みやぎ脱原発・風の会、モニタリングポストの継続配置を求める市民の会・三春、若狭の原発を考える会

【Korea】韓国脱核市民行動、キリスト教環境連帯、労働者連帯、Green Party、Green Korea、大田脱核希望、仏教生態コンテンツ研究所、仏教環境連帯、サムチョク核発電所反対闘争委員会、市民放射能監視センター、子供コープ生協、エネルギー気候政策研究所、エネルギー正義行動、霊光核発電所安全性確保のための共同行動、ウォルソン原発隣接地域移住対策委員会、正義党、政治するオンマたち、済州脱核道民行動、参与連帯、天主教男子長上協議会正義平和環境委員会、天主教イエス会社会使徒職委員会、緑を描く、脱核慶州市民共同行動、韓国YWCA連合会、韓国天主教女子修道会長上連合会、ハンサルリム連合、核のない世界のための高敞郡民行動、核のない社会のための大邱市民行動、 核のない社会のための忠北行動、核のない世界光州全南行動、Korean Federation for Environmental Movement、環境正義

【Philippines】ABAKADA-MAPALAD KA、Nuclear Free Bataan Movement、KILUSAN Para sa Pambansang Demokrasya、Coal Free Bataan Movement、Young Bataenos Environmental Advocacy Network、KILUSAN Bataan、Nuclear Free Pilipinas、PEACE WOMEN PARTNERS

【Romania】TERRA Millennium III Foundation

【Russia】Socio-ecological union international

【Sweden】Naturskyddsforeningen i Alvsbyn、Swedish Antinuclear Movement

【Taiwan】台湾環境保護連盟(Taiwan Environmental Protection Union)綠色公民行動聯盟(Green Citizens’ Action Alliance)地球公民基金會(Citizen of the earth)媽媽監督核電廠聯盟(Mom Loves Taiwan Association)守望文教基金會(Taiwan Watch Foundation)台灣蠻野心足生態協會(Wild at heart Legal Defense Association)北海岸反核行動聯盟、看守台灣協會(Taiwan Watch Institute)PAPA非核陣線(papa nonuke front)環境法律人協會、台灣環境資訊協會、彰化縣環境保護聯盟、主婦聯盟環境保護基金會、台灣媽祖魚保育聯盟、台灣千里歩道協會、台灣永社、人本教育基金會、新北市愛鄉協會、林口社區大學、台灣同志諮詢熱線協會、綠色和平、綠黨(Green Party)

【Turkey】Nukleersiz.org、Nukleer Karsiti Platform(NKP)Istanbul、Mersin Nukleer Karsiti Platform(NKP)、Sinop Nukleer Karsiti Platform(NKP)、Elektrik Muhendisleri Odasi(EMO)、Yenifoca Forum、Sinop Cevre Dostları Dernegi、Emek Partisi Sinop il orgutu、Sinop NKP Der、Sinop Kent Haklari Dernegi(KENT SAV)、Egitim İs Sinop Subesi、Egitim Sen、Sinop Tip、Sinop Tukoder、Gerze Halkevi ve Gerze Bilim Kultur Sanat ve Spor Dernegi、Ataturkcu Düsünce Dernegi Sinop、Çağdas Yasami Destekleme Dernegi Sinop、Yeryuzu Dernegi、Yeni Insan Yayınevi、Samsun Cevre Platformu(24assoc)、Mersin Cevre ve Doga Dernegi、Bakirtepe Cevre Platformu、Kazdagi Dogal ve Kulturel Varliklari Koruma Dernegi、Divrigi kültür derneği、Mezopotamya Ekoloji Hareketi、Amed Ekoloji Dernegi、Hevsel Koruma Platformu、Burhaniye Cevre Platformu(BURCEP)、Dogader、Artvin Cevre Platformu、Soke Cevre Platformu、Ordu Cevre Dernegi、Antalya Ekoloji Meclisi、Kusadası Cevre Platformu、Yesil Artvin Derneği、Mardin Ekoloji Dernegi、Aydın Cevre ve Kultur Dernegi(AYCEP)、Ekoloji Birligi、Her yer Kazdaglari、Kazdaglari K、ardesligi、Mugla Cevre Platformu、Datca Kultur Sanat Dayanismasi、Doganın Cocuklari、Cesme Cevre Platformu、Ayvalik Tabiat Platformu、Agonya Doga Koruma Girisimi、Munzur Cevre Derneği、Gokova Ekolojik Yasam Dernegi、Cine Yasam Platformu(CIYAP)、Bozcaada Forum、Munzur Koruma Kurulu(DEDEF)、Troya Cevre Derneği、Karadeniz Isyandadir、Didim Cevre Platformu、Ege Cevre ve Kulturr Platformu(EGECEP)、Karaburun Kent Konseyi、Yarimada Yesilleri ve Çesme,Urla,Seferihisar,Karaburun Cevre Platformu、Kazdaglari Istanbul Dayanismasi、Didim Egitim ve Cevre Dernegi、Yenisehir Cevre Platformu、Yalova Platformu、Validebag Gonulluleri Dernegi、Emirdağ Yaylalari Doga Platformu、Yasam Ve Dayanisma Yolcuları

【UK】Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament、CND Cymru-the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in Wales、JAN (Japanese Against Nuclear)、Rochdale and Littleborough Peace Group、South Lakeland and Lancaster District Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament、Suffolk Coastal Friends of the Earth

【USA】able、Beyond Nuclear、All-African People’s Revolutionary Party、Indian Point Safe Energy Coalition、NO Nukes Action,California、Nuclear Information and Resource Service、Nuclear Watch South、Samuel Lawrence Foundation、the Manhattan Project for a Nuclear-Free World、Veterans For Peace – NYC Chapter 34

Sign the petition here. For more information, please contact: Nukes Asia Forum Japan sdaisuke@rice.ocn.ne.jp

Headline photo: Japanese protest flag, by Matthias Lambrecht/Creative Commons.

The original article can be found here