Twelve years after the earthquake, tsunami, and subsequent nuclear meltdown in Fukushima, The International Atomic Energy Agency has approved of Japan’s plans to release more than a million tons of treated nuclear waste water. This, however, came with a large amount of international backlash from countries surrounding the area such as South Korea and China. 

The issue stems from the fact that, though the water was treated, tritium and carbon-14 could not be removed. Tritium in large quantities has the potential to cause cancer and carbon-14 is an internal hazard to humans. 

Though Japan says radioactive material levels are safe for humans, many are worried about the environmental impacts. 

“Obviously nuclear waste isn’t great, but the experts have said that it’s super diluted and it’s well within safe limits,” AP Environmental Science teacher Richard Sabatier said. “The question then becomes does safe for humans mean acceptable for the environment. If it’s not treated properly, it would have devastating effects on the ocean environment. Most photosynthesizing organisms actually live in the ocean, so if you mess with those, you’d have less CO2 being absorbed, accelerating climate change.”

Though treated to lower carbon-14 and tritium to safe levels, Japan’s plans have garnered international scrutiny. 

“Japan has been dealing with a tricky situation since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, which severely damaged the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, AP U.S. Government and Politics teacher Amanda Peters said. “This issue extends far beyond Japan’s borders and can potentially stir up international political waters. There’s a genuine concern about how the radioactive material, even when diluted, could impact marine life and the livelihoods of fishermen in neighboring countries.”

The Japanese government, however, has assured that the water has been treated and is safe to release into the ocean. To prove this even further, the Japanese Prime Minister ate fish that was said to be from the release site. 

“From what I’ve read and heard, compared to other countries and how they handle nuclear waste, it seems that in Japan, it’s not as harmful as people presume because of the facilities they have that treat the wastewater before releasing it into the ocean,” Tokyo resident Kana Hung said. “Japan has ensured the water will cause little harm to marine life as well as humans.”

Sabatier is also confident that experts have tested the waters thoroughly enough for release. 

“Releasing it slowly in a super diluted way over a long period of time shouldn’t have too big of an impact, if at all,” Sabatier said. “There are people who are experts on this who say it’s safe, so when in doubt, I defer to what the majority of scientists are saying. 

Frisco ISD parent Younkyung Cho, a South Korean citizen, has been adamantly against the release of the treated water.

“I’m very against what Japan is doing because this is not just Japan’s decision,” Cho said. “We are eventually going to consume products from this contaminated water and we could get sick. We know that radioactive material and nuclear waste can cause cancer and infertility and even cause birth defects.” 

Cho’s husband, Youngsub Han, was in Japan moments before the disaster struck. 

“The accident happened in March of 2011 and I was in Japan in January of that year,” Han said. “The clean-up when the accident occurred was very messy as they released contaminated water back then too. I think it’s not very courteous of Japan to just dump this water even when, for years, countries like South Korea, China, Taiwan, and Russia have all expressed their concern.”

Relationships between South Korea, Japan, and China have often been tumultuous and this news has not relieved the tensions. 

“This issue is a delicate matter when it comes to Japan’s relations with South Korea and China,” Peters said. “This situation could lead to increased tensions and impact the diplomatic relations between these nations if not addressed thoughtfully and collaboratively.”

From Cho’s perspective, the tension between South Korea and Japan has only gotten worse over the years and culture has begun to shift. 

“The relations between South Korea and Japan have definitely gotten worse after this,” Cho said. “Korean civilians particularly are upset because seafood is a big part of our culture. And Busan which is a fishing community will be especially hit hard. My household is currently not eating any seafood. And we’re boycotting Japanese foods and goods.”