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1、DoublestandardsequallyriskyonnuclearissuesByMarioCavoloUpdated:2023-09-0614:54f.l11+SHIYUChinaDaily1.ikemanyacrosstheworld,Ialsohadthoughttheissueofthenuclear-contaminatedwaterfromthedamagedFukushimanuclearpowerplanthadbeensettled.ButwhenIrecentlyreadinaChannelNewsAsiareportthatJapanesegovernmentoff
2、icialshadsaidtheradioactivewaterhadtobedischargedintotheseatoavoidaccidentalleaksandcreatespaceforstoringmorewastewaterthatwasaccumulatinginthedestroyednuclearreactoroftheFukushimaplant,Irealizedsomethingwasseriouslywrong.ThattheJapanesegovernmentisconcernedaboutanyaccidentalleaksmeanstheradioactive
3、waterisobviouslyisnotsafe.Andifthatisthecase,whyisJapandumpingitintothesea?TheJapanesegovernmentthentoldtheworldthattheradioactivewaterwouldbetreatedbeforebeingdischargedintothesea,andthereisnothingtoworryaboutbecausethetreatmentwillremoveallthenuclidesfromthewater.ButthisassurancecamefromTokyoElect
4、ricPowerCompany,whichownsthedamagedFukushimaplant,andhasliedabouttheradioactivewaterandthenuclearreactorscountlesstimesbefore.ThenIlearnedthatJapanhadinvitedtheInternationalAtomicEnergyAgencytostudythesituation.ThisshouldhavemademebelievethedecisionoftheJapanesegovernmentandTEPCOtodumptheradioactive
5、waterintotheseawasbasedonfoolproofscientificstudies.ButtheIAEA,scorestatementontheFukushimacrisisexplicitlystatesthatitdoesnotendorseorrecommendthedischargeplan,whichraisestwoveryimportantquestions.First,whydorecentheadlinesinTheNewYorkTimessuggestitistreatingJapanwithkidgloves?WhyistheWestsapproach
6、toJapanverydifferentfromthewayitdealtwithRussiain1993whenthelatterfacedaninternationaluproarafterannouncingitwasplanningtoreleasenuclear-contaminatedwaterintothesea?Russiawasforcedtoabandonitsplan,heedingthecalloftheinternationalcommunity.Andsecond,whydoesntJapantreattheradioactivewaterfromtheFukush
7、imafacilityanduseitdomesticallyitifitissafetodrinkaftertreatment,asTEPCOclaimed?WouldntthatbebetterthanJapandumpingtheradioactivewaterintotheseaandcontaminatingthemarineenvironmentandecologyandthreateningthehealthofpeoplearoundtheworld?IfChinadidthesame,theUnitedStatesanditsallieswouldhavelaunchedas
8、cathingattack.Toputitsimply,Japanisbeingirresponsible,becauseitwantstosavemoneyandmaketherestoftheworld,especiallyitsneighboringcountries,todealwiththethreatthenuclear-contaminatedwaterwillpose.Somepeoplehavebeentryingtoconfusepeoplebyfocusingonlyontheexistenceoftritiumintheradioactivewater,claiming
9、thecoolingwaterChinareleasesfromitsnuclearplantshasthesameradioactiveelement.Thiscomparisonismisplaced,becausenuclearplantsnotonlyinChinabutalsointherestoftheworld,includingthoseintheUS,Franceandmanyothercountries,releasecoolingwaterwiththesamecontentsintothesea.Coolingwaterisnotthesameasthenuclear-
10、contaminatedwaterfromdamagednuclearpowerplantssuchasChemobylandFukushima.Japansdischargeplanwillcostabout$100billioninlostseafoodexportsbecausemostofthepeoplearoundtheworldhavesaidtheywillnolongerconsumeseafoodfromJapanbecauseofhealthconcerns,butalsobecausetheywanttopunishJapanforreleasingtheradioac
11、tivewaterintotheseawithoutconsultingothercountries.Also,ifyouaccuseonlyChinaofbadgeringJapanbybanningtheimportofJapaneseagriculturalproducts,seafoodinparticular,beawarethatoverthepastyear,USimportsofJapaneseseafoodhaveplummeted.SowhileUSpoliticiansaresuspiciouslysilent,USconsumersarenot.TheUSmilitar
12、y,backin2011,filedacaseseekingcompensationtocoverthecostofthecatastrophicdamageservicemenontheUSSReaganhadsufferedduetoradiationfromtheFukushimaplant.Accordingtoacomplaintlawyersfiledincourt,Atalltimesrelevantherein,theJapanesegovernment(TEPCO)keptrepresentingthattherewasnodangerofradiationcontamina
13、tiontotheUSSReagan(CVN-76)and/oritscrew,thateverythingisundercontrol,1,allisOK,youcantrustus,*andthereis,noimmediatedangerorthreattohumanlife,allthewhilelyingthroughtheirteethaboutthereactormeltdownsatFNPP.Infact,inOctober2012,TEPCOacknowledgedthatithadplayeddownthesafetyrisksattheFukushimafacilityo
14、utoffearthattheywouldleadtotheshutdownoftheplant.Worse,reportsrevealedthatbeforethe2011earthquakecatastropheJapan,snuclearregulatorslobbedaccusationsofmassnegligenceagainstTEPCO,andTEPCOhadfailedtoinspect33piecesofequipmentattheFukushima-Daiichiplant.Somethingiscertainlynotrighthere.IsuggestJapanese
15、officialsmakeadecisionthatdoesn,tharmanypartyandshowstheinternationalcommunitytherespectitwarrants.Theauthorisanon-residentseniorfellowattheCenterforChinaandGlobalization.TheviewsdontnecessarilyreflectthoseofChinaDaily.TheopinionsexpressedherearethoseofthewriteranddonotnecessarilyrepresenttheviewsofChinaDailyandChinaDailywebsite.Ifyouhaveaspecificexpertise,orwouldliketoshareyourthoughtaboutourstories,thensendusyourwritingsatopinion,andcomment.
