War of words with Democratic Party Woo Won-sik at the Ministry of Environment’s audit of government affairs
On the 11th, Minister of Environment Han Hwa-jin reiterated his previous position that the discharge of contaminated water from Japan’s Fukushima has minimal impact on our waters.
Minister Han said at the Ministry of Environment audit held at the Environment and Labor Committee of the National Assembly in Yeouido that day, Democratic Party lawmaker Woo Won-sik said, “I went on a broadcast not long ago and said, as an environmental scientist, ‘The discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant has a minimal impact on our waters. I said, ‘It’s not a meaningful number at all.’ When asked, “Are you really confident,” he answered, “Yes.”
Representative Woo continued, “If you look at the report on the impact of contaminated water containing radioactive substances on the human body prepared by the Yoon Seok-yeol government’s Disease Administration last year, it is said that dumping contaminated water can significantly increase the public’s radiation exposure, so it is important to investigate the short- and long-term effects of dumping contaminated water. When asked, “What did you feel?”, Minister Han responded, “I see that as one of the results of the report research.”
When Rep. Woo asked, “Is such a story a ghost story or science?” Minister Han responded, “Even if it is called science, it can be reviewed under various issues. He responded, “This is not an investigation into the risks of contaminated water from nuclear power plants.”
Also, when Rep. Woo asked, “Has Japan conducted an environmental impact assessment to maintain biodiversity?” Minister Han responded, “(Japan) has conducted a radioactive environmental impact assessment.”
However, Rep. Woo said, “Please demand (Japan to conduct a biodiversity environmental impact assessment),” adding, “If this is an issue that the public is concerned about, demand it because the Ministry of Environment manages the biodiversity convention. He raised his voice, saying, “If you don’t ask for it, it’s dereliction of duty.”
When Minister Han responded again, saying, “Japan has now conducted a radiation environmental impact assessment,” Rep. Woo explained the radioactive environmental impact assessment conducted by Tokyo Electric Power Company, saying, “We have also analyzed the radioactive environmental impact assessment.”
Regarding the radioactive environmental impact assessment conducted by Japan, Rep. Woo said, “It is a simulation period of one year from fiscal year 2021, and based on this, contaminated water will be discharged for 30 years.” He added, “How can we know by evaluating only one year? So we “The Agency for Disease Control and Prevention needs a long-term impact assessment, so can the Ministry of Environment say that Japan did a good job based on a one-year assessment?” he asked.
In response, Minister Han asserted, “The long-term impact assessment is reflected, and the international community also acknowledges this.”
Rep. Woo also said, “According to a report prepared by the Japan Atomic Data Information Center in August of this year, in the case of cesium-137, up to 2,400 times more of such material is now flowing out than the contaminated water treated with Alps (multi-nuclide removal facility), and the contaminated water is also “In addition to the 1.34 million tons that will be discarded over 30 years, more than 100 tons are generated every day.”
He continued, “If you add all that together, there is a huge amount of water that just flows out in addition to the purified contaminated water. “How can you say it is safe?”
When Minister Han responded, “All of that is now contaminated water to be discharged a second time,” Rep. Woo reprimanded Minister Han, saying, “Please take a good look at it and say something.”
At the same time, Rep. Woo said, “According to our legal system, (contaminated water) cannot be diluted. If you dilute it, you will be punished, but (Minister Han) said that it can be diluted. “What is the basis for this?” he asked.
In response, Minister Han said, “According to the Water Environment Conservation Act, nuclear power plants are classified as liquid waste. “If you look at the Nuclear Safety Act, it allows for dilution with water,” he said. “Because what comes out of a nuclear power plant is not waste water, the Nuclear Safety Act stipulates that it can be diluted.”
Rep. Woo then said, “The rules regarding technical regulations such as radioactive safety management allow radioactive materials to be diluted in a large amount of water within the workplace. (But) this refers to normal nuclear power plant activities,” he said, adding, “The regulations on standards for radioactive waste separation and self-disposal state that dilution should not be done.”
He said, “Now this is not a normal nuclear power plant, but an accident nuclear power plant. Therefore, it is a completely different regulation from the regulation that allows dilution of this substance discharged within a business establishment.”
Then Minister Han said, “That means that there is no dilution when treating general waste within the nuclear power plant area,” adding, “Nuclear power plant water is not wastewater. Therefore, it does not fall under the Water Environment Conservation Act. “This is a liquid radioactive material,” he said, again insisting that it could be diluted.
In response, Rep. Woo said, “(Discharge from the Fukushima nuclear power plant) is contaminated water. It is radioactive waste. “It is not a substance that comes from a normal (nuclear power plant),” he said to a minister, adding, “You are making an unreasonable claim disguised as science.”
In response, Minister Han also said, “It is not unreasonable. “National law also stipulates that liquid radioactive waste can be diluted with a large amount of water,” he countered.
Minister Han continued to provide supplementary explanations regarding the contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant during the question period of People Power Party lawmaker Lee Ju-hwan.
He said, “The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s report did not investigate and analyze scientific safety, such as the risk of contaminated water from nuclear power plants, but as a preliminary investigation, it reviewed domestic and foreign literature and presented a fundamental investigation method.” He added, “According to the report, the “Considering the ocean currents flowing toward the Pacific Ocean in the U.S., we are analyzing that the impact on the domestic ocean is very low,” he said, repeating the previous claim.
Also, regarding Tokyo Electric Power Company’s radioactive impact assessment, he said, “It reflected not only the short-term impact assessment method, but also the long-term impact assessment, that is, ecological environmental impact and long-term impact assessment,” and added, “The international community also recognized this.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.