August 3, 2022

Consulate General of Japan in New York

An Open Letter to the Government of Japan from Concerned Groups, Elected Officials, and Scholars of the World

Dear Prime Minister of Japan, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry,

We, the undersigned, are groups, elected officials, and scholars. We are sending this letter to strongly condemn the decision of the Japanese government to release more than 1.28 million metric tons of radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean. We would greatly appreciate it if you could share this letter with Prime Minister as well as Ministers and the leadership of the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tokyo.

We are very concerned that Hitachi’s Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) cannot remove all radioactive materials before the dumping, as the Japanese government has repeatedly admitted. The contaminated water stored at the Fukushima Daiichi is fundamentally different from the water coming from a nuclear power plant during a regular operation.

The contaminated water at the Fukushima Daiichi is highly radioactive because it was used to cool the highly radioactive melted core of at least three nuclear reactors of the crippled plant that had meltdowns caused by the loss of cooling capability in March 2011.  Due to the ongoing high radiation dose at the facility – as high as 42 Sv/h in a reactor containment vessel that could kill a person instantly in addition to 5150 mSv/h in the reactor buildings - the radioactive water accumulated in the Fukushima Daiichi contains an extremely high level of radioactivity. ^[1] [2]  Radioactive isotopes, such as tritium (H-3) and carbon-14 cannot be isolated from water at all by the ALPS. ^[3] [4] Radioactive iodine, ruthenium, strontium, and other radioactive isotopes may also remain in the water after being processed by the ALPS.

In April 2021, three independent human rights experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council expressed deep regret at the decision of Japan in a joint statement, saying that the “decision is particularly disappointing as experts believe alternative solutions to the problem are available.” ^[5] They expressed their concerns that the dumping of radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi “could impact millions of lives and livelihoods in the Pacific region,” and such dumping “imposes considerable risks to the full enjoyment of human rights of concerned populations in and beyond the borders of Japan,” and “reminded Japan of its international obligations to prevent exposure to hazardous substances, to conduct environmental impact assessments of the risks that the discharge of water may have, to prevent transboundary environmental harms, and to protect the marine environment.” ^[6] 

We join international calls for the Japanese government to halt its decision to dump radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean. We also request the government to explore alternative safer options of long-term storage at the Fukushima Daiichi or near the site to minimize the health impacts on people and all living things. Such measures will also protect the environment of the Pacific Ocean.

Plans to dilute the radioactive water do not change the quantity of radioactivity that Japan will dump into the Pacific Ocean. Such radioactivity could accumulate in parts of the marine environment and living organisms through bioaccumulation.

We are also concerned about the long-term impacts on the wide Pacific region from the dumping of such a large amount of radioactive water. The Pacific Ocean accounts for a large percentage of the world's fisheries, and many of the communities in the region are dependent on these resources. In addition, many of the states in the Pacific have long suffered from the effects of nuclear testing and illicit dumping of radioactive waste by wealthy nations. We must not forget that these communities have still been living with the threats of remaining contamination exposure, decimated environments, and generational trauma from nuclear testing.  

The dumping of radioactive water into the Pacific is also a violation of international law. The Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter of 1972 and the London Protocol prohibit dumping of any concentration of radioactive material into the sea.

Fukushima agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and consumer cooperatives strongly oppose the plan of Japan to dump radioactive water into the Pacific. They issued a joint statement regretting that the government has made such an important decision without their consent on April 13, 2021. They emphasized that they will continue to oppose such a decision to the ocean dumping until they were convinced that “not only the fishermen but also the international community and the people of Japan will be able to understand and formulate public opinion in a sincere manner.” ^[7] According to a survey by Friends of the Earth Japan to fisheries cooperatives in the six prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Chiba, and Tokyo, almost all cooperatives also opposed the idea of ocean dumping. ^[8]

There are alternative options as solutions suggested by Japanese civil society groups, engineers, and researchers. These alternatives include existing technologies such as building large tanks at the site of TEPCO. ^[9] We were disappointed to learn that these alternatives and suggestions were not even discussed or taken into account.

We, the undersigned, call on the Japanese government to:

1. Withdraw its plan to release radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi site into the Pacific Ocean.

2. Listen to the firm opposing voices from cooperative organizations of agriculture, forestry, and fishery businesses and consumers in Fukushima, neighboring prefectures, and concerned groups in the international communities.

3. Stop the repeated use of misleading phrases such as “treated water” or “ALPS treated water” to describe the radioactive water processed by the ALPS. Such water still contains a large amount of radioactive tritium (H-3) and carbon-14, in addition to other radioactive isotopes, such as strontium-90 that could accumulate in bones and cause bone cancer and leukemia.

4. Consider and explore alternative options -  such as building large tanks using existing technologies - proposed by the local communities and civil society groups as alternative solutions to this grave issue.

5. Understand your responsibility to properly educate the international community that radioactive isotopes such as tritium and carbon-14 from the crippled nuclear power plant cannot be isolated from contaminated water at all by the ALPS or any other known technologies. Such radioactivity will remain in the radioactive water that Japan will dump into the Pacific Ocean for the next 30 to 40 years.

6. Acknowledge that characterization of tritium as harmless is reckless and counter to the science. Tritium is clinically shown to be more effective at damaging and destroying living cells than gamma rays. ^[10] Numerous studies indicate that tritium can produce typical radiogenic impacts including cancer, genetic effects, developmental abnormalities and reproductive effects. ^[11] Tritium can cause mutations, tumors and cell death. ^[12] Studies also indicate that lower doses of tritium can cause more cell death, mutations, and chromosome damage per dose than higher tritium doses. ^[13] 

7. Ensure transparency and protect the right to information by promptly publishing all relevant data and information, both in Japanese and English, regarding the ongoing issues relating to the radioactive water accumulated in the crippled nuclear power plant.

8. Conduct regular public hearings and guarantee the participation of residents, mothers, farmers, fishermen, representatives of civil society groups, and third-party experts independent from the nuclear industry in the decision-making processes related to these issues.

Sincerely,

Initial endorsing U.S. groups as of June 5, 2021

Manhattan Project for a Nuclear-Free World

Alliance for a Green Economy

Alliance for Environmental Strategies

Beyond Nuclear

Brooklyn For Peace

Buckeye Environmental Network

Citizens Resistance at Fermi Two (CRAFT)

Climate Crisis Policy

Coalition Against Nukes

Coalition for a Nuclear Free Great Lakes

CodePINK San Francisco Bay Area (Golden Gate) Chapter

Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety

Consequences of Radiation Exposure (CORE)

Don’t Waste Arizona

Don’t Waste Michigan

Eco-Logic, WBAI-FM

Ecological Options Network, EON

Environmental Justice Taskforce of the WNY Peace Center

Environmentalists Against War

Fukushima Fallout Awareness Network

Fukushima Response

Gender and Radiation Impact Project

Georgia Women’s Action for New Directions

Granny Peace Brigade NYC

Green State Solutions

Heart of America NW

Heiwa Peace and Reconciliation Foundation of New York

Hudson River Sloop Clearwater        

Multicultural Alliance for a Safe Environment

New Jersey Peace Action

New York Association for Gender Rights Advocacy (NYAGRA)

Nevada Nuclear Waste Task Force

Nuclear Energy Information Service

Nuclear Hotseat

Nuclear Information and Resource Service

Nukewatch

NYC Safe Energy Campaign

Occupy Bergen County (New Jersey)

On Behalf of Planet Earth

Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility

Peace Action Maine

Peace Action New York State

Peace Resource Center at Wilmington College

Proposition One Campaign for a Nuclear-Free Future

Reverse the Trend: Save Our People, Save Our Planet

RootsAction.org

Safe Energy Rights Group (SEnRG)

Samuel Lawrence Foundation

Snake River Alliance

San Francisco Bay Physicians for Social Responsibility

San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace

South Country Peace Group

Stand with Okinawa NY

Stop the Algonquin Pipeline Expansion (SAPE)

Sustainable Energy & Economic Development (SEED) Coalition

Syracuse Peace Council

The Carrie Dickerson Foundation

The Dubuque International Day of Peace

The Ribbon International

Traprock Center for Peace and Justice

United for Peace and Justice

Vermont Yankee Decommissioning Alliance

Veterans For Peace Chapter 9

Veterans For Peace Chapter 34

Veterans For Peace Nuclear Abolition Working Group

Voices for a Sustainable Future

Westchester Black Women’s Political Caucus, Inc.

Western States Legal Foundation

Work That Reconnects

World BEYOND War

Additional endorsers as of August 3, 2022

U.S. and non-U.S. groups

(non-U.S. groups are followed by a country name in brackets)

Activist Support Circle

Activist San Diego

Anti-Nuclear Kyungnan Citizen Action (Republic of Korea)

Australian Arts Trust (Australia)

Baltimore, MD Phil Berrigan Memorial Chapter Veterans For Peace

Baltimore Nonviolence Center

Bayan USA

Cape Downwinders

Chesapeake Physicians for Social Responsibility

Citizen of the Earth, Taiwan (Taiwan)

Citizens’ Nuclear Information Center (Japan)

Coalition for Nuclear Safety

CND Cymru - the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in Wales (UK)

CODEPINK

DiaNuke.org (India)

Eclipse Rising

Education for Social Justice Foundation

Enfants de Tchernobyl Belarus (France)

Environmental Rights Foundation (Taiwan)

Feel the Bern - San Fernando Valley

Flyswatter Productions

Friends of Coldwater

Frends of the Earth Adelaide (Australia)

Environmental Jurist Association (Taiwan)

Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility

Green Citizens’ Action Alliance (Taiwan)

Green Korea (Republic of Korea)

Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action

Hastings Against War (UK)

Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah, HEAL Utah

Hecate: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Women's Liberation (Australia)

Hereford Peace Council (UK)

HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION AND PEACE INTERNATIONAL(HUREPI) (Tanzania)

International Association of River Keepers Eco-TIRAS (Moldova)

International Indigenous Youth Council, Los Angeles

International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War Canada (Canada)

International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War Germany (Germany)

Korea Federation for Environmental Movements (Republic of Korea)

LABRATS (UK)

Les Artistes pour la Paix (Canada)

Liberians United to Promote Society Safety and Development (LUPSAD) (Liberia)

Medical Association for Prevention of War (Australia)

Memory Productions

Mid-Missouri Peaceworks

Mom Loves Taiwan Association (Taiwan)

Montréal KIZUNA (Canada)

Nicaragua Center for Community Action

NOAH FRIENDS OF THE EARTH DENMARK (Denmark)

No Nukes Action

No Nukes Asia Forum (Asia)

No Nukes Kobe (Japan)

Nuclear Age Peace Foundation

Nuclear Free Collective Friends of the Earth Melbourne (Australia)

Nuclear Resister

Ontario Clean Air Alliance (Canada)

Oregon Conservancy Foundation

Pacific Asian Nuclear-Free Peace Alliance

Pax Christi Little Rock

Pax Christi Maine

Pax Christi New York State

Pax Christi Scotland (UK)

Peace Action

Peace Action WI

PEOPLES FEDERATION FOR NATIONAL PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT (PEFENAP) (Malawi)

Physicians for Social Responsibility Florida

Physicians for Social Responsibility - Kansas City

Physicians for Social Responsibility-Los Angeles

Physicians for Social Responsibility Maine

Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania

Progressive Asian Network for Action (PANA)

Public Watchdogs

Radiation Exposure Awareness Crusaders for Humanity-Marshall Islands (REACH-MI) (Marshall Islands)

Saints Dymphna & Peregrine Catholic Worker

Samuel Lawrence Foundation

San Clemente Green

Sapporo Catholic Council for Justice and Peace (Japan)

Seattle Fellowship of Reconciliation

Socio-Ecological Union International (Russia)

South Australian Unions Retired Unionists Association (Australia)

Stop nucléaire 26-07 (France)

Starfire Cleaning

Suffolk Coastal Friends of the Earth (UK)

Taiwan Environmental Information Association (Taiwan)

Taiwan Environmental Protection Union (Taiwan)

Taiwan Forever Association, TFA (Taiwan)

Taiwan Not-for-profit Organization Industrial Union (Taiwan)

Veterans For Peace Linus Pauling Chapter 132

Vision GRAM-International

Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility

Women Against Nuclear Power -Finland (Finland)

Youth Arts New York/ Hibakusha Stories

Additional endorsing organizations:

Melbourne Unitarian Peace Memorial Church Inc. (Australia)

MISA4ThePacific (Fiji)

Värmland mot Kärnkraft (Sweden)

Wild at heart Legal Defense Association (Taiwan)

Scholars

(non-U.S. colleges are followed by a country name in brackets)

Dr. Gabriele Dietrich, TTSMadurai (India)

Desmond Doulatram, Social Science Instructor, College of the Marshall Islands (Marshall Islands)

Haruki Eda, Rutgers University

Elena Egusquiza, Antioch University Los Angeles

Norma Field, Ingersoll Distinguished Service Professor Emerita, University of Chicago

Pete Jones, Scholar, University of Delaware

PheGiao Lim, Professor of Chemistry, Tunghai University (Taiwan)

Dr. Syukuro “Suki” Manabe, The 2021 Nobel Laureate in Physics, Senior Meteorologist, Princeton University

Dr. Christopher Misciagno, MD

Yuki Miyamoto, Professor, DePaul University

Inesha Mazini (Solomon Islands Climate Action Network), Research Student, University of Tsukuba (Japan)

Ethan Nguyen, Researcher, California State University Fullerton

Linda Richards, Senior Instructor, Oregon State University

Yasushi Uchiyamada, Professor Emeritus, University of Tsukuba (Japan)

Elected Officials

Anhoyong An, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Jun Ho Cheon, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Kang Wook Choe, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Hye Young Choi, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Jong Yoon Choi, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Betty Doumas-Toto, District Elected Los Angeles County Democratic Committee Member

Song Gap-Seok, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Ihk-pyo Hong, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Young Huh, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Unha Hwang, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Jae Ken In, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Hyeyeong Jang, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Yong-gi Jeon, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Sung Joon Jin, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Oseop Jo, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Cheol Hyeon Ju, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Chounsook Jung, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Chung Rae Jung, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Pil Mo Jung, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Tae-ho Jung, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Cheon Junho, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

MinJung Kang, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Eun Mi Kang, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Dong Min Ki, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Honggul Kim, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Kyunghyup Kim, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Kyung Man Kim, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Sang-hee Kim, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Seungnam Kim, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Woni Kim, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Yongmin Kim, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Min Jung Ko, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Insook Kwon, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Hae Slk Lee, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Hyung-Seok Lee, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Jaejung Lee, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Jaemyung Lee, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Jang-Sub Lee, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Dong Ju Lee, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Soo-jin Lee, Member of National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Sungman Lee, Member of National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Tahney Lee, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Yongbin Lee, Member of National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Hyungbae Min, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Insoon Nam, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Dongyong Seo, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Sam-Seok Seo, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Youngkyo Seo, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Dong Kun Shin, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Junghoon Shin, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Sangjeung Sim, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Byung Hoon So, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Ok Joo Song, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Jungsuk Yang, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Kyung Sook Yang, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Wonyoung Yangyi, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Mee-hyang Yoon, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Young Chan Yoon, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Youngdeok Yoon, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea

Kwan Suk Youn, Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea