Thread by @HanakoMontgome1

Japan has a problem. A problem so big that it can no longer be contained—literally (Hint: It sits in these blue & white tanks). The decisions it makes in the coming months could affect the world’s largest ocean and millions of people. 🧵1/11

First, we need to look at what happened almost 12 years ago. A tsunami flooded #Fukushima’s Daiichi nuclear plant and knocked out its cooling systems. To keep the destroyed reactors from overheating, over a hundred tons of water gets pumped through them daily. 2/11

But now, Japan’s running out of space to store the contaminated water. It’s looking to release 1.3 million metric tons of treated wastewater into the Pacific this spring or summer. Sounds reasonable? 3/11

Def not, according to some scientists & Pacific Island nations. These countries have a legacy of being the world’s dumping ground for nuclear waste, having been the site of dozens of nuclear tests in the 50’s & 60’s by Western nations. It’s a legacy they grapple with today. 4/11

“If it is safe, dump it in Tokyo, test it in Paris, and store it in Washington, but keep our Pacific nuclear-free,” Vanuatu stateswoman Motarilavoa Hilda Lini said, citing the slogan of the Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific movement. 5/11

So what does science say? Well, it’s not clear cut. Some experts claim nuclear waste could enter human food chains & contaminate fish eaten by communities outside Japan. Critics also argue that data from the plant’s operator has been faulty & inconsistent. 6/11

Other experts support Japan’s plan. They note that before Japan even begins to release the wastewater, it’ll test it, dilute it, & get third-party agencies to double check its work. Water that doesn’t meet the legal limit won’t be released. 7/11

Adding to all this is the fact Japan is far from finished decommissioning the plant, and there’s still highly radioactive fuel debris sitting in reactor vessels that need cleaning up. An expert I spoke with has a good analogy about it. 8/11

Getting concerned about wastewater before the fuel debris is like “worrying about the air freshener in your car & you’re not worrying about the tires,” @DickmanPaul, the @ANS_org’s external affairs committee chairman, told me. 9/11

The deadline for Japan’s release of the treated wastewater is fast approaching. But it’s yet to fully convince Pacific Island nations that it’s safe, which threatens to be highly consequential for Japan’s relationship with these countries. 10/11

Can’t get into the science and politics of it all in a thread, so if you’d like to know more, check out my story: vice.com/en/article/4ax… 11/11