China’s campaign against the release of wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant continues to intensify.
It has loudly criticized Japan for proceeding with the plan and banned Japanese seafood from the country. The moves make sense in the abstract as they give China an opportunity to pose as the protector of its citizens and the global commons. In practical terms, however, it is a dangerous move. The plan has been approved by the world’s nuclear energy watchdog and there is scientific consensus behind it. This aggressive effort is almost certain to fail and the Chinese government will risk embarrassment and blowback.
Roughly 1,000 tanks store the 1.3 million cubic meters of wastewater that have accumulated since the March 2011 accident that resulted in reactor core meltdowns at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant and they are reaching capacity. Since the water has been used to cool the nuclear fuel and other debris on site, it is contaminated with radioactive elements; its release is an understandable source of concern for the region and the world.