A Letter from Minister MAGOSAKI Kaoru, Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations, to the Chair of the 22nd Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
2023/4/18
I would like to kindly draw your attention to the statement made by the Chinese delegation during the discussion on the theme “Indigenous Peoples, human health, planetary and territorial health and climate change: a rights-based approach” of the twenty-second session of Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues this afternoon where there were some reference to the discharge of the ALPS treated water at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station into the sea.
I would like to make clear that regarding the handling of ALPS treated water, Japan has been taking measures strictly abiding by relevant international law while giving due considerations to international practice under reviews by the IAEA and will continue doing so.
There was also a reference to the release of “nuclear contaminated water” in its statement, but the water to be discharged is the water whose concentrations of radioactive materials are far below the regulatory standards by diluting further ALPS treated water that has already been purified sufficiently. Using the phrase the release of “nuclear contaminated water into the sea”, in this context, therefore, is not based on scientific evidence.
I would like to stress that the Government of Japan has been explaining this matter to the international community in a highly transparent manner based on scientific evidence and will continue doing so.
I would like to make clear that regarding the handling of ALPS treated water, Japan has been taking measures strictly abiding by relevant international law while giving due considerations to international practice under reviews by the IAEA and will continue doing so.
There was also a reference to the release of “nuclear contaminated water” in its statement, but the water to be discharged is the water whose concentrations of radioactive materials are far below the regulatory standards by diluting further ALPS treated water that has already been purified sufficiently. Using the phrase the release of “nuclear contaminated water into the sea”, in this context, therefore, is not based on scientific evidence.
I would like to stress that the Government of Japan has been explaining this matter to the international community in a highly transparent manner based on scientific evidence and will continue doing so.