Current location:sport >>
Fukushima discharge case hearing begins
sport8492People have gathered around
IntroductionJapanese citizens have called for a halt to the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water from the cri ...
Japanese citizens have called for a halt to the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the ocean and demanded that the government revoke the permission for the controversial program at the first public hearing of a lawsuit in Fukushima on Monday.
The hearing of the lawsuit, filed by 363 Japanese fishery stakeholders and ordinary citizens nationwide against the Tokyo Electric Power Company and the government over the ocean discharge, was held at the Fukushima District Court in Fukushima City.
TEPCO started releasing nuclear-contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean on Aug 24 last year. It is now in the fourth round of discharge.
Tsuguo Hirota, a co-representative of the plaintiffs' lawyers, said the discharge constitutes a deliberate "double harm" to the victims of the nuclear disaster, following a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami in Japan in 2011, and is by no means permissible.
"In August 2015, the government promised Fukushima Prefecture that it would not proceed with ocean releases without the consent of stakeholders," Hirota said.
"For the past eight years, news on this matter has been widely discussed. Nevertheless, the government and TEPCO have blatantly ignored such promises and have calmly released contaminated water into the sea. For the citizens, it might be said that the government of this country is a government that can lie without hesitation," Hirota added.
He stressed that what is being released into the sea in Fukushima this time is not just tritium-contaminated water but also a wide variety of radioactive substances. These have raised clear concerns about harm to the human body.
Shigeo Suzuki, a resident of Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, and one of the plaintiffs, used to be a junior high school teacher. The last school where he worked was located along the coast in Iwaki and was affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011.
"Some of the students affected have been working hard since the earthquake," Suzuki said.
"And for those students, there's a possibility that the release of contaminated water into the ocean could cause even more damage. To encourage those hardworking children, I participated in this lawsuit as a plaintiff."
Suzuki said he wants to see the lawsuit achieve its goal of stopping the discharge of the nuclear-contaminated water.
'Not logical'
The process leading to the contaminated water release does not follow the logic that ordinary Japanese people would expect, he said.
"The government and TEPCO are deciding to release it forcibly against our will. Additionally, there have been various accidents related to nuclear power plants in the past, and the government and TEPCO have hidden information or lied," Suzuki said.
"That's why various things that they are saying, such as the tritium concentration, are not trusted by the public," he said.
Chikara Yoshida, an Iwaki resident who served on the board of directors of a welfare facility for people with disabilities, said he believes in above-ground storage as the radiation dose will decrease over time.
"Is it OK for the side that caused the Fukushima nuclear accident to casually break such procedures? That's a lack of responsibility. They don't understand their own problems. A lack of responsibility could lead to even more frightening things in the future," Yoshida said.
Lawyer Hirota told China Daily that Japan's legal proceedings will progress in stages through the district court, high court, and then the Supreme Court of Japan.
It is difficult to predict how long the current hearing at the Fukushima District Court will take, as it will depend on how the government and TEPCO respond.
"Particularly noteworthy in this trial is that there will likely be considerable scrutiny of scientific matters such as the toxicity of the contaminated water. We want to simplify those disputes as much as possible so that the conclusions are easily drawn," Hirota said.
The lawyers and the plaintiffs hope to conclude the district court proceedings within three years. However, regardless of who wins, it is highly likely that the case will be appealed to the high court and Hirota estimated that decision could take about five years.
Earlier reports said the discharge of the nuclear-contaminated water could take at least 30 years.
Tags:
Reprint:Friends are welcome to share on the Internet, but please indicate the source of the article when reprinting it.“Stellar Series news portal”。http://maldives.cezaryphotography.com/content-71d599905.html
Related articles
I was 'brokefished' by my friend for £400
sportI need your help. My friend K has been recently telling our friendship group about how dire his fina ...
【sport】
Read moreHaiti declares state of emergency amid violence, inmates on the run
sportThis screen grab taken from AFPTV shows tires on fire near the main prison of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, ...
【sport】
Read moreManuel Rocha, a former US ambassador, sentenced to 15 years for serving as secret agent for Cuba
sportMIAMI (AP) — A former career U.S. diplomat was sentenced Friday to 15 years in federal prison after ...
【sport】
Read more
Popular articles
- What's next for Iran after death of its president in crash?
- Nevada governor signs an order to address the shortage of health care workers in the state
- Poland calls aid worker's killing in Gaza a murder, wants further investigation
- Three killed in Ethiopia shootout as regional rebellions spill into the capital
- With Djokovic awaiting the winner, Murray trails Hanfmann at rain
- Trump to host rally on Biden's home turf in northeast Pennsylvania
Latest articles
Jessica Biel CHOPS her long locks into a bob after book signing in Studio City
Where is the Princess of Wales? The internet knows
Berlin zoo celebrates the 67th birthday of Fatou, believed to be the world's oldest gorilla
1 dead after shuttle bus crashes at a Honolulu cruise ship terminal
Hollywood star Shia LaBeouf is spotted on the streets of Gavin and Stacey's hometown Barry
Why did Yoon's party lose in South Korea's elections and what troubles does he face now?
LINKS
- Children's Health Continues to Improve
- China Records 130 Mln Passenger Trips in Spring Festival Holiday
- Various Events Held Across China to Celebrate Upcoming Lantern Festival
- Children Find Snow Sports Cool, Survey Reveals
- In Pics: Opening Ceremony of 2022 Winter Paralympics
- Seminar Discusses Gender Equality in Context of Climate Change, Biodiversity Loss
- In Pics: China's Gu Ailing Takes Silver of Women's Freeski Slopestyle at Beijing 2022
- In Pics: Opening Ceremony of 2022 Winter Paralympics
- Remote Daliang Mountain in SW China Sees Departure of First Bullet Train
- Mainland Medical Experts Arrive in Hong Kong in Fighting COVID