Japan has released the nuclear wastewater from the Fukushima disaster into the ocean today (August 24l amid protests and concerns from a host of environmental groups and scientists.

"This is extremely unreasonable. It will pollute the sea, the marine life within it, the environment, and the Earth." said Taeko Fujimura, an official with Japan's National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Association

STORY: Japan starts releasing Fukushima nuke wastewater into ocean amid protest, opposition
DATELINE: Aug. 24, 2023
LENGTH: 00:01:56
LOCATION: Tokyo
CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT

SHOTLIST:
1. STANDUP (English): ZHANG YIYI, Xinhua correspondent
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Japanese): TAEKO FUJIMURA, Official with Japan's National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Association
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Japanese): SACHIKO UNO, Protester

STORYLINE:

STANDUP (English): ZHANG YIYI, Xinhua correspondent
"I'm in front of the headquarters of Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the operator of Japan's crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The Japanese government has decided to authorize the release of nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the plant into the ocean on Thursday. Hundreds of protesters from all over the country are gathering here today, demanding the Japanese government and TEPCO to withdraw the irresponsible decision of ocean discharge."

SOUNDBITE 1 (Japanese): TAEKO FUJIMURA, Official with Japan's National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Association
"Have you (TEPCO) now obtained the understanding of the relevant parties? Have you properly explained your actions to them? TEPCO claimed that this was a matter decided by the government and started the release as a matter of course. This is extremely unreasonable. It will pollute the sea, the marine life within it, the environment, and the Earth."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Japanese): SACHIKO UNO, Protester
"We came to stop them from polluting the ocean. Despite safety promises made by both the government and TEPCO, nuclear accidents occurred anyway. Now, they are beginning to discharge nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean. This is a 'double damage.' I don't believe that the radioactivity concentration in the nuclear-contaminated water meets the standards. The reliability of the measuring instruments themselves is questionable. It's not just radioactivity; substances like heavy metals, tellurium, and other metallic substances need to be measured, but none of these have been measured."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Tokyo.
(XHTV)