Water discharge will nail Tokyo to pole of shame: China Daily editorial

With Tokyo considering the International Atomic Energy Agency to have given it the green light, it will likely proceed posthaste with its plan to begin releasing the nuclear-contaminated water accumulated at the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean.

That seeming nod to the irresponsible plan has come as a great relief for the facility's operator and Japanese authorities. But it adds to the worry and anxiety of concerned communities in Japan and across neighboring countries as well as some scientists and environmentalists, precisely because it releases the brakes.

Although the IAEA report suggests that the environmental impacts of the planned release would be negligible according to the proposed treatment solution, and IAEA head Rafael Mariano Grossi claims the report is a "comprehensive, neutral, objective, scientifically sound evaluation", it doesn't answer all the questions and suspicions raised so far.

Not to mention the lingering questions surrounding the way the report was compiled, Grossi himself acknowledged "discords" existed in that process, or the feared uncertainties in the treatment and release procedures. The IAEA head is on a multi-leg trip to concerned countries attempting to explain the report and allay suspicions. But the fact that he had to change route to avoid protesters in Seoul upon arrival at the local airport shows how the report has failed to allay concerns.

The truth is, from Japan to the Pacific Island nations, people remain unconvinced. The release may serve as a perfect solution to a burning Japanese headache. But, at the same time, it will pose uncertain potential threat to the livelihoods of numerous others, the cost of which may be hard to determine.

Fishing and seafood industry groups in Japan fear the impact of the discharge on the reputation of local products. Nearby areas remain worried about the contaminated water's impacts on the marine environment. That is why, even as Seoul accepts the IAEA's "endorsement" of the release, it is expected to retain the previous embargo on food imports from related regions. Despite the Republic of Korea government's "respect" for the IAEA findings, 80 percent of the country's public remains "worried", according to a recent poll.

And Beijing's concerns have been made more acute by Tokyo's lack of communication with other stakeholders, leaving them in the dark as it single-mindedly pushes ahead with its plan.

Besides pledging to continue rigid border quarantine of food imports from affected regions in Japan, the Chinese authorities have also rightly pointed out the IAEA report failed to fully reflect the opinions of all experts participating in the evaluation, and was not unanimously endorsed by all of them. And some scientists are also urging Tokyo to exercise caution and refrain from the immediate release of the problematic water, arguing the long-term effects have yet to be determined through credible research. Tokyo should not rush ahead with its plan as it will only nail itself to history's pole of shame by doing so.