🚨 Yesterday (December 23), the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) reported a leak at the Fugen nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture. About 20 milliliters of tritium-contaminated water—tritium being a low-level radioactive form of hydrogen—escaped during decommissioning work. Luckily, the three nearby workers were safe with no reported exposure.
At a press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian called for Japan to clarify the incident ASAP. Lin pointed to past safety lapses—like falsified inspections at Fukushima Daiichi and cooling water leaks at Rokkasho—and warned this latest slip highlights ongoing operational and oversight gaps.
Despite these red flags, Japan is set to restart the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, which had a 2007 spill of 1.5 liters of cooling water. Local protests and expert warnings have grown louder amid concerns over aging reactors and management loopholes.
Lin urged Japan to learn from past accidents, step up responsible decommissioning and waste disposal, and welcome international supervision to calm global concerns. 🌏🔍
Why it matters: Transparent nuclear safety practices are crucial for public trust—especially in regions near major plants. We'll be watching how Tokyo responds. Stay tuned! ⚛️
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
