Japan has already started to release the treated radioactive waste water in the Pacific Ocean, despite the opposition shared by many countries in the Pacific.
During a press conference, Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General, Henry Puna said there might be a regret, but it is not a surprise that this is happening.
However, he said that he has been assured by the Prime Minister of Japan that the release will not be starting until they are satisfied that all safety measures have been taken, and the water will be safe for the citizens of Japan and the Pacific island states.
Puna said Pacific leaders will be holding Japan fully accountable as safety assurance has been given by the Japanese Prime Minister.
“What they need to focus on now is holding Japan accountable for the guarantees and undertaking to ensure that if the water is not safe based on International Atomic Energy Agency and Tokyo Electric Power Company on the ground in Fukushima, then the discharge will not continue until the steps have been taken to make sure that the water is safe.”
He said the guarantee from IAEA is they will be establishing a presence on the ground and Fukushima to continually monitor the safety of the water that is being released.
