By Mar-Vic Cagurangan
Micronesian President Wesley W. Simina has expressed confidence in Japan’s treatment of radioactive water being dumped from the disabled Fukushima Daiichi power plant into the Pacific Ocean.
“The visit to Fukushima underscores the FSM’s deep trust in the government of Japan,” Simina said after touring the power plant during his visit to Japan this month.
Japan’s Tokyo Electric Power Company has been discharging advanced liquid processing system-treated water from the nuclear power plant since August 2023.
The wastewater disposal, which will continue for 30 years, drew concerns and furious reactions from Pacific island neighbors and environmental advocates despite Japan's reassurance that the process was safe.
The Fukushima nuclear power plant was crippled by a 9.1 magnitude earthquake
that jolted Japan on March 11, 2011, killing nearly 20,000 people and injuring thousands.
The long-term discharge of radioactive water into the sea is part of the decommissioning of the disabled power plant.
“We remain confident in Japan’s ability to manage the ALPS-treated water responsibly and transparently and in close cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency,” Simina said.
According to a press release from the president’s office, Simina’s Fukushima tour “also included engagements with local leaders and residents in Namie Town and a courtesy call on the governor of Fukushima Prefecture.”
Simina met with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba during his official visit to Japan from March 14 to 20.
“The two leaders discussed shared priorities including infrastructure development, regional security, maritime cooperation and people-centered development,” the president’s office said.
“Our nations share a profound ‘kizuna’ – a special bond nurtured through history, mutual respect and shared values,” Simina said. “I look forward to deepening our collaboration in support of peace, stability, and sustainable development across the Pacific.”
Japan is one of the FSM’s major foreign donors, assisting the Pacific island nation with its infrastructure projects such as Pohnpei’s port expansion and undersea cable projects.
According to the president’s office, Japanese officials and Simina discussed a new cable landing station connecting a new subsea cable to Chuuk.
“President Simina’s visit to Japan marks a new chapter in the FSM-Japan relationship, which has been characterized by over a century of historical and cultural ties and more than three decades of formal diplomatic relations,” states a press release from the president’s office.
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