Fukushima Wastewater Will Be Released Into the Ocean, Japan Says

The government says the plan is the best way to dispose of water used to prevent the ruined nuclear plant’s damaged reactor cores from melting.

As reported by the New York Times.

The New York Times also ran a companion piece, focused on the official international protest of the ocean dumping, as by the neighboring governments of South Korea, China, and Taiwan.

The Washington Post has also reported on this story.

Thom Hartmann interviewed Beyond Nuclear's Kevin Kamps on his national radio show ("Fukushima Nuclear Fish Coming to Your Plate, Happy?"). Here is the write up:

More nuclear waste is about to be released into the Pacific Ocean from Fukushima. Where it will be absorbed by plants, eaten by small fish, who are eaten by bigger fish, and concentrated through a process called "bioaccumulation." Pretty soon those fish end up on your plate... Looking forward to a swim off the west coast? Enjoying your fish?

Here is the link to the recording of the interview.

[Corrections: The actual volume of radioactive wastewater to be dumped in the ocean is currently enough to fill around 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools; the dumping is not set to begin until a couple years from now, not before the Tokyo Olympics.]

Protecting our Earth -- Citizens Resistance at Fermi Two (CRAFT) Fukushima 10-year commemoration

Fermi 2, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission file photo. Fermi 2 is only 8 miles from Amherstburg, Ontario, across Lake Erie.Beyond Nuclear's radioactive waste specialist, Kevin Kamps, was honored and privileged to make a presentation at a very moving Fukushima commemoration on March 11th, focused on the largest twin design reactor in the world, Fermi Unit 2 (a General Electric Mark I Boiling Water Reactor, almost as large as Fukushima Daiichi Units 1 and 2 put together). Following is a March 16th follow-up message from the event organizer, Jesse Deer In Water of CRAFT, starting just beneath their beautiful logo.

Fermi 2 is located on the Lake Erie shore in southeastern Michigan (see photo, left). Fermi 2 is only 8 miles, across Lake Erie, from Amherstburg, Ontario, making it an international risk. CRAFT has been a grassroots watchdog on Fermi 2 for several decades.

Kevin's slides would not show during his presentation, unfortunately, due to a technical glitch. But here are the slides, posted online, along with brief notes for each slide (as they were meant to be explained verbally).

Dear Old Friends and New Family,

From the bottom of our hearts, we would like to thank all the folks who made it to our March 11th event for taking the time from your personal lives to share digital space with us during such a special time. We'd also like to invite the rest of you to share in the blessing by checking out the video of the event and/or the presenters. We set intentions to be serious and honor the earth while uplifting the stories of our speakers in a good way. For years CRAFT has been putting in the work, while honoring earth and people, and we intend on continuing that tradition. We also would like to extend an arm of gratitude to all who contributed their efforts and energy to putting the event together, as well as the speakers, and musicians. These are the folks that helped make this moment so special and moving.

We're excited to share this recording of the event and info on the speakers and musicians that stepped up with us. We'd love for y'all to keep up with the work. Below, we're also sharing some really easy and digestible info for you to remember about the Fermi 2 facility and share if you would like.

I don't know how much I can thank you all for being a part of our work and we welcome you to the whole.

Many Wados! (thanks)

Jesse Deer In Water 

CRAFT

1) No Extended Licenses for Aging Dangerous Reactors (Like Fermi 2)

the wear and tear on the reactor leads to it degrading and becoming more unstable, and waste is piling up in the waste pool while the pools themselves contunue to degrade as well. terms- "EMBRITTLEMENT" and "REACTOR FATIGUE"

2) Secure the Radioactive Waste at Sites Like Fermi 2 (they have these densely packed spent fuel ponds which are degrading)

last year CRAFT intervened in this issue last year, there was "neutron absorbing material"(which keeps the waste stable) degrading and losing its abilities, and dte was supposed to remove and replace it in a license condition but filed to leave it in place and cover it up, we were denied, not because we were wrong, but because we didn't have the factual law that dte broke, it sucked because they were literally writing the law in this case.

3) No New Nukes

as old nuke tech begins to fade and renewable tech begins to come more to light, the nuke industry scrambles to keep a horse in the race. the small modular reactors are their bet. many issues could be brought up, who wants a small modular nuclear reactor in the middle of their city? with the waste and releases? they don't support our native brothers and sisters who bear the burden at the source of the mining and radioactive waste storage sites. The tail will be the same as big nukes.

Germany’s Greens look to be kingmakers in a post-Merkel era

As reported by the Washington Post, Germany's anti-nuclear Green Party is vying for political power at not just the regional level, but perhaps even the national level, in Europe's single largest national economy.

CANCER CONNECTION?

"Study: Elevated cancer deaths in Monroe may be result of nuclear plant," by Tyler Eagle, Monroe Evening News/USA TODAY NETWORK, March 12, 2021.

Watch a recording of the press conference here, posted at WTVG/ABC-13's website. (The first three minutes of the recording are microphone checks, so fast-forward to the 3 minute mark of the recording, where the press conference begins.) The press conference features: Michael Keegan of Don't Waste Michigan, a Monroe native; Joseph Mangano, executive director of the Radiation and Public Health Project, and author of the newly published cancer fatality rate study focused on Fermi 2; and Christie Brinkley, also a native of Monroe, and board member of the Radiation and Public Health Project.

Fermi Unit 2 in Monroe County, Michigan is just 8 miles across Lake Erie from Amherstburg, Ontario, making this an issue of international concern.

Here is the Radiation and Public Health Project's postings related to this newly published report focused on Fermi 2.

Update on March 10, 2021 by admin

See the press advisory put out by Don't Waste Michigan and the Radiation and Public Health Project.

Update on March 13, 2021 by admin

DTE (formerly Detroit Edison), owner/operator of Fermi 2, responded to Mangano's report, as reported by the Monroe Evening News.

Port Hope: A Case Study in Radioactive Risk

And an insight on the privatization arrangements for managing nuclear waste disposal in Canada

Protect Our Waterways/No Nuclear Waste announce a webinar on March 17, 2021 at 7:30pm Eastern

featuring:

Faye More, Chair, Port Hope Community Health Concerns

&

Theresa McClenaghan, Senior Counsel and Executive Director, Canadian Environmental Law Association

RVSP @ protectsouthbruce-nodgr.org

Register for the webinar here.

See the announcement flier, here.

Update on February 18, 2021 by admin

Just inland from the Lake Huron shoreline, at Teeswater, Ontario near South Bruce, Ontario Power Generation's Nuclear Waste Management Organization wants to bury all of Canada's high-level radioactive wastes -- a whopping 58,200 tonnes, and counting!Protect Our Waterways - Webinar #3 | Port Hope : A Case Study in Radioactive Risk

Description

This third webinar in the Protect Our Waterways series will look at Port Hope, the legacy of radioactive wastes the community is burdened with, and community concerns, particularly in light of a recent proposal to relax environmental cleanup criteria that many felt were already too lax.

Faye More, Chair of the Port Hope Community Health Concerns, will speak about radioactive contamination in Port Hope and the community's journey from realizing the extent of the widespread contamination through efforts to address it, including responding to the federal government's decision to consolidate contaminated soil into a "mound" in Port Hope and continued issues and concerns as the "plan" is put into operation.

Theresa McClenaghan, Senior Counsel and Executive Director at the Canadian Environmental Law Association will speak about the privatization of radioactive waste management in Canada, with a special focus on the contractual arrangements between the federal government and the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories and CNL's owner /operator companies.
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Speakers

Faye More is Chair of the Port Hope Community Health Concerns Committee, a non-profit volunteer organization of current and former residents. Formed in 1995 out of concerns about the health of residents and workers at two Cameco facilities within the town, and about exposure over more than 80 years to radioactive wastes dumped throughout the community, and continued daily emissions from the uranium processing facilities..

Theresa McClenaghan is Executive Director of the Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA). Read her bio at https://cela.ca/staff-biographies/theresa-mcclenaghan/
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Protect Our Waterways - No Nuclear Waste (formerly Nuclear Tanks No Thanks), is concerned group of South Bruce citizens united in a common cause to prevent the establishment of a high level radioactive storage facility in South Bruce known as a Deep Geological Repository (DGR).

Register for the webinar here.