福島核污水為患 排放海洋爭議大

 <轉載自2020年10月19日 明報 社評>

日本福島核災發生近10年，日本政府有意短期內拍板，將核災現場積存的逾百萬噸「核污水」排放入海。日方強調有關污水經過濾處理，已「去除大多數輻射物質」，排入大海稀釋不會有安全問題，云云，然而不僅當地漁業組織強烈反對，韓國等鄰近國家亦密切關注。福島核災爆發以來，日本當局與東京電力公司（下稱東電）很多說法，屢被批評不盡不實，兩年前東電承認有污水在過濾後仍驗出危險放射物質超標，需要公開道歉，如果日方真的認為核污水已經「安全無害」，大可拿來在國內作其他用途，毋須排入海中。輻射無形無影，公眾普遍擔憂，日本將百萬噸核污水排放大海，除了惹來環保人士責難、會打擊當地漁農業，更可能引發外交風波，東京當局需要三思。

環團批卸責為省錢 日本「放水」不易服眾

2011年，日本3．11大地震，東電福島第一核電廠遭海嘯侵襲，反應堆爐心熔毁，成為自1985年蘇聯切爾諾貝爾核災以來，全球最嚴重的核事故，多年來當局不斷用水冷卻已損毁的反應堆，核污水的問題由此而來。由於這些冷卻用水已染污，當局一貫做法是將它們儲存在核電站範圍，迄今累計有超過120萬噸，現時核污水仍以每天大約170噸的速度增加。理論上，只有取走反應堆內的核燃料殘餘物，才能一勞永逸解決問題，可是何時方能走到這一步，仍是未知數。

東電聲稱，廠房儲存核廢水容量，將於2022年夏天達到「極限」，若讓核污水繼續積累，可能影響反應堆廢棄作業。日本官員則一再表示，為免耽誤廢爐工作，必須盡快決定如何處置核污水。根據日本傳媒最新說法，日本政府已大體敲定將核污水「淨化」再排入海，最快本月底公布。日方人士透露，由政府拍板到2022年正式排放尚有一年多時間，當局會盡力向國內外解釋，然而這是否足以釋除周邊國家及日本漁業界的憂慮，卻是另一回事。

日本官方專家認為，核污水經東電採用的過濾系統處理後，所有危險輻射物已去除，至於未能去除的放射性物質氚，日方堅稱「無害於人」，又說國際原子能機構（IAEA）認為日方氚水處理方式，「符合國際專業要求」，排放入海是「傷害最小兼最符合成本效益」，比起另一方案，即透過蒸發排放入大氣「更安全」，云云。氚對人類是否有害存在爭議，有科學家認為，氚所釋出的放射能較弱，無法穿透皮膚，沒有確鑿證據顯示氚會損害人體健康，不過亦有論者認為，透過呼吸、食物或食水吸收氚會有害人體。無論如何，如果日方認為這百多萬噸核污水過濾後已非常安全，不會對人體有害，大可在國內作其他用途，沒必要排入大海，給外界留下「己所不欲施予人」的觀感。

數十年來，歐美以至很多國家都將海洋當作放射物質棄置場。日本官方專家提到，世上很多核電站均有將含有氚的污水排入海，歐洲議會一項研究正正發現，法國拉阿格一間核電站常將核污水排入海，數據顯示該區附近民眾患癌率明顯較高。除了排入大海或大氣，日方其實還有別的方案可以考慮，例如運用先進技術，進一步將廢水過濾及濃縮，又或將廢水集中儲藏於較安全地方，有外國核專家更指出，東電承認仍有地方可以興建更多廢水儲存庫。環保組織質疑，當局選擇排放入海，只是為了省錢方便減成本，日本漁民則擔心，此舉將影響外界對當地魚獲安全的風評，嚴重打擊漁業。日本政府面對諸多質疑，「放水」決定不易服眾。

隱瞞核災損信心 水產安全多關注

福島核災發生後，日本當局和東電被指隱瞞災情、應變不力，其後又被指早知核電站抵禦海嘯能力不足，相繼官司至今仍在持續。過濾核污水問題，東電同樣招人詬病。東電曾聲稱，過濾系統能將水中可致癌輻射物質降至無法偵測水平，可是2018年東電卻承認，檢測結果顯示，有數萬噸已過濾的水，鍶-90含量超標百倍。誠如德國綠色和平高級核專家貝奈恩（Shaun Burnie）所說，福島核災及善後處理，有太多不盡不實之言和謊話，很難相信東電或日本官方。倘若日本當局一意孤行排放核污水入海，有可能惹來強烈反彈。

核災發生近10年，外界對福島魚獲是否安全，尚有很多疑慮，多國對福島及鄰近一些縣區的農林水產進口管制也未解除。今年初日本官方專家公開支持「放水」後，韓國政府已啟動跨部門應對機制，密切關注日方如何處理核污水。在日本，有意見質疑韓國堅持「封殺」福島縣農林水產，背後「另有居心」，可是易地而處，日方亦要想想，為何外界會有那麼多疑慮，以為一句「不會對臨海或鄰國海域造成影響」，便可了結爭議，隨時引發嚴重外交風波。倘若日本政府不理鄰國反

Fukushima nuclear sewage is a major problem

Nearly a decade after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the Japanese government intends to make a decision in the short term to discharge more than a million tonnes of nuclear sewage into the sea. It stresses that the sewage has been treated and most of the radioactive substances have been filtered out, so much so that its release into the sea and dilution will not pose a health hazard. However, not only are local fishery organisations strongly opposed to it, but neighbouring countries such as South Korea are also paying close attention. Since the outbreak of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the Japanese authorities and Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) have been repeatedly criticised for failing to disclose all the facts. Two years ago, TEPCO admitted that its sewage, though filtered, was still found to contain excessive levels of dangerous radioactive substances, and was forced into making a public apology. If they really think that the nuclear sewage is ''safe and harmless'', they can use the sewage for other domestic purposes without discharging it into the sea.

As the cooling water has become contaminated, it has been official practice to store over 1.2 million tonnes of it in the plant area, and the nuclear sewage is still increasing at a rate of around 170 tonnes per day. Theoretically, the only way to solve the problem once and for all is to remove the nuclear fuel residue from the reactors, but it is not clear when this will happen. According to the latest media reports in Japan, the Japanese government has decided to ''decontaminate'' the nuclear sewage before it is discharged into the sea, with an announcement to be made by the end of this month at the earliest. According to a Japanese source, from its approval to the disposal in 2022, the government will have a year or so to try its best to explain the decision to the rest of the country and abroad, but whether this will be enough to allay the concerns of neighbouring countries and the Japanese fishing industry is another matter.

In addition to discharging the nuclear sewage into the sea or the atmosphere, the Japanese government has other options to consider. It can, for example, use advanced technology to further filter and concentrate the sewage, or store the sewage in a safer place. Foreign nuclear experts have also pointed out that TEPCO has admitted that there are still places where more sewage repositories can be built.

Environmental groups have questioned the government's decision to release the nuclear sewage into the sea, arguing that it is just a convenient way to save money and cut costs. As for Japanese fishermen, they are worried that the industry's reputation for the safety of its fish will be affected, and that will deal a blow to the industry. After the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the authorities and TEPCO were accused of covering up the disaster and failing to respond to the contingency. It was then alleged that they had known that the nuclear power plant was not strong enough to withstand the tsunami, and successive lawsuits are still ongoing.

As Shaun Burnie, a senior nuclear expert at Greenpeace Germany, says, there are too many untruths and lies about the Fukushima disaster and its aftermath, making it hard to trust TEPCO or the Japanese authorities. If the Japanese authorities insist on discharging nuclear sewage into the sea, there could be a strong backlash. If the Japanese government carries on in complete disregard of the reactions of its neighbours, the Hong Kong government should also re-examine the issue of the importation of forestry and fishery products from Fukushima and its neighbouring prefectures.

福島核污水為患 排放海洋爭議大

日本福島核災發生近10年，日本政府有意短期內拍板，將核災現場積存的逾百萬噸「核污水」排放入海。日方強調有關污水經過濾處理，已「去除大多數輻射物質」，排入大海稀釋不會有安全問題，云云，然而不僅當地漁業組織強烈反對，韓國等鄰近國家亦密切關注。福島核災爆發以來，日本當局與東京電力公司（下稱東電）很多說法，屢被批評不盡不實，兩年前東電承認有污水在過濾後仍驗出危險放射物質超標，需要公開道歉，如果日方真的認為核污水已經「安全無害」，大可拿來在國內作其他用途，毋須排入海中。

由於這些冷卻用水已染污，當局一貫做法是將它們儲存在核電站範圍，迄今累計有超過120萬噸，現時核污水仍以每天大約170噸的速度增加。理論上，只有取走反應堆內的核燃料殘餘物，才能一勞永逸解決問題，可是何時方能走到這一步，仍是未知數。根據日本傳媒最新說法，日本政府已大體敲定將核污水「淨化」再排入海，最快本月底公布。日方人士透露，由政府拍板到2022年正式排放尚有一年多時間，當局會盡力向國內外解釋，然而這是否足以釋除周邊國家及日本漁業界的憂慮，卻是另一回事。

除了排入大海或大氣，日方其實還有別的方案可以考慮，例如運用先進技術，進一步將廢水過濾及濃縮，又或將廢水集中儲藏於較安全地方，有外國核專家更指出，東電承認仍有地方可以興建更多廢水儲存庫。

環保組織質疑，當局選擇排放入海，只是為了省錢方便減成本，日本漁民則擔心，此舉將影響外界對當地魚獲安全的風評，嚴重打擊漁業。福島核災發生後，日本當局和東電被指隱瞞災情、應變不力，其後又被指早知核電站抵禦海嘯能力不足，相繼官司至今仍在持續。

誠如德國綠色和平高級核專家貝奈恩（Shaun Burnie）所說，福島核災及善後處理，有太多不盡不實之言和謊話，很難相信東電或日本官方。倘若日本當局一意孤行排放核污水入海，有可能惹來強烈反彈。倘若日本政府不理鄰國反應，執意為之，港府亦需重新審視有關福島及鄰近縣區農林水產輸入的問題。