by Long Island Attorney Paul A. Lauto, Esq.
In 2011 Japan suffered an earthquake and tsunami, which was followed by the infamous Fukushima nuclear accident. The Fukishima meltdown was perhaps the worst nuclear disaster in history with world-wide ramifications. In order to cool the nuclear reactors after the meltdown, tons of water was utilized and then stored in tanks in its radioactive form. The stored water contains Tritium, which is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen and is almost impossible to filter out of water. Accordingly and due in part to storage limitations, the estimated 777,000 tons of radioactive water is currently in need of disposal.
Unfortunately, the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) who is responsible for the clean up, has reportedly decided to dispose of the radioactive water by dumping it into the Pacific Ocean. TEPCO maintains that the Tritium will be so diluted as to be relatively harmless to humans and cause minimal damage to the ecosystem. It appears that this is how TEPCO will circumvent existing ocean dumping laws, which on an international level are very general in nature and lacking in efficacy.
Even if TEPCO's claims of safe disposition are true, is this the kind of precedence that we want to set? If today companies are openly allowed to dump low level radioactive waste into the ocean, what will they be dumping in the ocean tomorrow? Further if our international laws are so impotent as to allow this type of toxic dumping, how will we safeguard against the cumulative effect of habitual and chronic low level radioactive dumping? Until our world leaders rectify this issue, one may want to inquire as to what waters fish came from before buying it to feed the family. If we don't start taking better care of the Earth, it won't be able to take care of us.
Long Island Lawyer
Paul A. Lauto, Esq.
www.liattorney.com
In 2011 Japan suffered an earthquake and tsunami, which was followed by the infamous Fukushima nuclear accident. The Fukishima meltdown was perhaps the worst nuclear disaster in history with world-wide ramifications. In order to cool the nuclear reactors after the meltdown, tons of water was utilized and then stored in tanks in its radioactive form. The stored water contains Tritium, which is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen and is almost impossible to filter out of water. Accordingly and due in part to storage limitations, the estimated 777,000 tons of radioactive water is currently in need of disposal.
Unfortunately, the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) who is responsible for the clean up, has reportedly decided to dispose of the radioactive water by dumping it into the Pacific Ocean. TEPCO maintains that the Tritium will be so diluted as to be relatively harmless to humans and cause minimal damage to the ecosystem. It appears that this is how TEPCO will circumvent existing ocean dumping laws, which on an international level are very general in nature and lacking in efficacy.
Even if TEPCO's claims of safe disposition are true, is this the kind of precedence that we want to set? If today companies are openly allowed to dump low level radioactive waste into the ocean, what will they be dumping in the ocean tomorrow? Further if our international laws are so impotent as to allow this type of toxic dumping, how will we safeguard against the cumulative effect of habitual and chronic low level radioactive dumping? Until our world leaders rectify this issue, one may want to inquire as to what waters fish came from before buying it to feed the family. If we don't start taking better care of the Earth, it won't be able to take care of us.
Long Island Lawyer
Paul A. Lauto, Esq.
www.liattorney.com
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