Japan’s safety and security problems about nuclear power

Avoiding the worst effects of climate change means Japan and other countries must transition away from fossil fuels to alternative energy sources. There has been a bigger push for green energy such as wind and solar. However, there are also proponents of nuclear energy as a way to eliminate dependency on gas and coal.

Nuclear energy does have its benefits, but it also has significant downsides. It has a much lower carbon footprint than traditional energy sources and does not produce greenhouse gases such as methane and CO2. It has roughly the same environmental footprint as clean energy. In addition, nuclear power is non-intermittent. This means it can produce energy more consistently than solar or wind, which both depend on the environment.

Natural disasters can cause devastating accidents

The biggest concerns people have with nuclear energy are safety issues. Most nuclear power plants run without significant problems, but accidents and meltdowns can be devastating. Japan knows this better than other nations due to the tragic 2011 earthquake and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.

The incident has had an enormous impact on public trust and perception of nuclear power. The core meltdown at Fukushima Dai-ichi was not only extremely dangerous, but it was also contrary to previous claims that nuclear plants could withstand Japan’s natural disasters.

Before Fukushima, Japan had a total of 54 nuclear reactors supplying roughly 30% of the country’s energy. In the years since, most of these plants have shut down and there were periods in 2012 and from 2013 to 2015 where Japan had no nuclear power at all. Since 2015, several nuclear plants mainly based in western Japan have reopened. There are now a total of five plants with nine reactors operating in Japan.

Unresolved nuclear waste issues

The effects of the 2011 disaster can still be felt in the Fukushima area to this day. One important and sensitive issue is the disposal of treated water from the plant. In April 2021, it was announced that the treated water would be disposed of in the ocean. Though this is a common disposal technique in other plants in Japan and around the world, many Fukushima residents still oppose it.

Fukushima fishermen are particularly angry about how the disposal effects as well as public perception could impact their livelihoods. In the years after the disaster, consumers were weary about buying fish and other food products from the area. Fisheries conducted checks for radiation in their catches and worked to dispel rumors. Public trust was restored over time, though catches are a fraction of their pre-earthquake totals. The decision to dispose of treated water in the ocean has also been a focal point of some anti-nuclear protests.

Questionable facility management and security

There are also security related concerns for nuclear power plants. The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant has recently had scandals related to unauthorized employee access and its intruder detection systems. In January 2021, it was discovered that an employee used a colleague’s ID card without authorization to enter the plant’s central control room. It was later announced that the plant’s intruder detection system had not been functioning for at least a full year.

None of this is to say that nuclear power is completely dangerous or can not be operated safely, most of the time. However, people do have genuine concerns regarding its safety and security, including how nuclear plants can affect the environment and local communities. Dealing with climate change also involves finding solutions that are most appropriate for a particular area or situation.