TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Approximately 64% of Taiwanese people are concerned about Japan’s decision to release wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean, according to a recent survey.
The survey was released by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation (TPOF) with an election poll on Tuesday (Sept. 2), and it asked if people were concerned that releasing the wastewater would pollute the ocean globally, and in the waters surrounding Taiwan. About 64% of respondents said they were concerned, and just under 32% said they were not.
Experts are divided on the decision to release the nuclear power plant’s wastewater into the ocean, though many agree that it will not directly cause harm to the environment or people. Physics and astronomy professor at Australia's Curtin University Nigel Marks said that the wastewater release is similar to many others that have occurred over the past six decades.
“The main problem with the release is that it sounds bad,” according to Marks. “Despite the controversy, ocean release is the only practical option at Fukushima, and every conceivable step has been taken to choose the best decision that considers all factors," he said.
(Taiwan News image)
The TPOF survey also asked respondents if they thought China’s blanket ban on Japanese seafood in response to the release was reasonable. Just over half of respondents said they thought the decision was reasonable, and about 35% said they thought it was not.
