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21 Pac. Rim L. & Pol'y J. 427 (2012)
The Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Disaster and the Future of Nuclear Energy Programs in Japan and East Asia

handle is hein.journals/pacrimlp21 and id is 441 raw text is: INTRODUCTION THE FUKUSHIMA DAI-ICHI NUCLEAR DISASTER AND THE FUTURE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY PROGRAMS IN JAPAN AND EAST ASIA Hiroshi Fukurait I. INTRODUCTION On March 11, 2011, a massive 9.0 magnitude quake and powerful tsunami slammed the northeastern region of Japan. Huge seismic activities knocked out the power at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant, and ensuing tidal waves disabled the backup generators for cooling systems to the active reactors. This triggered a series of hydrogen explosions and released dangerously high levels of radioactive particles into the atmosphere. The Japanese government declared a nuclear emergency, due to the worst nuclear crisis in Japanese history, and decided to evacuate 140,000 residents within twenty kilometers of the plant to various relocation centers.' In April 2011, the government raised the accident assessment to Level 7, the worst rating on an international disaster scale, acknowledging that the devastating human and environmental consequences might be dire and long lasting. The government also allowed the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), an operator of the damaged nuclear plant, to dump more than 10,000 tons of radiation-contained effluent from the nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean,2 which angered many neighboring countries.3 South Korea, I Professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz. The authors would like to thank Professor Jonathan Kang of the University of Washington School of Law for his encouragement and support of the publication of the conference papers. Appreciation is also extended to Professor Setsuo Miyazawa of Aoyama Gakuin University Graduate School of Law, Professor Kay-Wah Chan of Macquarie University Law School for organizing the conference, Professor Chulwoo Lee of Yonsei University College of Law for his valuable assistance, and Dean Kellye Testy of the University of Washington School of Law for her participation in and support of the conference. 1 Fredrik Dahl, Japan Nuclear Power Plants: 140,000 Evacuated from Fukushima Areas, HUFFINGTON POST, Mar. 12, 2011, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/12/japan-nuclear-power-plant- 140000-evacuated n 834974.html. 2 Peter Grier, Why is Japan Dumping Radioactive Water into the Ocean?, CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR, Apr. 4, 2011, http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2011/0404/Why-is-Japan-dumping-radioactive- water-into-the-ocean. Eben Harrell, Fukushima Dumping: A Violation of International Law?, TIME SCIENCE, Apr. 6, 2011, http://ecocentric.blogs.time.com/2011/04/06/fukushima-dumping-a-violation-of-intemational-law/.

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