Japan's Minamitori Island ecosystem at risk from nuclear waste site survey, warns lab

Japan's easternmost island, Minamitori, is facing potential ecological damage as it undergoes assessment as a site for highly radioactive waste disposal. A private research institute has cautioned that the surveys and construction required for the process could jeopardize the island's significant conservation value.

The Institute of Boninology, based in Ogasawara village, has been independently documenting Minamitori's natural environment since the central government proposed a preliminary survey in March. Their research, supported by over 120 academic papers, highlights the island's exceptional biodiversity, including numerous rare species of fish, plants, and wildlife.

Despite the institute's concerns, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization, overseeing the project, asserts that the preliminary survey, which began in May, focuses on geological strata and mineral resources based on published data. They maintain that "ecosystems are not included in the evaluation items."

The institute, founded in 2000 to protect the Ogasawara Islands' ecosystem, argues that the island's conservation value is already well-established. They stress the need for thorough ecological study before increased human access. Notable species on the island include a rare angelfish, potentially a main habitat, and the Togemiudonoki flowering tree, found nowhere else in Japan. A recent ornithological survey also confirmed the breeding of the white tern, a first for Japan in 120 years.

The three-stage, 20-year selection process for the final disposal site includes preliminary surveys, preliminary investigations involving on-site drilling, and detailed investigations requiring underground facility construction. The institute warns that these later stages could cause major environmental changes, potentially irreversible impacts on Minamitori's unique ecosystem.

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Our current knowledge alone already demonstrates the (Minamitori) island’s conservation value. The ecosystem should be thoroughly studied before human access to the island increases.