By TAKURO YAMANO/ Staff Writer
January 13, 2023 at 18:41 JST
Tanks that store treated radioactive water stand in rows in the compound of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant on April 12, 2021. (Reina Kitamura)
Japan will start releasing tons of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean in spring or summer, the government confirmed on Jan. 13.
The government announced the controversial plan in April 2021, saying the release would start in about two years. It has been opposed by fisheries in Fukushima Prefecture and neighboring countries.
“Before releasing the water, the government will take steps to ensure safety and protect local communities from unfounded rumors,” said Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno. “We will listen to local communities and the fishing industry, and carefully explain that necessary measures are in place for them.”
In August 2022, Tokyo Electric Power Co., the plant operator, started building an underwater tunnel to the sea and other facilities designed to discharge the water.
TEPCO says the facilities should be ready by spring but bad weather and other disruptions could delay the start until summer.
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