Construction begins at Fukushima plant for water release

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — The construction of facilities needed for a planned release of treated radioactive wastewater into the sea next year from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant has begun despite opposition from the local fishing community. Plant workers started construction of a pipeline to transport the wastewater from hillside storage tanks to a coastal facility before its planned release next year. Japan’s nuclear regulators approved the plan last month as a necessary step for an ongoing decommissioning at Fukushima Dai-Ichi following its 2011 meltdowns. Officials say the discharge is safe, but scientists say long-term, low-dose radiation impacts are still unknown.