Japan OKs plan to release Fukushima nuclear plant wastewater

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s nuclear regulator has approved plans by the operator of the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant to release its treated radioactive wastewater into the sea next year, saying the outlined methods are safe and risks to the environment minimal. The plan was submitted in December based on the government’s decision last year to release the wastewater as a necessary step for the ongoing plant cleanup and decommission. A massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011 destroyed the Fukushima plant’s cooling systems, causing the meltdown of three reactors. Water used to cool the three damaged reactor cores has been stored in tanks. There is still concern in the community and neighboring countries about the potential health hazards of the release of the water.