UN nuclear agency endorses Japan’s plan to release treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — The U.N. nuclear agency has given its endorsement to Japan’s planned release of treated radioactive wastewater into the sea from the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant, saying it meets international standards and its environmental and health impact would be negligible. The plan is opposed by groups in South Korea, China and some Pacific Island nations because of safety concerns and political reasons. Local fishing organizations are worried that their reputation will be damaged even if their catch isn’t contaminated. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, submitted its final assessment of the plan to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Tuesday. He called it a “comprehensive, neutral, objective, scientifically sound evaluation.”