12 years after Fukushima, Japan prepares to release wastewater

Preparatory work moves forward amid local objections

20230309N Fukushima wastewater

Storage tanks for treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. The government plans to begin discharging the water into the sea this year. © Reuters

KAZUNARI HANAWA, Nikkei climate change editor

TOKYO -- Twelve years after the fuel meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, the government and operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. Holdings are preparing to release its treated wastewater into the ocean.

The plans are moving forward at a rapid clip despite protests from local fishermen and communities. The project's success or failure could have wide-reaching effects on the country's nuclear energy policy.

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