Defying criticisms, Japan begins releasing radioactive Fukushima water

Japan has begun releasing radioactive treated water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean, amid widespread opposition to the move by regional countries, particularly China.

Tokyo Electric Power Co. (Tepco), which operated the nuclear power plant, announced that the release started at 1:03 p.m. local time (0403 GMT) on Thursday, adding that it had not identified any abnormalities with the seawater pump or surrounding facilities.

Some 1.33 million cubic meters of groundwater, rainwater, and water used for cooling have accumulated at the Fukushima site, which is being decommissioned after several reactors went into meltdown following the 2011 tsunami that badly damaged the plant.

Japan’s plan to dump the polluted water into the sea was approved two years ago by the Japanese government as a crucial step to decommissioning the power plant and ending the last chapter of one of the world's worst nuclear disasters.

Tokyo has said that dumping the water is safe and Tepco reassured that the sea water will be checked during the course to make sure everything is alright with the natural environment.

Back in July, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also said that a two-year review showed that Japan's emissions program would have negligible impacts on the environment.

However, the decision has sparked concerns among neighboring countries in the region, with China and South Korea already stepping up radiation tests of food imports from Japan.

SS