'Japan plans to dump Fukushima wastewater into ocean'

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) – Japan plans to dispose of radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean, local media reported on Friday.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s government will move ahead with the idea despite opposition within and outside the country and may announce the decision as early as next Tuesday, according to public broadcaster NHK.

The wastewater, though treated, still contains radioactive tritium, the report said.

NHK cited sources as saying that authorities want to dilute the waste to “acceptable global standards” and start dumping it into the ocean “two years from now.”

Japan’s fishery industry and some provincial authorities have voiced concerns over the plan, which has also drawn criticism from China and South Korea.

However, a top minister said the Japanese government “will work to address their concerns and bring in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and other partners.”

“We will seek the cooperation of global organizations such as the IAEA and local governments to thoroughly check the plan’s safety and maintain transparency,” Kajiyama Hiroshi, the country’s economy, trade, and industry minister, said on Friday.