Japan is getting ready to release treated radioactive water from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean, possibly starting in late August, Japan’s Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported on Monday, citing unnamed government sources.
This action will happen after Prime Minister Fumio Kishida talks with U.S. President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in the United States. The source said that the Japanese Prime Minister will explain to the leaders about the safety of the water.
Tokyo Electric Power, the company that runs the plant, received permission last month from Japan’s nuclear regulator to begin releasing the water. Japan and the International Atomic Energy Agency say the water is safe, but other nearby countries are worried it might make food unsafe.
Fishing is supposed to begin off the coast of Fukushima in September, so Japan wants to start releasing the water before that time to not disrupt the fishing season.