Japanese Prime Minister Calls Fukushima Wastewater Dump Inevitable

TOKYO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th October, 2021) Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida dashed hopes on Sunday that the planned discharge of wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant could be stayed.

"After seeing this number of cisterns I realized that this task cannot be delayed," he was quoted as saying by the national broadcaster NHK.

Kishida added that the process should be made as transparent as possible.

A million tonnes of treated water that cooled the Fukushima Daiichi reactor after the 2011 meltdown will be gradually dumped into the sea, starting in 2023.

The planned wastewater discharge could worry Russia, China and Korea. Fears are that it could tarnish the image of the local fishing business, but scientists say that health risks posed by leftover radiation will likely be minimal.