

TOKYO:
The Japanese government on Friday said a controversial plan to release radioactive wastewater from a crippled nuclear plant in Japan’s northeast into the Pacific Ocean will start in the spring or summer.
The schedule of the contentious plan to start releasing toxic water from the disaster-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture, into the ocean, was confirmed at a meeting of cabinet ministers at the prime minister’s office on Friday.
During the meeting of relevant cabinet ministers, financial support for fishing communities which will suffer reputational damage when the radioactive water is dumped into seas where they fish, was endorsed, as stipulated by a revised policy on the disposal of the treated water.
Japan’s fishing industry has vociferously made clear its ardent opposition to the plan, as it will almost certainly cause further damage to the industry’s reputation in the already maligned region.
The government believes a new 50-billion-yen (388.84-million-U.S. dollar) fund under the revised policy will somehow help the fishing communities, whose stock following the release of the toxic water in their fishing areas, will almost certainly be considered tainted, regardless of to what degree the toxic water is treated.
Under the plan, the water, which contains hard-to-remove radioactive tritium as a result of being used to cool down melted nuclear fuel at the stricken plant, will be discharged through an underwater tunnel into the Pacific Ocean after being treated.
The plant had its key cooling functions knocked out after being battered by a massive earthquake-triggered tsunami in 2011, resulting in the worst global nuclear crisis since Chernobyl in 1986.
The tainted water being stored in tanks at the plant is expected to soon reach capacity and the lengthy process of then dumping the radioactive water into the ocean is projected to take several decades.
Previously, the government had considered a number of alternatives to simply releasing the radioactive water into the Pacific.
These included discharging the water into the soil, using electrolysis to hydrogenate the tritium, as well as the possibility of encasing the contaminated water and burying it deep underground.
Those attending Friday’s meeting of cabinet ministers said that efforts will continue to gain the understanding of local residents, business operators and the broader public, as opposition to the planned dumping has been strong.
Besides staunch opposition to the plan from within Japan, some of the country’s closest neighbors and the wider international community have also voiced their concerns about and opposition to the plan to dump the radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean.

more recommended stories
Chris Hipkins Sworn in as New Zealand PM
WELLINGTON:Chris Hipkins was sworn in as.
US Govt Sues Google Over its Monopoly on Digital Advertising Market
WASHINGTON:The US Department of Justice (DOJ).
FBI Accuses North Korean Government Hackers of Stealing $100M in Harmony Bridge Theft
WASHINGTON:The FBI accused two groups of.
Kuwait Cabinet Resigns after Parliament Disputes
KUWAIT CITY:Kuwait´s government resigned on Monday.
Jacinda Ardern Makes Last Speech as NZ PM
WELLINGTON:A teary-eyed Jacinda Ardern on Tuesday.
Potential New Unmarked Graves Found at Indigenous School in Canada
OTTAWA:More than 2,000 anomalies and a.
Indonesia’s Mt. Marapi Erupts, Ash up to 300 metres
JAKARTA:The Marapi volcano in Indonesia’s West.
Kevin McCarthy Elected US House Speaker After Historic Deadlock
WASHINGTON:The US House of Representatives elected.
US House Adjourns with no Speaker Elected for 1st Time in 164 Years
WASHINGTON:The US House of Representatives has.
China Seeks to Minimize Covid Risk During Travel Rush
BEIJING:China is seeking to minimize the.