“We expect the discharge to begin on Aug. 24 if weather and sea conditions do not hinder it,” Kishida said after a cabinet meeting in Tokyo, asking the plant’s operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co., to prepare for the release.
Following a two-year review, the International Atomic Energy Agency concluded last month that Japan’s plan meets international safety standards and would have “negligible” radiological impact on people and the environment.
“The government is committed to taking full responsibility until the disposal of the treated water is completed, even if it takes decades to complete,” Kishida said Tuesday.
For years, the contaminated water has been stored in large metal tanks near the plant, the site of one of the worst nuclear disasters in history. But Japan is running out of space to build more tanks to accommodate the contaminated groundwater and rainwater that continue to enter the site.
The pending release has become highly politicized by neighboring countries, including South Korea and China. Fukushima’s fishing and agricultural industries are also worried about potential reputational harm for their products, which still carry the stigma of radioactive exposure.