Japan begins 20th release of Fukushima nuclear-tainted wastewater into sea

TOKYO - Japan on Monday began a new round of discharge of nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean, marking the 20th such release since the controversial operation began in 2023.

According to the plant's operator Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO), the latest round, set to run through June 19, will release about 7,800 tonnes of wastewater into the sea, containing approximately 1.3 trillion becquerels of radioactive tritium.

Hit by a 9-magnitude earthquake and an ensuing tsunami on March 11, 2011, the Fukushima nuclear plant suffered core meltdowns that released radiation, resulting in a level-7 nuclear accident, the highest on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale.

Despite opposition from local fishermen, residents and the international community, ocean discharge of the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water began in August 2023. So far, TEPCO has completed 19 rounds of discharges and nearly 150,000 tonnes of wastewater have been released into the sea.