DON’T FALL OUT

Japan: We’re Dumping Fukushima Wastewater Into the Sea, but Don’t Worry About It

The move has been angrily opposed by residents, environmental activists, and Japan’s neighbors.

The Japanese government has urged everyone to chill out about its newly announced plan to dump over a million tons of contaminated water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea. The government confirmed its plan Tuesday, with Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga describing it as the most realistic option to deal with the massive volume of water that has been used to cool Fukushima’s melted reactors since 2011. The move has been angrily opposed by residents, environmental activists, and Japan’s neighbors—but Suga insisted that his government will “take every measure to absolutely guarantee the safety of the treated water and address misinformation.” It’s not known exactly how much radioactive material that would remain in the water by the time it’s dumped. The Chinese government criticized the decision as “extremely irresponsible,” saying Japan is purposefully overlooking the potential damage.