Fukushima nuclear wastewater discharge exceeds 130,000 tons in Japan

Japan has completed its 17th discharge of nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, releasing a total of approximately 133,000 tons of treated wastewater into the ocean since August 2023. The water, contaminated primarily with radioactive tritium, is stored on-site and released in controlled rounds despite international concerns. TEPCO, the plant operator, plans seven more discharges totaling about 54,600 tons in fiscal 2025. The Fukushima plant, severely damaged by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, still contains about 880 tons of molten nuclear fuel debris inside its reactors, with cleanup efforts expected to take 12 to 15 years. In parallel with managing Fukushima’s aftermath, Japan is moving to revive its nuclear energy program. The Niigata prefecture recently approved restarting the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant, the world’s largest, which had been shut down after the 2011 disaster. TEPCO aims to react