URGENT: Japan to begin releasing second batch of Fukushima water on Oct. 5

The release of the second batch of treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the ocean will commence on Oct. 5, the facility's operator said Thursday. Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. released about 7,800 tons of treated radioactive water into the sea during the first round, which began on Aug. 24 and completed on Sept. 11. TEPCO and the government maintain that disposing of the treated water is a crucial step toward decommissioning the nuclear plant, which was severely damaged in the wake of a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami in 2011.