12 Years On: Japan Govt to Continue Explaining N-Plant Water Release

Tokyo, Feb. 20 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government will continue to carefully explain the planned release of treated water from the crippled nuclear plant in Fukushima Prefecture into the ocean in order to win understanding, reconstruction minister Hiromichi Watanabe said.

"It's extremely important to win understanding and cooperation from inside and outside Japan" over the water release from Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.'s <9501> Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, Watanabe said in a recent interview with Jiji Press and other media organizations.

"The disposal of treated water is an issue we can't push away," he said about 12 years after the plant was hit by a triple reactor meltdown after a massive earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011.

The release of treated water is expected to start around spring or summer this year.

The government will remain committed to providing scientific evidence-based information about the release of treated water so that no reputational damage will be caused by the measure, Watanabe said.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]