Radiation fears persist as Japan to release Fukushima water: NYT

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Tuesday declared that Japan's plans to release treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean were consistent with international safety standards, but fears over radiation continue, reported Xinhua.

The nuclear authority's final report concluded that the treated water would "have a negligible radiological impact on people and the environment" once it is released. "Japan's plan has provoked controversy both at home and abroad, as government officials in China and many residents in South Korea have protested the release as unsafe," said The New York Times.

Rafael Grossi, IAEA director general, said that should Japan proceed with its planned discharge, the IAEA would also open a station in Fukushima to continue reviewing the water's safety "for decades to come."

Tepco, the power company that operated the plant and that is now overseeing its decommissioning, said that treatment of the water was making it safe to release, but "critics say that the Japanese government and Tepco have not been transparent enough about the treatment process or the planned release," said the NYT report.

Wu Jianghao, China's ambassador to Japan, said in a news conference on Tuesday that "Japan should stop the plan to release the water into the sea, but seriously consult with the international community and consider a scientific, safe, transparent and convincing response." Japan had made its decision without "sufficient consultations," he noted.

Opinion is even divided within Japan. In a poll released by JNN, a Japanese television network, 45 percent of respondents supported the plan, while 40 percent said they were against it, said the report.