The Release of Treated Water from Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant

The podcast discusses the release of treated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan. The Fukushima disaster, triggered by an earthquake and tsunami, led to the meltdown of three nuclear reactors, resulting in the accumulation of 880 tons of radioactive nuclear fuel. Over the past 12 years, 1.3 million tons of water, equivalent to 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools, have been stored at the power plant. In July 2021, the Japanese government and TEPCO announced plans to slowly release the water into the Pacific Ocean while monitoring its radioactivity levels. The International Atomic Energy Association and the South Korean government have approved this plan, but Hong Kong and mainland China have expressed strong opposition.