Japan plans to release over 1 million tons of contaminated Fukushima water into sea

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Japan's government has approved a plan to release over one million tonnes of treated water from the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Tuesday.

The release is unlikely to begin for at least two years but has already sparked opposition from local fishing communities and concern in Beijing and Seoul.

Japan's government argues that the release will be safe because the water has been processed to remove almost all radioactive elements and will be diluted.

It has support from the International Atomic Energy Agency, which says the release is similar to processes for disposing of waste water from nuclear plants elsewhere in the world.

"The Japanese government has compiled basic policies to release the processed water into the ocean, after ensuring the safety levels of the water... and while the government takes measures to prevent reputational damage," Suga told reporters.

Around 1.25 million tonnes of water has accumulated at the site of the nuclear plant, which was crippled after going into meltdown following a tsunami in 2011.

It includes water used to cool the plant, as well as rain and groundwater that seeps in daily.

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