Japan PM Intends to Meet Head of Fisheries Cooperative to Discuss Release of Treated Water

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:05 JST, August 20, 2023

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Sunday expressed his intention to meet with Masanobu Sakamoto, head of the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations (Zengyoren), as early as Monday to discuss the government’s plan to discharge treated water from the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant into the sea.

Kishida made the remarks during an inspection tour of the plant. “We will make a decision after confirming throughout the government the progress of efforts to ensure safety and countermeasures against possible damage caused by harmful rumors,” he said. “I will refrain from giving a specific date [for the release of the treated water] at this point.”

Earlier in the day, Kishida inspected the plant’s advanced liquid processing system (ALPS) that helps to remove radioactive materials from contaminated water, and met with senior officials of Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc.