US & Canada

Media Briefed About Fukushima Water Release by Japan Embassy; Tritium Also Released By U.S. Nuclear Plants, Expert Says

AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib
The U.S. Flag flies at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Feb. 6, 2023.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:00 JST, August 24, 2023

A briefing session for U.S. media about the release of treated water into the ocean from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant was held Wednesday by the Japanese Embassy in Washington, D.C.

University of Tokyo Prof. Koji Okamoto, who specializes in nuclear engineering, was invited to the session to explain the scientific basis for the plan’s safety.

CNN was among the media outlets that attended the briefing, which was aimed at promoting international understanding of the water’s release into the ocean.

Okamoto said that tritium, a radioactive substance contained in the treated water, has been released from nuclear power plants in operation in the United States as well. Japan will intensify its measurements of the tritium concentration in seawater near the Fukushima plant in the future, he said.