At Japanese nuclear plant, controversial treated water release just the beginning of decommissioning

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

OKUMA, Japan (AP) — The sound of treated radioactive water flowing down to an underground secondary pool could be heard from beneath the ground during a media tour of Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The tour Sunday was the first since the controversial release of treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean began. For the plant wrecked by a tsunami, managing the ever-growing volume of radioactive wastewater has been a safety risk and a burden since the March 2011 meltdown. Its release marks a milestone but is just the beginning of the challenges ahead, including the removal of the fatally radioactive melted fuel that remain in the three damaged reactors, a daunting task if ever completed.