Japan’s plan for Fukushima wastewater: Three questions

For decades, nations all over the world – from Canada and France to China and South Korea – have been discharging wastewater from nuclear facilities containing small quantities of radioactive materials.

Yet today, Japan’s plan to follow suit and release highly diluted, treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station – deemed safe by the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog agency – has sparked opposition from local and regional fishing communities and governments. 

That opposition stems largely from fears – rather than facts – about Japan’s release, according to experts and surveys. The concern is that public