Second round of Fukushima wastewater release begins
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00:00 At the end of August, Japan released a first batch of treated water from Fukushima into
00:06 the Pacific Ocean.
00:07 Now, the same process is being repeated.
00:11 The water was used to cool the reactors in the nuclear power plant, which was crippled
00:16 by a tsunami in 2011.
00:19 It's currently stored in about 1,000 tanks on site, taking up space needed for decommissioning,
00:25 according to the plant operator.
00:28 The International Atomic Energy Agency has said that the gradual release will have a
00:32 negligible impact on people and the environment.
00:35 But the plan has drawn criticism, particularly from Russia, which has strained relations
00:40 with Japan and is considering banning Japanese seafood imports.
00:46 Questions and concerns remain.
00:48 Japan has failed to adequately respond to these issues and ensure that there is no threat,
00:52 including in the long term, on many issues.
00:57 The release has also drawn the ire of China, which imposed a ban on Japanese seafood imports
01:03 in August.
01:04 Tokyo has insisted the treated water poses no health risks and has since threatened to
01:09 take Beijing to court.
01:14 We are undecided whether to file a complaint to the WTO immediately.
01:19 At any rate, we hope to find a resolution within the WTO framework.
01:27 Since 2011, 1.34 million tonnes of waste water have built up at the facility, the equivalent
01:34 of several hundred Olympic-sized pools.
01:37 The full release is expected to take decades to complete.
01:40 [BLANK_AUDIO]