Kishida explains Fukushima water release to Group of 20 leaders

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida explained the release plan for treated water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean to the Group of 20 leaders who gathered in New Delhi for a two-day summit on Saturday, an official with the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.

Japan started releasing treated radioactive water from the damaged Fukushima plant into the Pacific Ocean last month. China harshly criticized the move and immediately banned all seafood imports from Japan.

The Japanese government says the water release is safe, noting that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has also concluded that the impact on people and the environment would be “negligible.”