Japan’s Kishida Visits Fukushima Amid Focus on Water Release
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
(Bloomberg) -- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant and said it’s premature to say when the country would release treated wastewater from the disaster site.
Most Read from Bloomberg
Borrowers With $39 Billion in Student Loans Finally See Relief
Musk Told Pentagon He Spoke to Putin Directly, New Yorker Says
Quant Trader Doubles Fortune to $11 Billion as XTX Profit Surges
“I must refrain from commenting on the specific timing at this point,” Kishida said in a televised news conference Sunday after checking equipment and talking to people on site.
The Japanese government could start releasing the water from between late August and early September, Kyodo News reported over the weekend, citing government sources it did not name. The Asahi newspaper has recently reported the premier and the cabinet would decide on the timing of the release as soon as Tuesday.
Kishida added he intends to meet the chairman of a national fishermen’s association, which is concerned about the possible impact of discharged water on the industry, as early as Monday.
The plan for Tokyo Electric Power Co. to release the wastewater — equivalent in volume to about 500 Olympic-size swimming pools — has drawn protests in South Korea and fierce criticism from China, which has extended a ban on food imports from Fukushima.
Nearly nine in 10 respondents to a Kyodo poll published Sunday were concerned about damage from harmful speculation related to the water release. The poll also showed Kishida’s disapproval rate rose to 50% for the first time since December.
Japanese officials have said the water discharge would be safe and the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog released a comprehensive review last month, saying the move “would have negligible radiological impact on people and the environment.”
Read: IAEA Says Plan to Discharge Fukushima Wastewater Is Safe
“Our government will take advantage of every opportunity to offer very transparent explanations to foster the understanding of not only China but also the international community,” Kishida said at the news conference.
(Updates with the result of a public opinion survey by Kyodo in sixth paragraph.)
Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek
Never Mind Shrinking Households, Builders Are Adding Bedrooms
‘Don’t You Remember Me?’ The Crypto Hell on the Other Side of a Spam Text
GOP Presidential Hopeful Ramaswamy Sued Over Strive’s Practices
Sam’s Club’s War Against Costco Started With $1.38 Hot Dog Combo
The Legendary, Wildly Profitable QQQ Fund Makes No Money for Its Owner
©2023 Bloomberg L.P.