Second round of Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water release begins

Japan's wrecked Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant said it began releasing a second batch of nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the sea on Thursday after the first round of discharges ended in September, amid protests from local fishermen and other countries.

Plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO) said workers activated a pump to dilute the treated water with large amounts of seawater, slowly sending the mixture into the ocean through an underground tunnel. The plant's first wastewater release began August 24 and ended September 11.

During that release, TEPCO said it discharged 7,800 tons of wastewater from 10 tanks. The total estimated emissions for the second release are expected to be around 7,800 tons, with a discharge period of approximately 17 days.