IAEA endorses Japan plan to release treated Fukushima water

International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi met residents of Fukushima Prefecture on Wednesday.

The UN nuclear watchdog concludes that Japan's plan to release treated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea meets international standards and will have a "negligible radiological impact". Tokyo's plan to dilute the treated water and release it into the sea over several decades is "consistent with relevant international safety standards", the IAEA said.

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) and Japan's government want to release the treated liquid, diluted with seawater, via a pipe extending a kilometre from the coast where the plant sits. But fishing communities in Fukushima are also worried customers will shun their catches, despite strict testing protocols for food from the region.