PM eases fears over wastewater release

Japan’s new prime minister on Sunday said the planned mass disposal of wastewater stored at the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant cannot be delayed, despite concerns from local residents. Speaking at his first visit to the facility since taking office, Fumio Kishida said his government would work to reassure residents nearby the plant about the technical safety of the wastewater disposal project. The Fukushima Dai-ichi plant suffered a triple meltdown in 2011 following a massive earthquake and tsunami. The government announced plans in April to start releasing the water into the Pacific Ocean in the spring of 2023.