Japan to start releasing Fukushima water to sea in 2 years

The plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co., says its storage capacity will be full in the fall of 2022.

Radioactive water accumulating in tanks at the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant will be released into the sea in two years after it is treated, Japan's government said on Tuesday in a decision long delayed by safety concerns and protests. Cabinet ministers endorsed the release as the best option for handling the massive amount of water that has been stored at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant since the massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011 caused reactor meltdowns and leaks of cooling water from the damaged reactors. The plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co., says its storage capacity will be full in the fall of 2022.