IAEA: Japan making progress on Fukushima water release plan

BERLIN (AP) — The International Atomic Energy Agency said Friday that Japan is making “significant progress” on its plans to release treated radioactive wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant next year. A team of experts from the U.N. agency visited the plant in February and met with officials from the operator and the government. Japan has sought the IAEA’s assistance to ensure the release meets international safety standards and to reassure neighboring countries. A massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011 destroyed the Fukushima plant’s cooling systems, causing the meltdown of three reactors and the release of large amounts of radiation. Water used since the accident to cool the damaged reactor cores has leaked extensively.