Japan is poised to release wastewater stored at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station into the ocean.
The country received approval from the International Atomic Energy Agency, which conducted a safety review of the water.
Other Asian countries, including China and South Korea, have reportedly protested the release of the water, fearing potential risk of radiation.
However, the IAEA says the treated water would have "negligible radiological impact to people and the environment."
The water reportedly went through a processing system to remove "almost all radioactivity." However, the water still has tritium, which is a byproduct of nuclear reactors, according to the U.S. government. The IAEA said Japan will dilute the water to bring the tritium level below regulatory standards.
Treated Fukushima wastewater to be released into sea
The water was contaminated in 2011 in the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
The more than 1 million tons of water built up after a 2011 earthquake and tsunami that damaged the nuclear plant. The water had been used to cool leaks from the damaged reactors, according to The Associated Press.
Japan will not be dumping all the water at once. The process is expected to take years.
The IAEA said it will have a team on site during the discharge phase to monitor the situation.
“This will ensure the relevant international safety standards continue to be applied throughout the decades-long process," said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi.
