蜜芽传媒

The Fukushima power plant was the scene of one of the world's worst nuclear accidents back in 2011.

A powerful earthquake and subsequent tsunami caused a meltdown at three of the plant's reactors.

More than 150,000 people had to be evacuated.

Since the accident, those reactors have been kept cool using vast quantities of water, then stored on site. And today the UN nuclear watchdog has approved a plan to start releasing that water into the sea.

But local residents as well as Japan's neighbours are worried that it's still radioactive.

David Krofcheck is an expert on nuclear power plants at the University of Auckland in New Zealand -- he's been speaking to Newshour's James Menendez.

(photo: A woman protests against the release of radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant;
credit - EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)