Japan’s industry minister chides utility president over radioactive water leak at Fukushima plant

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s industry minister has chided the president of the utility that runs the Fukushima nuclear plant for a radioactive water leak earlier this month. Industry Minister Ken Saito called for heightened safety awareness and preventive measures and urged the company president he summoned to his office to take the issue seriously. Tomoaki Kobayakawa apologized to the minister and said later Wednesday he planned to study how to prevent human errors. The plant was damaged by a 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Troubles at the plant are especially sensitive while the government tries to get support for discharging treated wastewater into the sea. That process will take decades and has worried Japan’s neighbors.