"The International Atomic Energy Agency’s first independent sampling and analysis of seawater near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station since discharges of ALPS treated water started on 24 August confirms that the tritium levels are below Japan's operational limit," the agency said in a statement.
IAEA staff at the site took samples of seawater from several locations within 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from the NPP, at sea as well as from the coast, the agency said. The analysis of samples continues, it said.
The findings come on the heels of a lawsuit filed against the Japanese government and the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, alleging the wastewater release both undermines citizens' right to live safely and endangers the livelihood of local fisheries.
Plaintiffs also outlined in the suit a 2015 document in which the Japanese government vowed to not release the since-diluted waters without first obtaining the go-ahead from all involved parties. The Japan Fisheries Association did not support the release decision.
On August 24, Japan started dumping treated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean, having diluted it with sea water in advance. Tokyo claimed to have purified the water of all radionuclides except tritium, which was still within the permitted limit.