TOKYO: Japan’s nuclear regulator granted approval on Friday for utility Tokyo Electric Power Co. (Tepco), which ran the destroyed Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, to start releasing more than a million tons of radioactive water.

On Tuesday, the global watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said a two-year review showed Japan’s plan for the release would have negligible environmental impact.

The Japanese regulator’s certificate is the final step the utility required to begin the process.