Minamisoma, Fukushima Pref: Japanese industry minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, during a visit to Fukushima Prefecture on Sunday, pledged efforts to deal with misinformation regarding the release of tritium-containing treated water into the sea from a crippled nuclear plant.

Nishimura visited four coastal municipalities in the prefecture–the city of Minamisoma and the towns of Okuma, Futaba and Namie.

On reputational damage from the release of the treated water from Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.’s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power station in the northeastern Japan prefecture, Nishimura told reporters in Minamisoma, “The industry ministry has secured necessary funds, and I’m responsible for dealing with the matter.”

TEPCO started to release the water on Aug. 24. In the first round of the operations, which ended earlier this month, some 7,800 tons of treated water was discharged into the Pacific Ocean after being diluted with seawater to substantially reduce the concentration of tritium, a radioactive substance.

“We will continue all-out efforts to ensure the safety” of the operations, Nishimura said.

The Fukushima No. 1 plant was severely damaged in the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, leading to an unprecedented triple reactor meltdown.

In Okuma, Futaba and Namie, Nishimura visited small local enterprises, asking them about challenges facing them, such as how to secure workers.

Also in Minamisoma, Nishimura appeared in a live broadcast at a beach event held with participation by top surfers from around the world for the promotion of postdisaster reconstruction.

“We want to advance reconstruction in cooperation with people all over the world,” he said.

The beach event was also attended by member lawmakers of a surfing promotion group of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, including former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi.

Koizumi stressed the safety of fishery products from Fukushima, telling reporters that he will fight arguments that are not based on scientific grounds over the treated water discharge from the Fukushima No. 1 plant.

JIJI Press