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Following a cabinet meeting, the Japanese government says it has decided to release 1.25 million tons of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean over the course of 30 years, after concluding there will be no negative impact on human health or the environment. The decision is opposed by Russia, China, Taiwan, South Korea, North Korea and the Philippines, while being supported by the United States.
2021-04-13

The Japanese government authorizes a release of contaminated water from the plant into the Pacific Ocean. Officials say that the release represents a "significantly small" risk to human health.
2019-11-18

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reports a 7.7 magnitude earthquake has struck off the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says there is no tsunami threat because the quake was very deep in the earth.
2016-07-29

Russia's unmanned Fobos-Grunt space probe re-enters the Earth's atmosphere after a failed mission to the Martian moon Phobos. The 13-ton spacecraft disintegrates over the southern Pacific Ocean at approximately 16:45 UTC. China's first Mars probe, Yinghuo-1, which was launched together with Fobos-Grunt, is also destroyed.
2012-01-15

The Pacific islands of Tuvalu and Tokelau declare a state of emergency due to a lack of drinking water caused by low rainfall.
2011-10-4

Japan defends dumping of water with low level radiation from the accidents in the Pacific Ocean following criticism from South Korea and Russia.
2011-04-5

The level of radioactive iodine in the Pacific Ocean near the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant reaches 1850 times normal levels following the recent accidents.
2011-03-27

Scientists discover a new type of snailfish, in the Peru-Chile trench in the south-east Pacific Ocean.
2010-10-16

The "Plastiki", a catamaran made out of recycled plastic, arrives in Sydney, Australia, after travelling across the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco, United States, to raise awareness of environmental issues.
2010-07-26