The Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) announced Thursday plans to dump its stores of contaminated water—used to cool the damaged nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant—into the Pacific Ocean.

(Photo: Greenpeace) According to the Japan Times, TEPCO says the measure is "necessary because the utility fears it will eventually run out of capacity to store radioactive water that continues to accumulate at the plant due to water being injected to help cool the three reactors that experienced core meltdowns in March 2011."

Though the action will need approval from local governments, plant officials have struggled for months to find ways to store the accumulating amount of toxic water. According to the report, TEPCO is increasing the number of storage tanks, but has issued a warning that they will soon reach full capacity.