IAEA starts safety survey on Fukushima N-plant water release

Jiji Press

18:08 JST, February 14, 2022

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — A team of officials from the International Atomic Energy Agency on Monday started investigating the safety of the planned release into the sea of treated water containing radioactive tritium from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in Japan.

It is the first visit by an IAEA team over the treated water release from the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. plant in Fukushima Prefecture, the site of the 2011 triple reactor meltdown.

The IAEA team met with officials of the Japanese industry ministry on the first day Monday of the five-day investigation until Friday.

Gustavo Caruso, director and coordinator for the IAEA’s Department of Nuclear Safety and Security, said the investigation is “carried out in objective, credible and science-based manner and help send a message of transparency and confidence to the people in Japan and beyond.”

The Japanese officials said that they will use advice from the IAEA team for the safety of the water release.

The IAEA team will conduct an on-site inspection on the Fukushima plant and hear from TEPCO officials during the visit, which was delayed from December due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The IAEA plans to compile an interim report on the water release by the end of this year.