Iaea To Issue Report Before Treated Water Release From Fukushima Nuclear Plant
The UN nuclear agency says it plans to issue a report on the safety of treated water from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant before the start of its release into the sea. The release is planned to begin around next spring.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has been verifying the safety of the treated water based on international standards at the request of the Japanese government. An IAEA team of experts conducted a five-day inspection in Japan that began on Monday. They inspected the power plant and met with officials of the government and the plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO.
The team held a news conference on Friday, after completing the inspection.
IAEA director of safety and security coordination, Gustavo Caruso, said the team has reviewed technical aspects of the project with transparency. He said the agency will be able to make an evaluation that offers a sense of safety not only for Japan but the international community as well, including neighboring South Korea and China.
The IAEA also said it plans to conduct another round of inspections in Japan in mid-January and then issue a comprehensive report before the planned start of the release.
Water is used to cool molten nuclear fuel at the plant. It is mixed with groundwater and rainwater that flows into damaged reactor buildings.
TEPCO is treating the water by filtering out most of the radioactive substances.
But the treated water still contains radioactive tritium and some other radioactive substances.
The government and TEPCO hope to start releasing the treated water around next spring after diluting the tritium levels to below national regulations.
They must gain the understanding of the international community for the release, as safety concerns have been voiced abroad as well as in Japan.