The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Task Force set up to review the safety of Japan’s plan to discharge treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station against relevant international safety standards is conducting its second mission on the plan’s technical preparations next week.
The 14–18 November mission — part of a series of missions to be conducted by the Task Force from 2022 until the water is released in 2023 — will assess the plans made by Japan’s Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station operator, and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).
The review of technical aspects related to safety of the proposed discharge is one component of the Task Force’s three-pronged review, to be carried out before, during and after the discharge of treated water. The other two components are the review of regulatory aspects and the conducting of independent sampling and analysis.
During the week-long mission, the Task Force will meet with officials in Tokyo and travel to the Fukushima Daiichi plant to review the progress of the construction of facilities used to discharge the water. In parallel to this mission, IAEA experts are currently in Japan observing sampling of seawater, marine sediment and fish near Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.
Press Conference
Gustavo Caruso, Director, Department of Nuclear Safety and Security and Chair of the Task Force, will be holding a press conference at the end of the mission on 18 November 16:00–17:00 (GMT+9).
The press conference is hosted by the Foreign Press Center Japan and will be streamed live. Further details on attendance can be found at their website here.
More details on the Fukushima Daiichi ALPS Treated Water Discharge can be found on the IAEA’s dedicated webpage.