Japan: IAEA Experts Visit Fukushima
The technological unloading process was interrupted due to an accident
On Tuesday, April 23, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a UN body, began the second review of the process of discharging decontaminated water from the former Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which was destroyed in 2011 by a massive earthquake followed by a tsunami that flooded three reactors. Before arriving at the Fukushima NPP site, a group of international experts led by IAEA Coordinating Director Gustavo Caruso was received by the leadership of the Japanese Foreign Ministry. Experts arrived in Fukushima on Tuesday evening to inspect the plant and the decontamination and wastewater discharge systems used to continuously cool the damaged reactors.
The normal verification process was interrupted by a sudden power outage that occurred at the same time as the IAEA experts’ visit. According to Japanese media reports, a powerful underground power line was accidentally severed during the excavation. The accident led to the cessation of treatment and the discharge of decontaminated water into the ocean.
While waiting for the technological process to resume, the international working group held talks with representatives of the Ministry of Industry and the operator of the emergency power plant, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO). Meanwhile, international IAEA inspectors from Argentina, Australia, Britain, Canada, China, France, Russia, South Korea, the USA, and Vietnam took samples of the wastewater and confirmed that the average tritium concentration does not exceed 700 becquerels per liter, well below the operating limit of 1,500 becquerels/liter.
China and Russia have protested the release of water from Fukushima into the sea and banned imports of Japanese seafood.