IAEA approved Japanese government’s plan to discharge contaminated water

IAEA Director Delivers the Final Report on the Contaminated Water: Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), delivers the final report on the contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the prime minister’s residence in Tokyo, Japan on July 4. AFP-Yonhap News

On July 4, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released its final report concluding that the Japanese government’s plan to release contaminated water from the first unit of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the sea was consistent with safety standards. This ends the preparation by the Japanese government, and now the only thing remaining is a final decision on the date of the discharge.

On Tuesday, the IAEA released the final report assessing the safety of releasing contaminated water from the nuclear power plant into the ocean on its website. Rafael Grossi, the IAEA director-general, mentioned in the report foreword, “Based on its comprehensive assessment, the IAEA has concluded that the approach and activities to the discharge of ALPS treated water taken by Japan are consistent with relevant international safety standards,” and stated, “the IAEA notes the controlled, gradual discharges of the treated water to the sea, as currently planned and assessed by TEPCO, would have a negligible radiological impact on people and the environment.”

Grossi personally delivered the final report during a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the prime minister’s residence in Tokyo Tuesday. Prime Minister Kishida said, “As a responsible leader in the international community, we will not allow a discharge that would be harmful to human health and the environment,” and said Japan would “sincerely respond after reviewing the details of the report.” The IAEA chief described the report as “scientific” and “impartial” and explained that the report included all elements necessary for Japan to make decisions to proceed to the next stage.

Earlier after Japan decided to release the contaminated water into the sea in April 2021, it requested the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog to review the safety of its plan. A task force composed of nuclear power experts from eleven countries were assigned to the task. For the past two years, they met with the employees of the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) and examined safety. The IAEA released reports on six occasions claiming that there was no problem in safety or credibility when it came to Japan releasing the contaminated water into the sea.

However, the latest report could reignite a debate on the impartiality of the international authority on nuclear power. Interested parties and environmental groups that oppose the discharge of contaminated water have questioned the neutrality of the IAEA claiming that the international organization was fundamentally an agency that supported nuclear power plants and that Japan made the third largest contribution to the IAEA following the U.S. and China.

By receiving the final report from the IAEA, Japan has finished its preparations to discharge the contaminated water. Japan can now release the water whenever Prime Minister Kishida decides on the date. However, the Komeito, a coalition partner of the Liberal Democratic Party, has made a last-minute request to delay the date of the discharge, and opposition from neighboring countries is still fierce, so it is unclear as to when Japan will actually discharge the contaminated water.

Director-general Grossi will make a three-day trip to South Korea on July 7 and meet with the chief of the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission and explain the details of the final report.