IAEA head Grossi meets with local residents ahead of visit to wrecked Fukushima plant

[July 05, 2023]  By Sakura Murakami

TOKYO (Reuters) -International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi met residents on Wednesday to assuage concerns over the safety of Japan's plan to release treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the ocean.

In a major milestone for the decommissioning of the power plant, destroyed in the massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011, the IAEA said on Tuesday that a two-year review showed Japan's plans for the water release would have a negligible impact on the environment.

Japanese fishing unions have long opposed the plan, saying it would undo work to repair reputational damage after several countries banned some Japanese food products for fear of radiation. Japan regularly tests seafood from the Fukushima area and has found it to be safe.

"The central government must act with the understanding that the plan to release the treated water is going forward amid our strong opposition," the head of Fukushima's fishing association Tetsu Nozaki said at a council meeting on Wednesday.

Grossi joined the meeting after the remark, where representatives of local fishing communities and government groups were in attendance, shaking hands with each of them before assuring them of the safety of the plan.

The reality of people, the economy, and social perceptions may be different from the science, he said, acknowledging the fears surrounding the water release.

"I don't have a magic solution for the doubts and concerns that may exist, but we do have one thing ... we are going to stay here with you for decades to come ... until the last drop of the water has been safely discharged," Grossi said.

Grossi will visit the wrecked plant on Wednesday, where he will inaugurate an IAEA office on site that will monitor the release of the water, which is expected to take 30 to 40 years.

The Japanese government is looking to start releasing water as early as August, the Nikkei reported on Wednesday.

The plan still needs official approval from the national nuclear regulatory body, which is expected on Friday.

CRITICISM ABROAD

Some neighbouring countries have also raised concerns over the threat to the environment, with Beijing emerging as the biggest critic.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi attends a news conference at Japan National Press Club in Tokyo, Japan July 4, 2023. REUTERS/Issei Kato

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin on Wednesday criticised the move towards discharging the water and threatened action if the plan should move ahead.

"The relevant Chinese government departments will strengthen the monitoring of the ocean environment and inspection of marine products import, so as to ensure the health and food security of the public," he said, but declined to give specific details on what sort of action the government would take.

China bans seafood imports from 10 prefectures in Japan, including Fukushima and the capital Tokyo. Seafood imports from other prefectures are allowed but must pass radioactivity tests and have proof of being produced outside the 10 banned prefectures.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Tuesday his country would aim to gain acceptance both domestically and internationally with the IAEA's endorsement.

Kishida may meet with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to explain the water release, when attending the NATO summit meeting in Lithuania next week, the Mainichi newspaper said on Wednesday.

Japan's foreign minister, Yoshimasa Hayashi, is also preparing to meet his Chinese and South Korean counterparts mid-July on the sidelines of a South-East Asia group summit, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Japan says the water has been filtered to remove most radioactive elements except for tritium, an isotope of hydrogen that is difficult to separate from water. The treated water will be diluted to well below internationally approved levels of tritium before being released into the Pacific.

(Reporting by Sakura Murakami and Chang-Ran Kim in Tokyo, Yew Lun Tian in Beijing; Editing by Gerry Doyle and Kim Coghill)

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