Nuclear watchdog will get Fukushima water checked

Scientists in Austria and Monaco are to verify if samples from Japan’s nuclear facility are safe

Some 50 liters of treated water used to cool down the Fukushima melted nuclear reactors will be sent for analysis to “independent” laboratories in Austria and Monaco, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a statement on Friday. The announcement follows a five-day IAEA inspection of the site.

The international nuclear energy watchdog has launched a review of Japan’s plans to release over 1.25 million cubic meters of treated water into the ocean, which are expected to come to fruition around April 2023.

A team of 15 experts, including those from China, South Korea, Russia, the US, and the UK traveled to Japan to collect the water samples and conduct a review of “detailed technical data” provided by Japan between February 14 and February 18.

“Both in Tokyo and Fukushima, the Task Force observed a commitment to safety in Japan’s preparations to release water that has been stored at the site,” the Friday statement said. “The mission allowed the Task Force to gain a much better understanding of Japan’s plans and activities related to the water discharge,” Deputy Director General Lydie Evrard, head of the IAEA Department of Nuclear Safety and Security, said at a virtual press conference following the trip.

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The IAEA plans to release a report on this week’s mission – the first in a series of verification inspections – in about two months’ time. The agency will then send additional follow-up missions both in 2022 and 2023, the statement said, adding that the final report would be “published before the water release starts.”

The water, used to cool down three of the Fukushima nuclear power station’s reactors back in 2011 following the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami, is currently stored in some 1,000 water tanks at the site. Tokyo has previously repeatedly argued that it is about to run out of storage capacity and called the release an imperative.

Laboratories in Austria and Monaco would further corroborate Japan’s radioactivity measurements during the release, which is expected to take decades, the IAEA said. The only radioactive material to be still contained in the released water is tritium since it cannot be removed through water treatment used by Japan, the IAEA said, adding that its radioactivity level would still be “well below national regulatory limits and the World Health Organization standards for drinking water.”

Tokyo hopes the IAEA mission would help it build confidence around its release plans, which have faced opposition from China and South Korea as well as Japan’s own fishing industry, which fears customers might be reluctant to buy their seafood.