IAEA Deems Fukushima Water Discharge "Consistent with International Safety Standards"

Gustavo Caruso, heading the International Atomic Energy Agency task force, and other members recently concluded a meeting with the Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Company, which operates the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in Tokyo last October. The IAEA task force's report, released on January 30, upheld the findings of their previous report from July 2023, stating that the planned discharge of water from the crippled nuclear plant would have minimal radiological impacts on both people and the environment.

The new report, put together by an inspection team comprising experts from various countries like China, the United States, and European nations, was based on assessments carried out during on-site inspections at the Fukushima plant. The IAEA confirmed that facilities connected to the water discharge are adhering to international safety standards and that ongoing monitoring of the discharge will be continued with another review scheduled for the upcoming spring. The agency stressed the importance of regular measurements of radioactive substances in seawater and fish conducted by TEPCO and the Japanese government as essential for the global community's awareness and emphasized that the credibility of such data can be enhanced through IAEA's validation processes.