IAEA Vows Involvement until End of Fukushima Water Release

Tokyo, March 12 (Jiji Press)--The International Atomic Energy Agency will continue to oversee the release into the sea of tritium-containing treated water from the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan until the last drop is discharged, IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi said Tuesday. 

Grossi made the remark at a meeting with Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi in Tokyo.

Hayashi said that Japan will carefully explain the safety of the treated water at home and abroad with high transparency based on scientific grounds.

Grossi will visit the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. plant on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the IAEA chief also had separate meetings with Japanese Environment Minister Shintaro Ito and industry minister Ken Saito.

In the meeting with Saito, Grossi said that the IAEA does not intend to block the early restart of TEPCO's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant in Niigata Prefecture, central Japan, and is ready to offer technical evaluation and support for the restart.

Late last year, Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority lifted its de facto ban on operations at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, which had been in place due to flaws in TEPCO's antiterrorism measures.
END