International Scrutiny: IAEA's Role in Fukushima Wastewater Monitoring

A team from the International Atomic Energy Agency arrived in Fukushima to ensure the safety of discharging treated radioactive wastewater into the sea. This mission follows Japan's recent agreement with China to include Beijing in monitoring discharges. Japan's seafood industry has been impacted by China's import bans.

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team arrived in Fukushima this Monday to monitor and sample treated radioactive wastewater being discharged into the sea. This visit is part of an annual mission aimed at ensuring the safety of such activities, Japanese officials noted.

Japan commenced the release of wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in August 2023. The plant, severely affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, saw its reactors meltdown, leading to significant radioactive water accumulation. China responded with import bans on Japanese seafood, impacting exporters. The IAEA team is set to collect samples from the plant, coastal waters, and a local fish market in Iwaki city, and will also engage with Japanese officials at a national laboratory near Tokyo.

In late September, an agreement was reached between Japan and China aiming to ease China's seafood ban and involve Beijing in monitoring the discharges under IAEA oversight. This mission to Japan includes experts from China, as Japan insists the wastewater release conforms with international safety standards, monitored by the IAEA. Japan has urged China to reconsider what it deems an unscientific seafood ban.

(With inputs from agencies.)