IAEA: Fukushima Nuclear contaminated water discharge complies with international safety standards

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IAEA: Fukushima Nuclear contaminated water discharge complies with international safety standards

IAEA considers Fukushima Nuclear contaminated water discharge complies with international safety standards

On July 4, 2023, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) published a comprehensive report on the safety review of the plan to discharge ALPS-treated nuclear wastewater from Fukushima, Japan .

Environmental effects are negligible. The original 140-page report is in English and can be found on the IAEA website.

The IAEA’s press release on the report has multilingual versions, and the Chinese version is reproduced as follows:

IAEA considers Fukushima Nuclear contaminated water discharge complies with international safety standards

screenshot from iaea.org

A safety review by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has concluded that Japan’s plan to discharge processed water stored at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea complies with IAEA safety standards.

In a report formally presented today by Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo, the IAEA also said the discharge of treated water had negligible radioactive effects on people and the environment .

The report is the culmination of nearly two years of work by an IAEA task force of top experts within the IAEA, with advice from internationally recognized nuclear safety experts from 11 countries.

The experts reviewed Japan’s plans against the IAEA safety standards that constitute a global reference for the protection of people and the environment and promote uniform high levels of safety worldwide.

In the foreword to the report, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said: ” Based on its comprehensive assessment, the IAEA has concluded that Japan’s approach to discharging advanced liquid treatment systems to treat water and activities comply with relevant international safety standards. ”

He also added: “Furthermore, the Agency notes that the controlled gradual discharge of treated water into the sea would have negligible radiological impacts on people and the environment, based on TEPCO’s current plans and assessments .

Following the April 2021 decision to discharge stored water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea, Japan requested the IAEA to conduct a detailed review of safety-related aspects of the plan.

IAEA Director General Grossi accepted Japan’s request and promised to be involved before, during and after the drainage .

Water stored at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has been processed through an advanced liquid treatment system to remove almost all radioactivity except tritium.

Before discharge, Japan will dilute the discharge water so that the content of tritium is below regulatory standards.

As elsewhere in the world, decisions related to nuclear safety are the responsibility of the state, and Japan’s Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved the plan in May.

The Agency’s review addressed all critical safety elements of the dewatering programme, which consisted of three main components: protection and safety assessment; regulatory activities and processes; and independent sampling, data corroboration and analysis.

Over the past two years, the task force has conducted five review missions to Japan, published six technical reports, held numerous meetings with the Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Company, the operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, and Hundreds of pages of technical and regulatory documents were analyzed. Task force members also visited sites in eastern Japan several times to review preparations for discharge there.

Director General Grossi said today’s report was “an important milestone in the IAEA’s review” but “our task has only just begun”.

“The IAEA will continue to provide transparency to the international community, making it possible for all stakeholders to rely on verified facts and science throughout the process to understand the issue,” he said.

The IAEA safety review will continue during the discharge phase. The Agency will also have a continuous presence on site and provide real-time online monitoring of the emission facility on its website.

” This will ensure that relevant international safety standards continue to be applied throughout the decades-long process developed by the Japanese government and TEPCO, ” said Director General Grossi .

The foreword written by Director-General Grossi in the IAEA’s comprehensive report helps us understand the process of the entire IAEA’s review of Fukushima’s wastewater discharge. The translation is as follows:

IAEA considers Fukushima Nuclear contaminated water discharge complies with international safety standards

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident in March 2011 and the subsequent operation of the nuclear power plant resulted in a large amount of water (note: nuclear wastewater) accumulating in the nuclear power plant.

In April 2021 , the Japanese government announced a policy on how to manage these waters, deciding to gradually discharge them into the sea after special treatment (Note: ALPS treatment).

Shortly after the decision, the Japanese government requested the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to conduct an independent safety review of Japan’s implementation of its policies in accordance with international safety standards.

I agree with Japan that the IAEA will fully review the implementation of this government program before, during and after the discharge of ALPS treated water.

That year, I formed an IAEA working group. It consists of top experts within the IAEA Secretariat, with advice from internationally recognized external experts from across the globe, including in areas surrounding wastewater discharges .

Because of its statutory mandate and global reach, the IAEA is able to use internationally agreed nuclear safety standards as an objective blueprint for assessing the safety of planned emissions. These International Standards are also continuously updated taking into account scientific and technological advances and learnings from research and practical experience.

They are an indispensable global reference for the protection of people and the environment, thereby contributing significantly to achieving a harmonized and high level of nuclear safety throughout the world.

This comprehensive report illuminates the science of Fukushima’s treatment of water discharges to the international community, and I believe has answered the safety-related technical questions raised.

On the basis of its comprehensive assessment, the IAEA concluded that the programs and activities adopted by Japan to discharge the water treated by the advanced liquid treatment system comply with relevant international safety standards.

In addition, the IAEA notes that, according to Tepco’s current plan and assessment, the controlled and gradual discharge of treated water into the sea will have negligible radioactive impacts on humans and the environment

These findings and this comprehensive report represent an important milestone in the IAEA’s review. Even so, our task has only just begun .

The IAEA will continue its impartial, independent and objective safety review at the discharge stage of wastewater, including continuous on-site monitoring, as well as providing real-time online monitoring of discharge facilities on our website .

This will ensure that relevant international safety standards continue to be applied throughout the decades-long emissions process set by the Japanese government and TEPCO .

In these ways, the IAEA will continue to provide transparency to the international community so that all stakeholders throughout the process can rely on verified facts and science to gain an understanding of this issue .

Finally, I would like to emphasize that the discharge of treated water stored at the Fukushima Daiichi NPP is a national decision of the Japanese government, and this report is neither a recommendation nor an endorsement of that policy. However, I hope that all who are interested in this decision will welcome the independent and transparent review by the IAEA, and as I stated at the beginning of this process, I assure you that the IAEA will, before discharging ALPS- treated water , It’s there during and after .

In addition to the announcement of the above-mentioned IAEA report, on July 5, IAEA Director General Grossi also went to Fukushima in person to inspect the key equipment that discharged the treated nuclear wastewater.

“I’m happy with what I see, I don’t see any unresolved issues,” Grossi after touring the emissions facility .

In exchanges with the local government and fishery organizations, Grossi further explained his concerns about ALPS treatment of water discharged into the sea: “What is happening now is not something special, or it is designed to be used here and sold to you Some strange schemes. It is certified by the International Atomic Energy Agency and is a common practice that is agreed upon and followed in many places around the world. ”

Regarding the future of Fukushima nuclear wastewater discharge, Grossi once again emphasized that the IAEA will always perform its supervisory duties: “We will be with you in the next few decades until the last drop of water accumulated in the reactor (referring to nuclear wastewater) is safely discharged. .”

A healthy society needs to learn to respect science and allow the voice of reason to override the clamor of conspiracy theories. I hope that with regard to the discharge of ALPS-treated nuclear wastewater from Fukushima, we can do what the IAEA has said: we can rely on verified facts and science to gain an understanding of this issue .