The IAEA expert group will inspect the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on the 15th.

　　At around 9: 00 am local time on the 14th, Japan, the expert group of the International Atomic Energy Agency held talks with officials of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan on the issue of Fukushima nuclear sewage discharged into the sea. According to the plan, the expert group of the International Atomic Energy Agency will inspect the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on the 15th and exchange views with Tokyo Electric Power Company and other parties.

　　In April 2021, the Japanese government issued the basic policy on sewage treatment of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Since then, the Japanese government has made a request to the International Atomic Energy Agency, hoping that the International Atomic Energy Agency will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the safety of the measures.

　　In this assessment, the International Atomic Energy Agency needs to make a series of assessments on the necessity and safety of the sea discharge scheme in the next few years.

　　According to reports, in November 2021, members of the International Atomic Energy Agency and its special working group attended the relevant preparatory meeting held in Tokyo, and discussed and reached a consensus on the tasks, technical issues and specific agenda of the investigation team.

　　During this visit to Japan, the investigation team of the International Atomic Energy Agency plans to evaluate all aspects of nuclear sewage treatment, the sea discharge plan, relevant data and relevant documents, and investigate whether the follow-up treatment measures of the Fukushima nuclear power plant meet relevant international standards. The proposal of discharging the nuclear sewage into the sea, including the composition of the nuclear sewage, the safety of the discharge process, and the feasibility of monitoring the nuclear polluted water, needs to be evaluated. In addition, in order to ensure public health and environmental safety, it is necessary to evaluate the environmental impact of radiation.

　　In response to this investigation, Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, requested the establishment of a special investigation team, including the IAEA secretariat and its members, as well as external experts with different technologies and research expertise who participated in their personal capacity.

　　Members of the International Atomic Energy Agency expressed the hope that the assessment work of the investigation team was based on science, objectivity and credibility, and could transmit transparent information to the outside world.

　　International experts from Australia, Canada and Marshall Islands were unable to participate in the survey due to various reasons, such as international travel restrictions under the COVID-19 epidemic. They will express their opinions on the relevant situation after the mission. (Headquarters reporter He Xinlei)