The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has given its approval to Japan’s plan to discharge contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean. In a report released last November following a visit to the site, the IAEA concluded that Tokyo Electric Power Company’s monitoring program for the discharge plan is reliable.
However, the IAEA also noted that additional information is needed for an environmental impact assessment related to the discharge. This comes as a delegation from South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party arrived in Japan to assess the situation on the ground and meet with local citizens’ groups.
The delegation, made up of lawmakers from South Korea’s National Assembly, is part of a task force set up by the ruling party to address the issue of contaminated water from Fukushima. They arrived in Japan on a two-day visit and are scheduled to meet with Fukushima prefectural officials and local residents to better understand the situation.
While Japan’s plan to release the contaminated water into the ocean has faced criticism from neighboring countries, including South Korea and China, the IAEA’s endorsement provides some level of reassurance that the monitoring system in place is reliable.