IAEA head meets with local residents ahead of visit to wrecked Fukushima plant

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi met residents on Wednesday to assuage concerns over the safety of Japan’s plan to release treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the ocean.

In a major milestone for the decommissioning of the power plant, destroyed in the massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011, the IAEA on Tuesday said a two-year review showed Japan’s plans for the water release would have a negligible impact on the environment.

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Japanese fishing unions have long opposed the plan, saying it would undo work to repair reputational damage after several countries banned some Japanese food products for fear of radiation. Japan regularly tests seafood from the Fukushima area and found it to be safe.

“The central government must act with the understanding that the plan to release the treated water is going forward amid our strong opposition,” the head of Fukushima’s fishing association Tetsu Nozaki said at a council meeting on Wednesday.

Grossi joined the meeting after the remark, where representatives of local fishing communities and government groups were in attendance, shaking hands with each of them before assuring them of the safety of the plan.

The reality of people, the economy, and social perceptions may be different from the science, he said, acknowledging the fears surrounding the water release.

“I don’t have a magic solution for the doubts and concerns that may exist, but we do have one thing… we are going to stay here with you for decades to come… until the last drop of the water has been safely discharged,” Grossi said.

Grossi will visit the wrecked plant on Wednesday, where he will inaugurate an IAEA office on site that will monitor the release of the water, which is expected to take 30 to 40 years.

The Japanese government is looking to start releasing water as early as August, the Nikkei reported on Wednesday.

The plan still needs official approval from the national nuclear regulatory body, which is expected on Friday.

Some neighboring countries have also raised concerns over the threat to the environment, with Beijing emerging as the biggest critic.

Japan’s foreign minister, Yoshimasa Hayashi, is preparing to meet his Chinese and South Korean counterparts mid-July on the sidelines of a South-East Asia group summit, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Tuesday his country would aim to gain acceptance both domestically and internationally with the IAEA’s endorsement.

Japan says the water has been filtered to remove most radioactive elements except for tritium, an isotope of hydrogen that is difficult to separate from water. The treated water will be diluted to well below internationally approved levels of tritium before being released into the Pacific.

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