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IAEA experts arrive in Japan to inspect Fukushima water release plan - agency

The delegation will include some experts from China and South Korea that are expressing concern over Japan’s plans

TOKYO, February 14. /TASS/. A team of experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has arrived in Japan on Monday to visit the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant and inspect Tokyo’s program to discharge large amounts of water, which is said to be radiation-free, into the ocean, the Kyodo news agency stated.

The delegation will include some experts from China and South Korea that are expressing concern over Japan’s plans. On Monday, the IAEA experts will hold talks at the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and on Tuesday, they will start inspecting the nuclear power plant.

Currently, over 1.25 mln tonnes of water have been accumulated in steel tanks, and there is practically no space left for their further placement. Last year, the Japanese government allowed to start dumping water into the ocean. It is said to be almost free from radiation but still contains tritium, which is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen.

In December 2021, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc., the operator of the Fukushima plant, launched construction work as part of this program. From the spring of 2023, it is planned to start dumping water through a tunnel stage by stage over the next 30 years. Overall, the IAEA has approved this program, planning to monitor the process on a regular basis.

On February 4, the Russian and Chinese presidents, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, expressed concern over Japan’s plans to discharge water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the ocean. Moscow and Beijing emphasized that the disposal of radioactive water must be handled responsibly and agreed with the neighboring states and global organizations.

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