Photo/Illutration Gustavo Caruso, foreground, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency task force, and other members leave the room after meeting with the Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Co., the operator of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, in Tokyo on Oct. 24, 2023. (Keitaro Fukuchi)

The international nuclear watchdog deemed the discharge of treated water from the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant to be “consistent with international safety standards” in its first full report since the release began in August last year.

The International Atomic Energy Agency’s task force, reviewing the safety of Japan’s discharge into the ocean, released the report on Jan. 30.

The agency said it reaffirmed the conclusions of its report issued in July 2023 before the discharge began. The earlier report found that the planned discharge “would have a negligible radiological impact to people and the environment.”

The latest report was compiled based on the assessments, conducted by an inspection team of experts from China, the United States, European nations and others who visited Japan last October.

The team met with Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority, Tokyo Electric Power Co., the operator of the nuclear plant, and the industry ministry and also conducted on-site inspections at the plant.

The report says that facilities related to the discharge are installed and operating in compliance with international safety standards.

The IAEA said it will continue regularly monitoring the discharge. The next review is scheduled for this spring.

The report emphasizes that regular measurements of the concentration of radioactive substances in seawater and fish in the surrounding areas by TEPCO and the Japanese government are vital for the international community.

It adds that the IAEA’s investigations, which corroborate the data provided by TEPCO and the Japanese government, are also important to enhance the credibility of the data.

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