IAEA chief visiting Japan’s neighbors to defend report on nuclear waste

By Esra Tekin and Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) – The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi is visiting Japan's neighbors to defend the nuclear watchdog's report on Tokyo's plans to release nuclear waste into the sea.

He arrived in New Zealand on Monday where he met Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta.

“As a respected voice in the field of disarmament and non-proliferation, New Zealand is an IAEA key partner,” Grossi tweeted after his meeting with Mahuta.

The duo discussed the release of treated nuclear wastes from Japan’s crippled Fukushima Daiichi plant, the Ukraine war, and other non-proliferation issues, the tweet added.

Grossi’s trip to New Zealand is part of his campaign around Japan to defend the IAEA’s report on Fukushima which said the release of the treated water will have a “negligible” impact on people and the environment.

The report was submitted to Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida last week. It, however, said the IAEA “neither” recommends "nor" endorses the national decision of Japan to release the treated water into the sea.

He will also travel to Cook Islands, which is the current chair of the Pacific Islands Forum, and “address concerns, hear views, clarify IAEA role.”

China called the report “limited” and also banned seafood from at least 10 regions of Japan.

Demonstrations were also held in Seoul when Grossi visited South Korea over the weekend.

The IAEA report is “empty” with “no scientific evidence to back the ocean release of the contaminated waters from Japan's nuclear power plant,” a group of 11 South Korean opposition lawmakers said, according to Seoul-based Yonhap News.

They flew to Japan on Monday to protest Tokyo’s plans on releasing nuclear waste.

Japan plans to release nuclear waste into the sea this summer.

Over the weekend, Grossi met South Korean officials and opposition members to discuss the issue.

Japan’s water discharge plan, announced in April 2021, has faced significant criticism from fellow East Asian nations China, South Korea, North Korea, and Taiwan, along with international organizations, including the UN.

The US supported the proposal, following years of discussions on dealing with over 1 million tons of water stored at the Fukushima nuclear complex since the 2011 disaster.

*Riyaz ul Khaliq contributed to the story