IAEA chief criticized over plan to release Fukushima plant’s treated water into the ocean

South Korea’s opposition lawmakers have slammed Rafael Grossi, the head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog, for approving Japan’s plan to release treated wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean. Opposition lawmakers met with Grossi in Seoul as protesters chanted outside the venue. Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), arrived in South Korea over the weekend to hold talks with government officials and critics and address public concerns about food safety. The IAEA gave its findings in a final report last week on plans to release the wastewater into the ocean. It states that efforts have been made to purify the water to a great extent, but there is still some radioactivity in it.

The water conforms to international standards and its impact on environment and health will be negligible. In his meeting with Democratic Party members, Grossi said the IAEA’s review of Japan’s plans was “transparent” and based on “scientific” research. He acknowledged concerns about how Japan’s plans would work in reality, and said the IAEA would set up a permanent office at Fukushima to closely monitor wastewater discharge plans over the next three decades. Lawmakers strongly criticized the IAEA’s review, saying it ignored the long-term environmental and health effects of wastewater discharge. He cautioned that it could set a bad example of encouraging other countries to dispose of nuclear waste at sea.

The party also criticized the government of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for putting people’s health at risk in an attempt to improve relations with Japan. IAEA officials, who have made several visits to Japan since early 2022, have consistently made it clear that any decision on whether to release the wastewater into the ocean rests with the Japanese government. An earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 destroyed the cooling system at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, melting down three reactors and releasing large amounts of radiation. South Korea, China and some Pacific island nations also oppose the plan to discharge the plant’s treated water into the ocean for security concerns and political reasons.

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