Rafael Mariano Grossi
The International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) chief, Rafael Grossi, said on Sunday that Japan’s proposal to release cleaned radioactive water from its Fukushima nuclear plant is logical and is generating a lot of interest in the region.
Grossi also stated that he recognizes there are still reservations about the proposal, but that an IAEA study released last week found it to conform with international safety standards if carried out as planned.
On Sunday, Grossi met with members of South Korea’s opposition Democratic Party, who expressed significant public reservations over Japan’s plan and questioned the IAEA’s findings.
“The issue at hand today has sparked a lot of interest, which is completely understandable given that the actions and manner in which Japan will address this… have significant implications”, Grossi remarked during the discussion.
The findings of the IAEA had shortcomings, according to a Democratic Party member who chairs a special committee on the matter, and widespread public fears about safety in the country were legitimate and reasonable.
“We deeply regret that the IAEA concluded that Japan’s plan to discharge contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant meets international standards”, committee chairman Wi Seong-gon told Grossi.
When Grossi arrived in South Korea from Japan on Friday, he was met with strong protests from civic groups, and he drew large rallies on Saturday opposing the idea.
On Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin condemned the proposal to discharge the water and threatened legal action if it went forward.
North Korea also slammed the IAEA’s support for Japan’s plan, calling it unjust and a display of double standards, citing the UN nuclear watchdog’s efforts to rein in Pyongyang’s nuclear development.
North Korea has been sanctioned by the United Nations Security Council for six underground nuclear tests.
