A South Korean delegation of experts will continue their analysis back home on Japan's plan to discharge treated radioactive water into the sea from the disaster-hit Fukushima nuclear power plant, the group said Thursday after inspecting the plant.
The delegation of 21 experts from agencies and affiliated organizations of the South Korean government who have expertise in radiation and nuclear reactors among other fields held a meeting with Japanese officials to summarize their observations following the 2-day inspection, telling the Japanese side they still need to confirm several things.
At the Fukushima Daiichi power complex, which suffered core meltdowns triggered by a massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011, the delegation observed an advanced liquid processing system capable of removing radionuclides other than tritium and confirmed the location and function of emergency isolation valves, among other equipment, on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The valves are installed to immediately halt the discharge of ALPS treated water into the sea in the event of an abnormality, a mandatory function of the discharge facilities, according to the plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.
"We confirmed things such as how control facilities and those valves function when the power is out during an emergency," delegation chief Yoo Guk Hee, chairman of the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, told reporters after the meeting.
"We provided thorough explanations and showed them as many facilities as possible," an official of the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry told reporters.
Separately, the International Atomic Energy Agency is reviewing the process of the water release, which is planned to begin in the summer and continue for decades, as well as its possible environmental impact, upon the Japanese government's request.
The IAEA is expected to release a comprehensive report about its findings by June.
