The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency will visit Japan on Tuesday to assess the country's plan to release treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in the summer, the government said.
During his four-day stay, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi will inspect the nuclear facility, which was devastated by a massive earthquake and ensuing tsunami in March 2011, the Foreign Ministry said Friday.
Grossi is also expected to meet with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to hand over a final safety assessment of the plan to discharge the water, which has been treated with an advanced liquid processing system that removes most radionuclides except for tritium.
The government and the plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc., aim to begin releasing the treated radioactive water around this summer.
On Friday, Kishida instructed relevant ministries to continue efforts to gain understanding at the local and international level amid concerns that the water could hurt the marine environment, food safety and human health.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a news conference that Kishida expressed the government's readiness to take thorough measures to ensure the safety and prevent reputational damage as well as provide accurate information over the water discharge.
