New Zealand has expressed its confidence in the advice of the United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), regarding Japan’s plan to release treated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean.
On Monday, the nation said it has “full confidence” in the nuclear watchdog’s advice.
What New Zealand said about discharge of treated ‘nuclear’ water from Fukushima plant
New Zealand’s Foreign Minister, Nanaia Mahuta, met with IAEA director general Rafael Grossi in Auckland to discuss the IAEA’s report on the proposed release.
As per AFP, during the meeting, Mahuta commended the IAEA’s science-based approach and emphasised the need for meaningful engagement with the Pacific region due to its history with nuclear testing.
“I also felt it was important to draw attention to the Pacific’s traumatic experience with nuclear testing and asked directly that meaningful engagement continues with the Pacific region on the proposed release,” she added.
The nation itself has a strong nuclear-free policy and does not have any nuclear power stations.
What ‘advice’ did the nuclear watchdog give?
Last week, the UN nuclear watchdog gave the green light to a decades-long project that looks to discharge treated water from the Fukushima plant, which was devastated by an earthquake and tsunami which hit the eastern coast of Japan in 2011.
As per the agency, the discharge is “consistent with relevant international safety standards” and “the controlled, gradual discharges of the treated water to the sea… would have a negligible radiological impact on people and the environment.”
News agency AFP reports that at the Fukushima nuclear plant, approximately 1.33 million cubic meters of water, including groundwater, rainwater, and cooling water, have accumulated since the 2011 tsunami caused multiple meltdowns. The plant operator treats the water to remove most radioactive elements, except for tritium, and intends to dilute it before discharging it into the ocean over several decades.
Criticism by other nations
While New Zealand supports the IAEA’s stance, Japan’s plan has raised concerns among neighbouring countries. North Korea has criticised the IAEA for supporting the scheme, and China has announced that it will place a ban on certain Japanese food imports. Additionally, public concern has also grown in South Korea.
