International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director general Grossi disclosed recently that he is negotiating with Japan on the disposal of the increasing sewage containing radioactive material tritium at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. At the request of the Japanese government, the agency stands ready to send a monitoring team to inspect the nuclear sewage to address concerns about the environmental impact.

The storage tank for sewage in Fukushima I nuclear power plant is expected to reach the capacity limit as soon as the summer of 2022. The Japanese government is discussing the discharge of nuclear sewage into the sea. Japanese Prime Minister Kan Yiwei said on December 10 that "it can't be delayed all the time", but fishery related people objected that the measure "will inevitably lead to (Japan) image damage".

Grossi became director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency in December 2019. Tritium is considered to have little effect on human body, and sewage discharge into the sea is "technically feasible," he said. Grossi advocated that "I believe the IAEA can play a very constructive role" and expressed his intention to cooperate with Japan.

In addition, Grossi also mentioned the construction of a final treatment site for high-level radioactive waste (nuclear waste) from nuclear power plants under discussion in Japan. Grossi took the treatment site "onkalo" in Finland as an example and said that the plan could be realized. However, he pointed out that it is necessary for countries to investigate the underground soil for the suitability of treatment sites.

Source: zhongxin.com