An IAEA international expert mission arrived in Japan to help the country develop its remediation plans, following the nuclear accident at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
The mission, requested by the Japanese Government, comprises 12 international experts from several countries and IAEA experts who will visit Japan from 7 to 15 October 2011.
During this morning's Press Conference, Mission Leader Juan Carlos Lentijo, the General Director for Radiation Protection at Spain's nuclear regulatory authority, said Japan needs to take into account IAEA international standards, as well as local circumstances to determine the best way to remediate the contaminated sites.
The mission involves meetings with Japanese officials in Tokyo and trips to other locations.
When the mission concludes the experts' findings will be shared with the international community and the general public. "At the end of the mission, a preliminary summary report will be provided to the Government of Japan and be made publically available," Lentijo said. The team is also planning to hold a Press Briefing at the end of the mission.
Background
The accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant has led to the radiological contamination of large areas. The Government of Japan has been formulating a strategy and plans to implement countermeasures to remediate these areas.
The IAEA organized an International Fact Finding Expert Mission of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident following the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, which was conducted between 24 May and 2 June 2011.
The current mission is a follow-up to the fact finding mission held earlier in the year.
The IAEA's International Remediation Expert Mission to Japan is an essential component of the IAEA's Nuclear Safety Action Plan, approved by the IAEA Board of Governors on 13 September and endorsed by all 151 Member States at the recent IAEA General Conference in September 2011. The Action Plan defines a programme of work to strengthen the global nuclear safety framework.
The final report of the International Remediation Expert Mission will be presented to the Japanese Government in the month following the conclusion of the mission.