A team of South Korean experts will start a four-day survey on Monday to check the safety of Japan’s plan to release treated and diluted water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea.
The treated water will be diluted to reduce tritium levels before it is released into the ocean. Its tritium concentration will be lowered to one-seventh of the World Health Organzation’s standards for drinking water.
Japan and South Korea agreed at a meeting in early May to have South Korea send experts on nuclear plants and the marine environment for an on-site survey.
The 21-member team led by Yoo Guk-hee, the chief of South Korea’s Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, left Incheon Airport on Sunday for a six-day stay in Japan. Before their departure, Yoo told reporters that the team will use scientific methods to check on the plan.
He also noted that the team will communicate its findings to the South Korean people. He stressed that by using a scientific, meticulous approach, the team can earn the trust of the public.
The experts will assess the results of analysis on water treated by the Advanced Liquid Processing System, or ALPS, during their visit. They will also examine how treated water is stored and managed. South Korea has banned fisheries products from Fukushima and several other prefectures due to safety concerns over radioactive contamination.
By NHK
