Disarmament and Non-Proliferation, Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Technology
Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy (Handling of ALPS Treated Water)
Foreign Minister Motegi and IAEA Director General Grossi (February 2020)
DG Grossi’s Visit to Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station(February 2020)
Providing Accurate Information on the Current Status of TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS)
While the status of TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS) has been stabilized, contaminated water is generated when groundwater touches the damaged reactors and debris. The water has been treated by several purifying systems including ALPS (Advanced Liquid Processing System), reducing the nuclides contained therein, and is currently stored in the tanks at the FDNPS site.
On February 26 2020, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi visited the FDNPS and said that (1) the decommissioning work was dealt with a very systematic and meticulous effort, (2) the two disposal options (discharge into the sea and vapor release) for ALPS treated water were technically feasible and in line with international practice, and (3) once a decision is taken on the way forward, the IAEA would be ready to assist in its implementation for example in radiation monitoring and the IAEA could help provide reassurance to the public in Japan and elsewhere that any releases of water would be within international standards.
On April 2 2020, the IAEA released a Review Report on the ALPS Subcommittee Report acknowledging that (1) the two options selected (discharge into the sea and vapor release) are technically feasible and would allow the timeline objective to be achieved, (2) the ALPS treated water would be further purified as necessary to meet the regulatory standards for discharge before dilution, and (3) the IAEA Review Team was not aware of a solution currently available for the separation of tritium commensurate with the concentration and the volume of ALPS treated water. The IAEA Review Team also held the view that a decision on the disposition path for the stored ALPS treated water must be taken urgently, considering safety aspects and engaging all stakeholders.
On April 13 2021, the Ministerial Conference of Contaminated Water, Treated Water and Decommissioning issued the “Basic Policy on handling of ALPS treated water at the TEPCO’s FDNPS (PDF) 
”.
On the same day, IAEA Director General Grossi issued a video statement welcoming Japan’s announcement and said that (1) Japan’s chosen water disposal method was both technically feasible and in line with international practice, (2) controlled water discharges into the sea were routinely used by operating nuclear power plants in the world and in the region, and (3) at Japan’s request, the IAEA stood ready to provide technical support in reviewing the plant’s safe and transparent implementation.
Following the accident of FDNPS, the Government of Japan has been providing relevant information in a comprehensive manner to the IAEA which carries out its assessment and updates information provided by Japan on the IAEA website. Japan continues to provide the information to the international community and in cooperation with TEPCO, to organize briefing sessions for diplomatic missions in Tokyo on the current status of ALPS Treated Water and decommissioning at TEPCO’s FDNPS. Japan, as a responsible member of the international community, will continue to take every possible measure to provide accurate information based on scientific evidence to the international community.
