Press Releases

[ Response to the first comment made by the Chinese side ]

The first comment made by the Chinese side was that, while the Japanese side explains that tritium is diluted and treated, it does not provide any explanation on other nuclides. The Chinese government also states that the ALPS treated water contains more than 60 radionuclides and that there is no effective technology for treating tritium and many other nuclides. Furthermore, the Chinese government states that “meeting the standard values” is not the same as “not existing”, and that the discharge of ALPS treated water into the sea may cause unforeseen damage to the marine environment and human health.

The facts and accurate information on these points are as follows.

The ALPS system is designed to reliably remove 62 nuclides. Meanwhile, Japan has determined that 29 nuclides could possibly be present in the water before treatment, and selected these nuclides as those subject to measurement and assessment after taking into account the observation by the IAEA that the half-lives of these nuclides should be considered. The IAEA, in its Comprehensive Report, assessed that the selection method of these nuclides was “sufficiently conservative and realistic”. No other nuclides have been detected in the analyses by the IAEA or third country laboratories, or by the Japanese entities. These details have been disclosed through the review process of the Nuclear Regulation Authority and the IAEA. The Chinese claim that the ALPS treated water contains “more than 60 radionuclides” has no scientific basis and is contrary to the IAEA's conclusion.

These nuclides are removed to levels below the regulatory standards after treatment by ALPS. Only 9 out of 29 nuclides have ever been detected in the water after treatment, and these too have been reduced to well below the regulatory standards. The ALPS system has proven to have sufficient purification performance, and the IAEA has evaluated that the concentrations of many of these nuclides are so low that they will not even be detected.

The radiological impact on humans and the environment due to the discharge of the ALPS treated water into the sea will be negligible. This assessment was made after careful evaluation in accordance with international standards and guidelines, taking into account oceanic dispersion, bioaccumulation of radionuclides and long-term accumulation of radionuclides. In its Comprehensive Report, the IAEA also clearly confirmed this point in its conclusions. China's claim that the discharge of the ALPS treated water into the sea “may cause unforeseen damage to the marine environment and human health” has no scientific basis and is contrary to the IAEA's conclusion.

The water being discharged is not “contaminated water”, as the Chinese side calls it. Rather, it is sufficiently purified “ALPS treated water”that is further diluted, with the level of radioactive concentration well below the regulatory standards. The IAEA notes that understanding the terminology is important to avoid public confusion and that these two terms should be distinguished. The Government of Japan urges the Chinese government to take the IAEA's remarks seriously and refrain from using an inappropriate terminology.

[ Response to the second comment made by the Chinese side ]

The second comment made by the Chinese side is that the Japanese side does not monitor all nuclides, and the number of marine organisms to be monitored is small, making it impossible to assume that the release of ALPS treated water is safe and harmless based solely on the monitoring data published by the Japanese side. The Chinese side also claims that the data published by TEPCO is unreliable, and that most of the data published by the Japanese side was sampled, inspected, and published by TEPCO itself.

The facts and accurate information on these points are as follows.

Japan has been conducting comprehensive and systematic monitoring of the sea area based on the Comprehensive Radiation Monitoring Plan established by the Government of Japan since the accident at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS). Under the plan, monitoring is conducted not only by TEPCO but also by the Ministry of the Environment, the Nuclear Regulation Authority, the Fisheries Agency, and Fukushima Prefecture, and the results are made available on the websites of each ministry and agency and on “Overarching Radiation-Monitoring Data Browsing System in the coastal ocean of Japan”. The results of the monitoring after the start of the discharge show the target nuclides are in most cases below the detection limits and therefore undetected, and those nuclides that are detected at extremely low concentrations, confirming that the discharge has been carried out safely.

The reliability of TEPCO's data has been reviewed by the IAEA, which is authorized to develop and apply international safety standards in the nuclear field. The scope of the review includes an evaluation of TEPCO's analytical capabilities and whether TEPCO’s operation system is reliable. The IAEA review team included a Chinese expert, and the review was conducted drawing on Chinese expertise as well.

The safety of ALPS treated water to be discharged into the sea is ensured, not just by thorough monitoring prior to discharge, but by the enhanced sea area monitoring with increased sampling points for tritium in seawater. After the start of discharge, not only TEPCO but also other organizations have engaged in more frequent, rapid analysis of tritium, and have disseminated the results promptly.

In addition, with regard to radionuclides other than tritium, the Ministry of the Environment monitors a wide range of radionuclides, including the 29 radionuclides mentioned above. In particular, since the start of discharge into the sea, the Ministry has been conducting weekly screening monitoring of gamma emitting radionuclides in seawater and making the results publicly available. The Nuclear Regulation Authority has been regularly monitoring and publishing the concentrations of cesium-134, cesium-137, and strontium-90, as well as gross beta radioactivity in seawater for years, and has continued to do so after the start of discharge.

Thus, the current monitoring system is capable of promptly detecting any changes in radionuclides concentrations in such a way that allows Japan to take appropriate measures, including suspension of discharges.

In its Comprehensive Report, the IAEA assesses that the monitoring activities of the government and TEPCO are consistent with the relevant international safety standards and that the government and TEPCO have a clearly defined plan for enhanced environmental monitoring.

[ Response to the third comment made by the Chinese side ]

The third comment made by the Chinese side is IAEA's monitoring mechanism has never involved the on-site participation of other countries or international organizations, and this cannot be called true international monitoring, as it seriously lacks transparency. It also states that Japan should actively support the launch of a long-term international monitoring scheme in which all interested parties can participate.

The facts and accurate information on these points are as follows.

The discharge of ALPS treated water into the sea has been carried out in accordance with international standards and practices, and with the involvement of the IAEA, after taking all possible safety precautions. Following the start of the discharge, IAEA officials have continued to be stationed at the FDNPS, and real-time monitoring data is being provided from the FDNPS. Japan will continue to make these data available to the international community with the IAEA's involvement. The IAEA will continue to review Japan's monitoring activities.

Under the framework of the IAEA review of ALPS treated water, the IAEA and several third country analytical and research institutes selected by the IAEA have conducted interlaboratory comparisons of source monitoring to measure and evaluate radionuclides in the treated water and environmental monitoring to confirm the status of radioactive materials in the environment. The IAEA's current interlaboratory comparison includes analytical laboratories of France, the Republic of Korea, Switzerland, and the United States from the IAEA's network of Analytical Laboratories for the Measurement of Environmental Radioactivity (ALMERA). These monitoring activities led by the IAEA are indeed international and objective, with the participation of third countries. For example, from November 7 to 14, 2022, experts from the Finnish and Korean analytical laboratories, in addition to experts from the IAEA Marine Environment Laboratory, visited Japan to observe and participate in the collection and pre-processing of samples.

Therefore, China's claim that “the IAEA's monitoring mechanism has never involved the on-site participation of other countries or international organizations”, and “this cannot be called true international monitoring, as it seriously lacks transparency” is contrary to the facts.

The IAEA has the authority to establish and apply relevant safety standards in the nuclear field (Note 1), and has established IAEA safety standards for protection of people and the environment after consultation with relevant international organizations and all IAEA Member States, including China. Based on this authority, the IAEA has conducted various reviews (Note 2). Undermining the work of the IAEA for political purposes is unacceptable. Furthermore, to deny the authority and mandate of the IAEA means to deny even China's own safety standards, which were established in accordance with the IAEA's safety standards. It is an extremely irresponsible assertion that hinders the promotion of the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

(Note 1) Article III.A.6 of the IAEA Statute (Mandate of the IAEA)
The IAEA, in consultation and cooperation with United Nations agencies and other organizations, shall establish or adopt safety standards to protect health and minimize danger to human life and property.

(Note 2) "SPESS: STRATEGIES AND PROCESSES FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE IAEA SAFETY STANDARDS".