UN Nuclear Chief Visits Fukushima to Inspect Contaminated Soil and Cleanup Progress

Rafael Grossi's visit includes reviewing storage facilities for radioactive soil and assessing Japan's decommissioning efforts since the 2011 disaster.

• Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), begins a three-day visit to Japan to monitor Fukushima's decommissioning process.
• The visit marks Grossi's first inspection of interim storage facilities holding 13 million cubic meters of contaminated soil removed after the 2011 nuclear disaster.
• Japan plans to recycle 75% of the soil with low radioactivity for infrastructure projects, while the remaining soil will be disposed of outside Fukushima by 2045.
• IAEA experts and regional representatives will collect seawater and fish samples to ensure transparency in the release of treated wastewater into the ocean.
• The Fukushima cleanup, including the removal of 880 tonnes of radioactive fuel and debris, remains one of the most complex nuclear decommissioning efforts globally.

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The Japan Times