IAEA experts to check plant in April

 March 31, 2015

IAEA will probe Fukushima Daiichi water leak

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/nuclear.html

Mar. 31, 2015 - Updated 05:12 UTC+2

Experts from the UN nuclear agency will visit the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant to examine the handling of contaminated water leaks by the plant's operator.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said on Monday the mission will visit Japan from April 17th to the 21st at the request of the Japanese government.

Officials of the Tokyo Electric Power Company will brief the experts on the leaks.

Workers were aware since last April that radiation levels in a drainage channel at the Number 2 reactor building rose every time it rained. TEPCO has been criticized for its failure not to disclose the matter earlier.

The IAEA experts are also expected to discuss how relevant information should be disclosed to the public when any trouble hits the plant.

Tainted rainwater was found to have leaked out of a barrier surrounding tanks holding contaminated water at the plant earlier this month.

The IAEA sent experts to Japan last month to check TEPCO's efforts to decommission the Fukushima Daiichi plant that was severely damaged by the disaster in March 2011. The team was due to come up with an official report by Tuesday, but the agency decided to send another mission instead following recent revelations of trouble at the plant.