IAEA stresses importance of communication

May 15, 2015

IAEA urges better communication at Daiichi plant

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20150515_12.html

May 15, 2015 - Updated 04:55 UTC+2

The International Atomic Energy Agency has stressed the importance of continued dialogue with local residents and other stakeholders over the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

The IAEA released on Thursday its final report of the findings of a team of experts. The experts visited Japan in February and again in April to review the decommissioning process.

The report acknowledges good progress in the strategy toward decommissioning the crippled reactors, but it pointed out that the plant's circumstances remain complex and leave many challenges.

The report offers 15 points of advice, including studying the possibility of managing treated radioactive water and releasing the water into the ocean. It also stresses the importance of continuing dialogue with stakeholders and strengthening trust.

Criticism has been mounting about the delayed disclosure of information on a leak of radioactive rainwater into the ocean. The water that accumulated on the roof of the plant's No. 2 reactor building leaked through a drainage channel.

The report says insufficient coordination between Tokyo Electric Power Company's headquarters and its workers at the plant was the likely cause of the delayed disclosure, and urges greater efforts to disseminate information properly.