IAEA will help

September 1, 2012

IAEA, Fukushima Pref. to cooperate on nuclear cleanup, health issues

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20120901p2g00m0dm004000c.html

VIENNA (Kyodo) -- The International Atomic Energy Agency and Fukushima Prefecture will cooperate on nuclear decontamination and managing of prefectural residents' health, Fukushima Gov. Yuhei Sato said Friday.

Sato made the remarks after visiting the Vienna headquarters of the U.N. nuclear watchdog and meeting with its director general, Yukiya Amano.

The IAEA has sent several experts to the prefecture for handling the aftermath of accidents at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant following the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster in northeastern Japan.

"I am glad that Mr. Amano offered to collaborate in decontamination and other activities," Sato told reporters after the meeting. Sato also said he is considering asking the IAEA to send researchers to Fukushima.

"Gaining world-class knowledge would lead to prefectural residents' peace of mind," Sato said.

The Japanese government and the IAEA plan to co-host in December an international conference on nuclear power safety in Koriyama in the prefecture, with government ministers and experts from around the world planning to attend.

After the March 2011 nuclear accident, some in the Japanese government and the prefecture have voiced their desire to have the IAEA set up a permanent office in Fukushima, but a senior IAEA official has indicated that such an office would not be realistic considering budgetary and staffing situations