The Japanese Government has provided the IAEA with?a report?that summarizes the events and highlights the progress related to recovery operations at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. The IAEA provided its assessments, which are contained in full at the end of the report.
In this assessment, the IAEA acknowledges the successful removal of the fuel handling machine from the Unit 3 spent fuel pool by TEPCO. This will allow TEPCO to prepare for removal of the remaining rubble and the spent fuel assemblies from the Unit 3 spent fuel pool. Removal of the fuel is scheduled to start in Fiscal Year 2017.
In addition, the IAEA notes measures to control groundwater ingress, as well as acknowledges TEPCO’s removal of the highly contaminated water from the trenches of Units 2 and 3, which reduces the risk of contaminated water leakage.
TEPCO is also encouraged by the IAEA to continue to review and strengthen its internal and external communication procedures and information disclosure and dissemination to media and the public at large, in line with the advice related to communication matters given by the past IAEA Decommissioning Missions. Details of TEPCO’s communication measures are presented in its 24 August 2015 report.
Regarding the generation of hydrogen gas inside high integrity containers as cited in a previous IAEA assessment in May 2015, IAEA takes note of TEPCO’s investigation which states that the possibility of ignition of hydrogen gas generated in the containers by water radiolysis has been assessed to be low. It also takes note of the measures introduced to address the related issue of liquid level increase inside the containers due to hydrogen gas accumulated in the slurry, resulting in some cases in leakage through the lids. TEPCO is taking steps to prevent leakage, in line with measures suggested during the expert visit in April 2015.
The assessment further looks at the sea area radioactivity monitoring results and other related information that has been made available. The IAEA considers the situation in the marine environment as stable, but should continue to be monitored.
Finally, the assessment indicates that the Joint FAO/IAEA Division understands that national regulatory limits for levels of caesium radionuclides in food remain in force, and the authorities in Japan are continuing to implement a programme of food monitoring.