IAEA team to review nuclear crisis in Japan

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Tuesday announced that it will dispatch an international expert fact-finding mission to Japan to review the country`s nuclear crisis. Almost 20 international and IAEA experts from a dozen countries, will visit Japan between May 24 and June 2 under the leadership of Mike Weightman, HM Chief Inspector of Nuclear Installations of the United Kingdom. Based upon the agreement between the IAEA and the Government of Japan, the mission will conduct fact-finding activities at Tokyo Electric Power Company`s (TEPCO) Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (NPS) site and in other locations. According to the IAEA, the expert mission will make a preliminary assessment of the safety issues linked with TEPCO`s Fukushima Daiichi NPS accident following the devastating March 11 9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami. During the mission, areas that need further exploration or assessment based on the IAEA safety standards will also be identified, the IAEA said. In addition, the IAEA explained that during the course of the mission, the international experts would become acquainted with the Japanese lessons learned from the accident and will share their experience and expertise in their fields of competence with the Japanese authorities. Following the nuclear review, Weightman will present the mission`s report at the Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Safety organized by the IAEA in Vienna, Austria from June 20 to 24 in order to strengthen the global nuclear safety framework that will be launched by the Conference.