Japan defends neutrality of IAEA report on Fukushima water release plan as minister visits plant

abcnews.go.com:

Japan’s industry minister has visited the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant to see equipment that is to be used to release treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean to ensure the safety of the contentious plan

TOKYO — Japan's industry minister visited the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant on Monday to see equipment that is to be used to release treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean to ensure the safety of the contentious plan, while demonstrators, including many from South Korea, rallied against it.

The Japanese government defended the neutrality of a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency on the wastewater release plan that concluded it meets international safety standards, denying allegations that Japan pressured the agency into publishing favorable results.

Economy and Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura visited the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant Monday morning to see key equipment, including an emergency shutdown system, days after the Japanese regulatory authority granted a permit to the plant's operator for the release and the IAEA said the environmental impact would be negligible.

The government and the operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, have struggled with how to manage the massive amount of contaminated water coming from the damaged reactors, which is filtered and stored in tanks. They want to release the water into the Pacific Ocean after further treatment and dilution with seawater, which they say will make it safer than international standards.

The government and TEPCO say the water must be removed to prevent any accidental leaks and make room for the plant’s decommissioning. They hope to start releasing the water this summer.

The plan is