JAPAN: United Nations nuclear agency fact finding team arrives in Japan to investigate the country's nuclear crisis and raise nuclear safety standards

Record ID: 463541

  • Title: JAPAN: United Nations nuclear agency fact finding team arrives in Japan to investigate the country's nuclear crisis and raise nuclear safety standards
  • Date: 25th May 2011
  • Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (MAY 24, 2011) (REUTERS) (*** FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ***) INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY (IAEA) LEAD INSPECTOR MICHAEL WEIGHTMAN MEETING JAPANESE ECONOMY MINISTER BANRI KAEIDA VARIOUS OF WEIGHTMAN AND KAEIDA SHAKING HANDS CAMERAMEN WEIGHTMAN AND KAEIDA SEATED AT TABLE (SOUNDBITE) (English) INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY LEAD INSPECTOR MICHAEL WEIGHTMAN, SAYING: "We're here to gather information and to seek to learn lessons that we can apply across the world to improve nuclear safety to even higher levels." MORE OF WEIGHTMAN AND KAEIDA TALKING (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) JAPANESE ECONOMY, TRADE AND INDUSTRY MINISTER, BANRI KAEIDA, SAYING: "We will release all the information we have, hoping IAEA's study will be a productive one." MORE OF MEETING WEIGHTMAN MEETING MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY HEALTH AND SAFETY EXECUTIVE MICHAEL WEIGHTMAN, SAYING: "We've just started our mission, so perhaps it is a little early to say in detail about what we've found." JOURNALIST TAKING NOTES WEIGHTMAN WALKING OFF
  • Embargoed: 9th June 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan, Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: International Relations,Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
  • Reuters ID: LVA2AOAI5H0UIQBZW6CV70A1GN4B
  • Story Text: An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team began its investigation into the Fukushima nuclear accident on Tuesday (May 24), as part of efforts to improve nuclear safety standards after the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.
    International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Health and Safety Executive, Michael Weightman is heading up the 18-member fact-finding mission.
    "We're here to gather information and to seek to learn lessons that we can apply across the world to improve nuclear safety even to higher levels," he said.
    Weightman met Japan's economy, trade and industry minister Banri Kaeida in Tokyo, who promised full cooperation.
    "We will release all the information we have and we hope that IAEA's study will be a productive one," he said.
    Their visit came as the operator of the Daiichi nuclear power plant, Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco) confirmed that there had been meltdowns of fuel rods at three of its reactors.
    The IAEA team also includes nuclear safety experts from France, Russia, China and the US. They are expected to meet Japanese officials before travelling to Fukushima.
    Weightman said it was too early to discuss their findings.
    "We've just started our mission, so perhaps it is a little early to say in detail about what we've found," he said.
    Tokyo Electric Power Co said meltdowns of fuel rods at three reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi plant occurred early in the crisis triggered by the March 11 disaster.
    The government and outside experts had said previously that fuel rods at three of the plant's six reactors had likely melted early in the crisis, but the utility, also known as Tepco, had only confirmed a meltdown at the No.1 reactor.
    The IAEA fact finding team will present a report on Japan's nuclear accident in Vienna in June.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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