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A6 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 24 OcTOber 2023

IAEA officials say Fukushima’s ongoing discharge of treated

radioactive wastewater is going well

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Evrard’s visit came on the
Associated Press heels of a marine sampling
TOKYO (AP) — The opera- mission by another IAEA
tor of the Fukushima Daiichi team that included scien-
nuclear power plant said tists from China, South Ko-
the discharge of the sec- rea and Canada. She said
ond batch of treated radio- all participants in that mis-
active wastewater into the sion said their activity went
sea ended as planned on well.
Monday, and International She did not say whether
Atomic Energy Agency of- Chinese scientists acknowl-
ficials in Japan for their first edged the safety of the re-
safety and monitoring mis- lease.
sion since the release be- She said China has been
gan two months ago said involved in the IAEA safety
“no issues” were observed. task force since the begin-
Fukushima Daiichi started ning of the review that be-
releasing treated and dilut- gan two years ago and has
ed radioactive wastewater participated in corrobora-
into the sea on Aug. 24. tion activities. The IAEA is
The operator, Tokyo Elec- aware of China’s concern
tric Power Company Hold- and engaged with its au-
ings, said the release of a thorities, Evrard said.Japa-
second, 7,800-ton batch Lydie Evrard, right, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Deputy Director General nese Prime Minister Fumio
of treated wastewater was and head of the Department of Nuclear Safety and Security and Gustavo Caruso, Director and Kishida, in his policy speech
Coordinator for the ALPS Safety Review of IAEA Department of Nuclear Safety and Security,
completed, with its daily prepare to attend a press conference at the Foreign Press Center Japan Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, Monday, renewed his call
seawater sampling results in Tokyo for China to immediately lift
fully meeting safety stan- Associated Press its ban on Japanese sea-
dards. aged reactors has leaked where hundreds of peo- two batches of releases food imports.
A magnitude 9.0 quake on continuously into building ple have protested. China went well. No issues were During the Oct. 16-23 visit,
March 11, 2011, triggered basements and mixed with banned all imports of Jap- observed,” Lydie Evrard, the IAEA sampling team
a massive tsunami that de- groundwater. anese seafood the day IAEA deputy director gen- collected seawater, sedi-
stroyed the plant’s power The release of treated the release began, badly eral and head of the de- ment and fish from near the
supply and cooling sys- wastewater is expected hurting Japanese seafood partment of nuclear safety plant and visited a marine
tems, causing three reac- to continue for decades. producers, processors and and security, told a Tokyo laboratory near Tokyo that
tors to melt and spew large It has been strongly op- exporters. Russia recently news conference. She said makes fish specimens for
amounts of radiation. High- posed by fishing groups joined China in the trade she visited Fukushima Dai- radiation analysis by institu-
ly contaminated cooling and neighboring countries restrictions. ichi on Friday for a firsthand tions in and outside Japan,
water applied to the dam- including the IAEA.q
including South Korea, “I would say that the first look.

Sydney court postpones extradition hearing of former U.S. military

pilot until May

SYDNEY (AP) — A Sydney ing for a former U.S. military until May as his lawyers at- fense lawyers the hearing against the extradition
court on Monday post- pilot accused of illegally tempt to further build their should take place after No- when he meets President
poned an extradition hear- training Chinese aviators case. vember. Joe Biden in Washington
Boston-born Dan Duggan, Duggan’s lawyer, Dennis this week.
55, was scheduled to fight Miralis, told reporters out- But in a news conference
his extradition to the United side court that the stakes on Sunday before depart-
States at a Nov. 23 hearing were high for his client, who ing for the United States,
in the downtown Downing faces up to 65 years in pris- Albanese said Duggan,
Center Local Court. on if convicted. who became an Australian
But a magistrate decided “This is existential, which citizen in 2012, was not on
to use that date to rule means that every right that the agenda of his meetings
on what additional infor- Dan has under the Austra- with U.S. officials.
mation that the Australian lian legal system on the “I don’t discuss things that
defense department and basis that he’s presumed are legal matters on the
security agencies should innocent ... needs to prop- run, nor should I,” Albanese
provide defense lawyers. erly and carefully be con- told reporters.
U.S. lawyer Trent Glover sidered,” Miralis said. Duggan has been in cus-
told the court the United Duggan’s wife, Saffrine, tody since Oct. 21 last year

In this undated photo provided by Saffrine Duggan, her States was ready to pro- has said she asked Austra- when he was arrested near
husband Dan Duggan poses for a photo in a restaurant. ceed with the extradition, lian Prime Minister Anthony his home in Orange, New
Associated Press but had agreed with de- Albanese to advocate South Wales.q