G/SPS/GEN/1819  
 
13 August  2020 
(20-5562) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
 
JAPAN’S RESPONSE TO THE STATEMENT FROM A MEMBER AT THE SPS COMMITTEE 
MEETING ON 25 JUNE 2020  IN RELATION TO THE  UPDATE ON THE SITUATION  
SURROUNDING JAPANESE FOOD AFTER THE TEPCO  FUKUSHIMA DAIICHI NUCLEAR 
POWER STATION ACCIDENT  (G/SPS/GEN/1233/REV.2 ) 
SUBMISSION  BY JAPAN  
The following communication, received on 6 August 2020, is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of  Japan . 
 
This communication is being submitted in response to a Member's statement, in the SPS Committee 
meeting on 25  June 2020, about transparency in Japan’s decision -making process on water 
management at the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power 
Station (FDNP S). 
 
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1.1.  Regarding the Advanced Liquid Processing System Treated Water ( ALPS treated water) stored 
at the FDNPS, the Government of Japan has been explaining its efforts and response to the nuclear 
accident to the international community in a transparent manner, providing accurate information 
based on scientific evidence.  
1.2.  The G overnment of Japan continues to properly inform the international community , including 
neighboring countries , of the situation of the FDNPS based on scientific facts on o ccasions such as 
briefing sessions for diplomatic missions in Tokyo and relevant international conferences. For 
instance, the G overnment of Japan periodically issues general reports on the situation regarding 
decommissioning of the FDNPS and contaminated w ater management through the International 
Atomic Energy Agency  (IAEA), and informs all the diplomatic missions in Tokyo and the IAEA of the 
situation every month , in principle. The G overnment of Japan has held more than 100 briefing 
sessions for all diplomatic missions in Tokyo since the accident at the FDNPS.  
1.3.  At the FDNPS, TEPCO has successfully removed most of the nuclides (e.g. Cs -137, Sr -90), 
except for tritium , from this contaminated water generat ed in the buildings. It is treated water, not 
contaminated water, that is stored in tanks at the FDNPS.  
1.4.  It is an important precondition that even when ALPS treated water is discharged into the 
environment, the secondary treatment to remove radionuclides , except for tritium , will be 
appropriately carried out by TEPCO to meet the regulatory standards for discharging set by the 
Nuclear Regulation Authority  (NRA), in compliance with the international standards described in the 
publications of th e International Commission on Radiological Protection ( ICRP) . As part of that 
precondition, the secondary treated water should be sufficiently diluted before being discharged into 
the environment to meet the regulatory standard for tritium, which is also s et by the NRA in 
compliance with the international standards described in the publications of the ICRP.  
1.5.  The studies of exposure impact , based on the method of the United Nations Scientific 
Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) , were presen ted in the Subcommittee on 
Handling of the ALPS Treated Water Report. According to this report, even if the total amount of the 
ALPS treated water stored in the tanks is to be disposed of every year by vapor release or by 
discharge into the sea, the radiat ion impact will be no more than one -thousandth of the impact of 
natural exposure in Japan (2.1 mSv/year ).  G/SPS/GEN/1819  
 
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  1.6.  As for the report of the Subcommittee on Handling of the ALPS Treated Water, the IAEA Review 
Team considers that the recommendations in the report ma de by the ALPS Subcommittee are based 
on a sufficiently comprehensive analysis and on a sound scientific and technical basis. Also, the IAEA 
Review Team considers the two options (namely, controlled vapor release and controlled discharges 
into the sea, the  latter of which is routinely used by operating nuclear power plants and fuel cycle 
facilities in Japan and worldwide) selected out of the initial five options are technically feasible and 
would allow the timeline objective to be achieved.  
1.7.  Furthermore, the  IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, on his visit to the FDNPS on 
February 26, 2020, pointed out that: 1) the efforts made in the FDNPS are systematic and 
meticulous; 2) the two disposal options (discharge into the sea and vapor release) are techn ically 
feasible and in line with the international practice; and 3) the support from the IAEA , such as 
radiation monitoring of the implementation , could help to provide reassurance to the public as any 
release of water would meet the international standard s. 
1.8.  The G overnment of Japan will continue to explain its efforts and response to the nuclear 
accident to the international community in a transparent manner, providing accurate information 
based on the scientific evidence.  
1.9.  Thank you very much for your kind attention.  
 
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