Japan on Wednesday welcomed a report by the UN nuclear agency which confirmed that an earthquake-hit nuclear power plant did not pose a threat to public health. Japan invited the six-expert team last week to inspect the world's largest nuclear plant, Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, which leaked a small amount of radiation after the July 16 tremor.
The UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Tuesday in Vienna that the nuclear plant north-west of Tokyo "shut down safely and damage appears less than expected."
"Damage from the earthquake appears to be limited to those sections of the plant that would not affect the reactor or systems related to reactor safety," IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei said in a statement. Japan had been hoping for a clean bill of health for the nuclear plant to ease concerns both at home and abroad.
The report "supports Japan's position that radioactivity leaks would not affect the environment," said Industry Minister Akira Amari, as quoted by a spokesman of the ministry, which oversees the nuclear industry.
Despite its propensity for earthquakes, Japan relies on nuclear plants for nearly one-third of its power needs as it has virtually no natural energy resources. The giant nuclear facility caught fire and leaked radiation following the quake, which killed 11 people in unrelated incidents.
The plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co, said the amount of radiation was far too small to pose a threat. But it came under fire for initially under-reporting the level. The IAEA report said that the "very small amount of radioactivity released was well below the authorised limits for public health and environmental safety."
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