Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire: IAEA becomes minor player in nuclear crisis

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

IAEA becomes minor player in nuclear crisis

VIENNA--Exasperated by inquiries and lacking authority, the International Atomic Energy Agency has taken a back seat in dealing with the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
Although the IAEA has kept a sharp eye on nations developing nuclear weapons, it does not have the authority to become actively involved in accidents at nuclear plants.
But that has not stopped people from seeking the advice of the IAEA concerning the situation in Fukushima Prefecture, nor confusion among residents and Japanese government officials.
On March 30, the IAEA announced that a single soil sample taken from Iitate, Fukushima Prefecture, about 40 kilometers from the stricken nuclear plant, had radiation levels double the IAEA standard for evacuation.
The announcement caused concerns among Iitate residents who were outside the Japanese government's evacuation order region.
Officials of the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency were also perplexed by the IAEA's announcement. One NISA official said, "We do not know what the IAEA's computation standards are."

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