The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) today released a report containing the assessment of an IAEA expert team that reviewed progress in Japan's efforts to plan and implement the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.

The report, based on findings made during a 9-17 February 2015 visit to Tokyo and the Fukushima accident site by the 15-member team, is available here. The mission was the IAEA's third International Peer Review of Japan’s Mid-and-Long-Term Roadmap towards the Decommissioning of TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Units 1-4.

The final report of the third mission, handed to Japanese authorities yesterday, follows the preliminary summary report that was released at the end of the mission.

Today's report states that "Japan has achieved good progress in improving its strategy and the associated plans, as well as in allocating the necessary resources towards the safe decommissioning"?of Fukushima Daiichi.

"Since the previous IAEA missions, the Government of Japan and TEPCO have implemented planned measures aimed at reducing nuclear and radiological hazards on the site and safely decommissioning the plant."

The report acknowledges that the Japanese government and TEPCO had taken into account advice provided following earlier IAEA missions to enhance planning and decommissioning. The report contains advisory points on topics such as long-term radioactive waste management, measures against contaminated water and issues related to the removal of spent nuclear fuel and fuel debris.

An annex to the report contains the findings of IAEA experts who, at the request of Japan's government, visited Japan from 17 to 21 April 2015 to receive additional information about the management of contaminated water and TEPCO's efforts to improve public communication and outreach.