A six-member team of international nuclear safety experts, assembled by the International Atomic Energy Agency, arrives in Japan on Sunday, 5 August 2007, to commence an examination of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant. The plant was affected by a strong earthquake on 16 July.

IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei said that the mission, in response to an invitation last week from the Japanese Government, is important for identifying lessons learned that might have implications for the international nuclear safety regime.

The team consists of two IAEA experts and four internationally recognized experts in seismic safety. Their task will be to conduct a fact finding mission relating to the current conditions at the power plant. This will complement the ongoing evaluation by Japan´s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA), Japan´s Nuclear Safety Commission (NSC) and the plant´s operators, the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) of the incident.

Upon completion of its mission the team will report its findings to the Japanese authorities and to the Director General. The team will leave Japan on 11 August.

About the IAEA

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) serves as the world's foremost intergovernmental forum for scientific and technical co-operation in the peaceful use of nuclear technology. Established as an autonomous organization under the United Nations (UN) in 1957, the IAEA carries out programmes to maximize the useful contribution of nuclear technology to society while verifying its peaceful use.

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