American advice

August 31, 2012

Ex-US nuclear regulator chief urges transparency

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120831_16.html

The former head of the US nuclear regulator has stressed the importance of information disclosure for the new nuclear safety agency that Japan will launch next month.

Gregory Jaczko met Fukushima residents during his recent trip to Japan. He served as the chairman of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission for about 3 years until July.

Jaczko told the residents that nuclear power plants should not be operated without a guarantee that major accidents that involve large-scale evacuations will not occur.

He also commented on the new nuclear regulatory body that will replace the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency in the near future.

The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency lost the confidence of the public after the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in March last year.
Jaczko said information disclosure, including the transparency of the decision-making process, is essential for the new regulator to gain public trust.

He said the recent anti-nuclear protests in Japan are understandable as nuclear energy is a controversial subject. He added that dialogue is important as the government and the people will ultimately have to make a decision on this issue.