Jaczko: No way to completely prevent nuclear accidents

 March 11, 2014

US nuclear expert calls for strict safety measures

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20140312_05.html 

A US nuclear expert has stressed the need to prepare for accidents at nuclear power plants, saying there is no way to completely prevent them.

A former chairman of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Gregory Jaczko, spoke to NHK in Tokyo on Tuesday, the 3rd anniversary of the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

Jaczko noted that the plant is still releasing radioactive materials through contaminated water.

He said someone who is considerate of people's health and the environment should lead the workers at the plant. He also called for thorough explanations to be given to the people who had to leave their homes.

Jaczko said nuclear plants in Japan are less likely to have accidents thanks to the new safety measures that were introduced after the Fukushima disaster.

But he urged plant operators to prepare ways to minimize the impact of a possible accident, saying it is impossible to completely prevent one from happening.

He added that restarting nuclear power plants won't be justified unless the public supports the move.

Japan's 48 commercial reactors are all off-line. Utilities have applied for government safety screening for more than one-third of them to resume their operations.

Mar. 11, 2014 - Updated 22:44 UTC