Restore public confidence ?

February 26, 2012

Foreign nuclear experts advise on Fukushima

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120226_02.html

Foreign experts have told a Japanese government panel that its final report on the Fukushima nuclear accident should include lessons learned and proposals for ensuring safety.

Five foreign nuclear experts gave their opinions at the conclusion of the 2-day conference in Tokyo on Saturday. The meeting was sponsored by a Japanese panel of experts in various fields, charged with investigating the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi plant last March.

The head of the French nuclear safety authority, Andre-Claude Lacoste, said the final report should be more than a list of facts and include lessons and proposals.

Former chairman of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Richard Meserve said the accident led to a loss of public trust in the government and power companies. He said they must ensure openness in their activities in order to restore confidence.

The foreign experts also proposed that the Japanese government panel should try to identify the current status of the crippled reactors through computer simulations, in order to ease public fears.

After the conference, the head of the panel, Yotaro Hatamura, said the experts noted it is most important to prepare for accidents based on the idea that what is improbable is possible. He said Japan had lacked this idea.

Hatamura said the panel will compile their final report by late July, taking the foreign experts' opinions into account.