Japan to Establish New Nuclear Safety Agency

August 25, 2011

The Government of Japan is set to establish by April next year a new agency for nuclear safety under the Ministry of Environment, following the discussion on nuclear regulation in response to the accident at the TEPCO's Fukushima Nuclear Power Stations. The move is based on the "Basic Policy on the Reform of an Organization in Charge of Nuclear Safety Regulation" adopted at a Cabinet meeting on August 15.

Mr. Goshi Hosono, Minister for the Restoration from and Prevention of Nuclear Accident, made the following remarks, expressing his thought toward the new regulatory organization:

"Since March 11, I have been tackling this challenge with a desire to overcome it by all means amid the unprecedented crisis, never faced by this country before. On the other hand, I have keenly felt that we could never regain public confidence unless we fundamentally corrected ways of regulating nuclear power, the relevant organizations and levels of our response to these issues.

"I have also felt a hard look thrown at Japan by the international community, although we have received very warm support as well. Given such domestic and international situations, I have been thinking that we should set up a new organization as soon as possible."

Minister Hosono cited the following five issues as basic points of the new nuclear safety regulation: (1) separation of nuclear regulation and promotion, (2) unification of work associated with nuclear safety regulation, (3) incorporation of a crisis management function into the new organization, (4) development of human resources supporting the organization, and (5) strengthening of both regulation and safety.

For further details of "Basic Policy on the Reform of an Organization in Charge of Nuclear Safety Regulation [PDF]", please see the attachment.

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