In this March 24, 2011 aerial photo taken by a small unmanned drone and released by AIR PHOTO SERVICE, damaged Unit 3, left, and Unit 4 of the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant are seen in Okumamachi, Fukushima prefecture, northern Japan. (AP Photo/AIR PHOTO SERVICE)The Japanese government has started considering merging its two nuclear units to form a more powerful body resembling the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to regulate the nation's nuclear power plants in the wake of the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant.
The envisaged new regulatory body, consisting of nuclear experts, will be completely independent from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, which promotes the nation's energy policy based on nuclear power generation.
Under the plan, the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, formed in 2001, will be separated from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and integrated into the Cabinet Office's Nuclear Safety Commission, which was launched in 1978.
Under the current system, the Nuclear Safety Commission examines the safety of nuclear reactors and advises the government in times of nuclear accidents, while the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency deploys nuclear inspectors to nuclear power plants and oversees the operations of nuclear facilities.
But in regards to the crisis at the nuclear power plant in Fukushima, critics say the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency "could not properly supervise the Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO)'s handling of the accident" and the Nuclear Safety Commission "could not fully perform its functions to advise the government."
The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency is an external bureau of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and personnel exchanges take place regularly between them, and therefore it has been under fire for "not being able to properly supervise because the promoting side and the regulating side are not clearly separated."
The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency has about 790 staff members including local inspectors and clerical workers, but the experience of nuclear experts at the agency is not as deep as that of power companies, which have a number of employees who have studied nuclear engineering at graduate schools.
"There are inspectors who learn expertise from power companies. That is something like students supervising teachers," said a senior official of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
The status of the Nuclear Safety Commission is equal to a government council formed under Article 8 of National Government Organization Law. It has five commissioners who have a thorough knowledge of nuclear power generation and about 100 staff members.
In the United States, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) was created in 1974 to regulate commercial nuclear power plants and other uses of nuclear materials. It has about 4,000 staff members and its independency from the government is guaranteed by law. Following the NRC model, the government is expected to consider forming a powerful regulatory body resembling the Fair Trade Commission under Article 3 of National Government Organization Law.
Regarding regulations on the safety of nuclear reactors, Mizuho Fukushima, head of the Social Democratic Party, urged Prime Minister Naoto Kan on March 30 to separate the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Kan replied, "It will be discussed in the future."
Click here for the original Japanese story
(Mainichi Japan) April 6, 2011
原子力安全・保安院：経産省から分離…新たな規制機関へ
The Japanese government has started considering merging its two nuclear units to form a more powerful body resembling the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to regulate the nation's nuclear power plants in the wake of the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant.
The envisaged new regulatory body, consisting of nuclear experts, will be completely independent from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, which promotes the nation's energy policy based on nuclear power generation.
Under the plan, the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, formed in 2001, will be separated from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and integrated into the Cabinet Office's Nuclear Safety Commission, which was launched in 1978.
Under the current system, the Nuclear Safety Commission examines the safety of nuclear reactors and advises the government in times of nuclear accidents, while the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency deploys nuclear inspectors to nuclear power plants and oversees the operations of nuclear facilities.
But in regards to the crisis at the nuclear power plant in Fukushima, critics say the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency "could not properly supervise the Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO)'s handling of the accident" and the Nuclear Safety Commission "could not fully perform its functions to advise the government."
The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency is an external bureau of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and personnel exchanges take place regularly between them, and therefore it has been under fire for "not being able to properly supervise because the promoting side and the regulating side are not clearly separated."
The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency has about 790 staff members including local inspectors and clerical workers, but the experience of nuclear experts at the agency is not as deep as that of power companies, which have a number of employees who have studied nuclear engineering at graduate schools.
"There are inspectors who learn expertise from power companies. That is something like students supervising teachers," said a senior official of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
The status of the Nuclear Safety Commission is equal to a government council formed under Article 8 of National Government Organization Law. It has five commissioners who have a thorough knowledge of nuclear power generation and about 100 staff members.
In the United States, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) was created in 1974 to regulate commercial nuclear power plants and other uses of nuclear materials. It has about 4,000 staff members and its independency from the government is guaranteed by law. Following the NRC model, the government is expected to consider forming a powerful regulatory body resembling the Fair Trade Commission under Article 3 of National Government Organization Law.
Regarding regulations on the safety of nuclear reactors, Mizuho Fukushima, head of the Social Democratic Party, urged Prime Minister Naoto Kan on March 30 to separate the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Kan replied, "It will be discussed in the future."
Click here for the original Japanese story(Mainichi Japan) April 6, 2011
原子力安全・保安院：経産省から分離…新たな規制機関へ
東京電力の福島第１原発での事故を受け、政府は５日、経済産業省の外局である原子力安全・保安院を同省から切り離し、内閣府の原子力安全委員会と統合させて新たな規制機関を設置する方向で検討に入った。新たな規制機関は、原発を推進する立場の経産省とは完全に分離し、米国の原子力規制委員会（ＮＲＣ）のような強い権限を持った専門家集団としたい考えだ。【三沢耕平】
◇安全委と統合、原子力規制強化
実現すれば、１９７８年の安全委設置、０１年の保安院設置に続く、原子力安全体制の抜本的な見直し。
現行制度では、安全委が原子炉の安全審査や事故時の政府に対する助言を行い、保安院は各原子力施設に保安検査官を配置して事業者を監督する。しかし、今回の事故では、保安院に「東電の事故対応を適切に監督できなかった」、安全委にも「政府に対する助言機能を十分に発揮できなかった」との批判がある。
保安院は原発を推進する側の経産省（資源エネルギー庁）の外局にあたり、人事交流もある。このため、「推進と規制が厳密に分かれていない状況では、適正な監視はできない」との批判もあった。また、保安院は地方の検査官や事務職も含めて約７９０人の職員を抱えるが、大学院などで原子力工学を学んだ人材がそろう電力会社や原発メーカーに比べれば層が薄い。「電力会社から専門知識を学ぶ検査官もおり、教え子が教師を監督するようなもの」（経産省幹部）との指摘もあった。
一方、安全委は国家行政組織法８条に基づいて設置される審議会と同等の位置付け。原子力に精通した委員５人とスタッフ約１００人がいる。
米国では、原子力規制を担う目的で７４年にＮＲＣを設置。法律で政権や他省庁などからの独立性が確保され、約４０００人が勤務。このため政府内では、ＮＲＣにならって国家行政組織法３条に基づく公正取引委員会のような強い権限を持つ規制機関にする案を軸に検討が進む見通しだ。
原発の安全規制を巡っては、菅直人首相が先月３０日、首相官邸で会談した社民党の福島瑞穂党首から保安院の分離を要請された際に「今後、議論になる」との見方を示した。
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