Japanese Nuclear Safety Commission
Encyclopedia
Japan
's is a commission established within the Cabinet of Japan
as an independent agency to play the main role in nuclear safety administration. Commissioners are appointed by the Prime Minister of Japan
on Diet approval. The commission has stronger authority than any other ordinary advisory committees, in that the Commission can make recommendations to relevant agencies in the name of the Prime Minister if it is necessary.
The Nuclear Safety Commission reviews safety inspections conducted by regulatory agencies, such as the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency
.
In 2007 the independence of the Nuclear Safety Commission was questioned by seismologist
Professor Katsuhiko Ishibashi
, after a senior Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency official appeared to rule out a new review of the NSC's seismic design standards.
The Asahi newspaper has reported that the government plans to merge the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency with the Nuclear Safety Commission, to create a new nuclear safety agency, under the environment ministry, by April 2012.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
's is a commission established within the Cabinet of Japan
Cabinet of Japan
The of Japan is the executive branch of the government of Japan. It consists of the Prime Minister and up to fourteen other members, called Ministers of State. The Prime Minister is designated by the Diet, and the remaining ministers are appointed and dismissed by the Prime Minister...
as an independent agency to play the main role in nuclear safety administration. Commissioners are appointed by the Prime Minister of Japan
Prime Minister of Japan
The is the head of government of Japan. He is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members, and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office...
on Diet approval. The commission has stronger authority than any other ordinary advisory committees, in that the Commission can make recommendations to relevant agencies in the name of the Prime Minister if it is necessary.
The Nuclear Safety Commission reviews safety inspections conducted by regulatory agencies, such as the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency
Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency
The is a Japanese nuclear regulatory and oversight branch of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. It was created in 2001 during the 2001 Central Government Reform. It has a main office in Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda, Tokyo that works with the...
.
In 2007 the independence of the Nuclear Safety Commission was questioned by seismologist
Seismology
Seismology is the scientific study of earthquakes and the propagation of elastic waves through the Earth or through other planet-like bodies. The field also includes studies of earthquake effects, such as tsunamis as well as diverse seismic sources such as volcanic, tectonic, oceanic,...
Professor Katsuhiko Ishibashi
Katsuhiko Ishibashi
is a professor in the Research Center for Urban Safety and Security in the Graduate School of Science at Kobe University, Japan and a seismologist who has written extensively in the areas of seismicity and seismotectonics in and around the Japanese Islands...
, after a senior Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency official appeared to rule out a new review of the NSC's seismic design standards.
The Asahi newspaper has reported that the government plans to merge the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency with the Nuclear Safety Commission, to create a new nuclear safety agency, under the environment ministry, by April 2012.
History
- December 1955 Promulgation of the Atomic Energy Basic LawAtomic Energy Basic LawThe Atomic Energy Basic Law is a Japanese law passed December 19, 1955. Law number 186. It outlined the basics for the use of nuclear power in Japan.-Article 1 :...
and Law Establishing the Atomic Energy Commission. - November 1956 Inauguration of Atomic Energy Commission.
- October 1978 Nuclear Safety Commission spun off from Atomic Energy Commission.
- January 1979 Consistent regulatory administration for nuclear safety introduced and counter- checking system established.
- October 1981 Publication of the 1st White Paper on Nuclear Safety.
- November 1999 Role of Nuclear Safety Commission legally specified with enactment of the Special Measures of Nuclear Disaster Act. Role to include technical advice to Prime Minister in nuclear disaster.
- April 2000 Functions of Commission Secretariat transferred from old Science and Technology Agency to old Prime Minister's Office.
- January 2001 With government reorganization, functions of Nuclear Safety Commission and its Secretariat transferred to Cabinet Office.
- December 2002 Strengthening the functional capability of overlooking and auditing the activities of regulatory body on account of the amendment of the regulation laws on the nuclear reactors, etc.
- July 13, 2011 Japanese Nuclear Safety Commission made official announcement at last the report dated June 11, 1993 (Heisei 5) titled lit.Literal translationLiteral translation, or direct translation, is the rendering of text from one language to another "word-for-word" rather than conveying the sense of the original...
The event of entire alternating current station blackout on the nuclear power plant (原子力発電所における全交流電源喪失事象について) conducted by a working group. This is reporting the evaluation of the regulations against the possible occurrence of the entire loss or station blackout (SBO) of alternating currentAlternating currentIn alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....
in nuclear power plants in other countries and Japan, and it resulted the necessities of further discussions on the methodology to avoid or recover the SBO, and it reported the probability of SBO in Japan is less than other countries on its reliabilityReliabilityIn general, reliability is the ability of a person or system to perform and maintain its functions in routine circumstances, as well as hostile or unexpected circumstances.Reliability may refer to:...
. - On August 26 2011, the Office for the Preparation of Nuclear Safety Regulatory Organization Reform was established at Japan’s Cabinet Secretariat in Nagatacho, Tokyo. Later that day a celebration was held in Kasumigaseki. This reform was to split the promotion of nuclear power from the control-function. The task of the new office was to make preparations to realize the new control-body under the Ministry of Environment (MOE) in April 2012 including the necessary legislation for this. The office would be manned with 37 staff members from the Cabinet Office, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), and other ministries and agencies, and some delegations from private companies.
See also
- Nuclear SafetyNuclear safetyNuclear safety covers the actions taken to prevent nuclear and radiation accidents or to limit their consequences. This covers nuclear power plants as well as all other nuclear facilities, the transportation of nuclear materials, and the use and storage of nuclear materials for medical, power,...
- Nuclear Power in JapanNuclear power in JapanNuclear energy was a national strategic priority in Japan, but there has been concern about the ability of Japan's nuclear plants to withstand seismic activity...
- 2011 Japanese nuclear accidents2011 Japanese nuclear accidentsThis is a list of articles describing aspects of the nuclear shut-downs, failures, and nuclear meltdowns triggered by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.-Fukushima nuclear power plants:* Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant...
- Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disasterFukushima Daiichi nuclear disasterThe is a series of equipment failures, nuclear meltdowns, and releases of radioactive materials at the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, following the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011. The plant comprises six separate boiling water reactors originally designed by General Electric ,...
- Japanese reaction to Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster
- Japanese nuclear incidentsJapanese nuclear incidentsThis is a list of Japanese atomic, nuclear and radiological accidents, incidents and disasters.-List:-See also:* Nuclear power in Japan* List of civilian nuclear accidents* List of civilian nuclear incidents* List of civilian radiation accidents...