February 28, 2013
The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) on February 27 approved guidelines on nuclear accident response measures, including evacuation of residents, without reflecting on public opinions regarding the draft guidelines though the authority invited them in advance.
At a press conference, asked by reporters about the reason why the authority decided not to hold a session to discuss public opinions that were submitted, NRA Chairman Tanaka Shun’ichi said that the NRA had no intention to deal with public comments as a subject of discussion. This clearly shows that the NRA stands on the same “listen-only” position as the former Nuclear Industrial Safety Agency.
The NRA received 3,155 public comments on the draft guidelines during the two-week period.
Many of them say that a zone, in which all residents would be called on to immediately evacuate in case of nuclear accident, should be expanded from the NRA-designated zone of 5-km radius from nuclear power plants.
In addition, many other comments point out that as a benchmark for making a decision to evacuate, the radiation level of 500 micosieverts per hour is too high and does not give due consideration for pregnant women and small children. They also criticize the 5km distance from NPPs the draft designates as the area to distribute iodine tablets is insufficient.
The guidelines do not incorporate lessons learned from the Fukushima accident and ignore residents’ lives and livelihoods because it states that evacuation will begin only after all functions to shut down nuclear reactors fail and a crisis breaks out.
At a press conference, asked by reporters about the reason why the authority decided not to hold a session to discuss public opinions that were submitted, NRA Chairman Tanaka Shun’ichi said that the NRA had no intention to deal with public comments as a subject of discussion. This clearly shows that the NRA stands on the same “listen-only” position as the former Nuclear Industrial Safety Agency.
The NRA received 3,155 public comments on the draft guidelines during the two-week period.
Many of them say that a zone, in which all residents would be called on to immediately evacuate in case of nuclear accident, should be expanded from the NRA-designated zone of 5-km radius from nuclear power plants.
In addition, many other comments point out that as a benchmark for making a decision to evacuate, the radiation level of 500 micosieverts per hour is too high and does not give due consideration for pregnant women and small children. They also criticize the 5km distance from NPPs the draft designates as the area to distribute iodine tablets is insufficient.
The guidelines do not incorporate lessons learned from the Fukushima accident and ignore residents’ lives and livelihoods because it states that evacuation will begin only after all functions to shut down nuclear reactors fail and a crisis breaks out.
