A compromise proposal for the Convention on Nuclear Safety's February conference puts tougher safety initiatives in the form of a declaration or a statement, rather than a mandated amendment to the convention's treaty.
With opposition to an amendment coming from the United States and Russia, a proposal for tougher, post-Fukushima Daiichi standards for the world's 439 nuclear power plants would likely fail at the convention starting Feb. 9, observers say. But rather than have tougher standards fail as a proposal, a document labeled a “statement,” could be issued by the 77-nation convention, although the tougher standards in the document would be non-binding.
Switzerland has proposed tougher standards as a treaty amendment, but the United States and Russia have signaled opposition to new mandates, which could be expensive. Instead, a draft of a proposed statement says that, “New nuclear power plants should be designed and constructed with the objective of preventing accidents.” Efforts should be focused on reducing radioactive leaks to a minimum, the document says.
The draft statement says nations should aim for safety standards that are “reasonably achievable,” and these should be “implemented in a timely manner.”
Some industry observers contend that billions have already been spent on safety upgrades since the March 11, 2011 earthquake and a subsequent tsunami triggered a three-unit meltdown at the power plant about 150 miles northeast of Tokyo.