On Thursday the International Atomic Energy Agency wrapped up its meeting of signators to the 1996 Convention on Nuclear Safety, and while it was scheduled well in advance of the March 11 earthquake in Japan, the multiple-reactor accident at Fukushima Daiichi weighed heavily on the proceedings.
“The contracting parties are committed to draw and act upon the lessons of the Fukushima accident. In line with their national responsibilities, all contracting parties are already carrying out reviews to ensure the continued safety of their existing and planned nuclear power plants and are committed to taking prompt actions as lessons are learned,” the group said in an IAEA statement.
Of 72 countries that have joined the safety convention to share best practices and create a degree of international oversight in commercial nuclear power, 61 were in attendance. In addition to their normal plant safety agenda, delegates discussed offsite response to station blackouts, plant design in the context of disasters, worst-case emergency management, spent fuel storage cooling in emergencies, emergency training and other accident-preparedness topics.
Although the group usually meets every three years, it scheduled an extraordinary meeting for next year, which comes in addition to an IAEA ministerial conference in June convened to address the Fukushima accident.