The 35-nation board of the International Atomic Energy Agency adopted a broad framework for more international coordination in assessing safety at nuclear power plants following the Fukushima Daiichi crisis in Japan.
The voluntary measures, adopted unanimously Tuesday, encompass a number of suggestions for nuclear regulators worldwide as they assess the damage caused by the March earthquake, tsunami and station blackout at the Japanese plant. Among them, the plan calls on member states to evaluate the designs of their reactors in the context of “specific extreme natural hazards.” It also calls for national reviews of nuclear emergency response capabilities and scrutiny of the independence and adequacy of regulatory bodies.
To better prepare for future accidents, the agreement encourages the formation of national rapid response teams that could be made available internationally. The plan also envisions a strengthened IAEA emergency notification and information sharing system.
The most contentious of the recommendations involve strengthened international oversight of member countries' power plants. The plan seeks to enhance reviews of member states' regulations against IAEA standards and asks “each member state with nuclear power plants to voluntarily host at least one IAEA Operational Safety Review Team mission during the coming three years, with the initial focus on older nuclear power plants. Thereafter, OSART missions to be voluntarily hosted on a regular basis.”
Reuters, citing sources familiar with negotiations before the vote, reported that representatives from Germany, France, Switzerland, Singapore, Canada and Denmark were unhappy the action plan did not go further. Meanwhile, representatives from the U.S., China, India and Pakistan were said to oppose any development that might lead to mandatory plant inspections by a group outside their borders.