Nra Head Promotes Probe Of 2011 Nuclear Accident
The head of Japan's nuclear watchdog has underscored the importance of continuing an investigation into the 2011 nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi power station in parallel with efforts to decommission the plant.
Nuclear Regulation Authority Chairman Fuketa Toyoshi held an interview with NHK to mark 10 years since the nuclear accident.
Fuketa said sites involved in the accident that the NRA wants to investigate could disappear as the decommissioning process continues.
He said it is important to decommission the plant after collecting the information necessary for investigation and analysis.
Fuketa was asked about the concerns of residents living in or near communities hosting plants. They worry that evacuations may not go as planned despite reviews of evacuation plans after the 2011 nuclear disaster.
Fuketa said the NRA has worked with other bodies, including the Cabinet Office, to check such plans and that his agency intends to continue being involved in that.
The NRA was established after the nuclear accident. It compiled an interim report on the accident in 2014, but suspended its investigation due to high levels of radiation at the plant. The regulator resumed the probe in 2019 and released a report earlier this week including details on the spread of nuclear materials in reactor buildings.