84 F. KOPPENBORG
Nuclear Safety Regulation
Looking at the NRA’s regulatory authority, one can speak of a medley
of competencies, reflecting the reform goal to unify tasks related to
nuclear safety, security, and safeguards in one new agency. An area
where the NRA shares competencies with the Cabinet Office is that
of emergency response measures. The NRA Act specifies that the NRA
is responsible for the technical aspects of emergency response measures
and gives the prime minister a role in handling operational aspects
such as coordinating relevant ministries. In practice, the NRA formulates guidelines while the Cabinet Office monitors their implementation.
In the area of nuclear security and safeguards, the safety agency translated provisions of international treaties Japan had signed, such as the
Nuclear-Non-Proliferation Treaty, into domestic regulation and oversaw
the implementation. Regarding radioactive materials and radioisotopes,
a division of labour between the NRA and the Ministry of Health,
Labor and Welfare emerged with the NRA devising rules for research and
medical treatments and the ministry setting standards regarding human
health. Another task the NRA took on was the supervision of the process
of decommissioning the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
The area where the NRA holds the most regulatory authority is nuclear
safety. Article 4 of the NRA Act put rulemaking for nuclear facilities and
the right to grant permits for taking up operation into the hands of the
NRA. When the Japan Nuclear Safety Organization was incorporated into
the NRA in 2014, it integrated the task of monitoring the implementation
of safety measures on the ground. Since the right to grant permits can be
used as a sanctioning mechanism by threatening to withholding permits,
the NRA is in charge of formulating safety standards, implementing them,
and imposing sanctions in case of violations. The next section takes a
closer look at the nuclear safety regulation for commercial nuclear power
plants adopted by the NRA as well as their implementation.
New Safety Standards
When the NRA was established, a major task was to formulate new
safety guidelines. It established four councils to handle the matter, two
discussing safety requirements for commercial nuclear power plants, one
dealing with nuclear fuel cycle facilities, and one more in charge of a
safety review procedure. Each council consisted of at least one NRA
Nuclear Safety Regulation
Looking at the NRA’s regulatory authority, one can speak of a medley
of competencies, reflecting the reform goal to unify tasks related to
nuclear safety, security, and safeguards in one new agency. An area
where the NRA shares competencies with the Cabinet Office is that
of emergency response measures. The NRA Act specifies that the NRA
is responsible for the technical aspects of emergency response measures
and gives the prime minister a role in handling operational aspects
such as coordinating relevant ministries. In practice, the NRA formulates guidelines while the Cabinet Office monitors their implementation.
In the area of nuclear security and safeguards, the safety agency translated provisions of international treaties Japan had signed, such as the
Nuclear-Non-Proliferation Treaty, into domestic regulation and oversaw
the implementation. Regarding radioactive materials and radioisotopes,
a division of labour between the NRA and the Ministry of Health,
Labor and Welfare emerged with the NRA devising rules for research and
medical treatments and the ministry setting standards regarding human
health. Another task the NRA took on was the supervision of the process
of decommissioning the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
The area where the NRA holds the most regulatory authority is nuclear
safety. Article 4 of the NRA Act put rulemaking for nuclear facilities and
the right to grant permits for taking up operation into the hands of the
NRA. When the Japan Nuclear Safety Organization was incorporated into
the NRA in 2014, it integrated the task of monitoring the implementation
of safety measures on the ground. Since the right to grant permits can be
used as a sanctioning mechanism by threatening to withholding permits,
the NRA is in charge of formulating safety standards, implementing them,
and imposing sanctions in case of violations. The next section takes a
closer look at the nuclear safety regulation for commercial nuclear power
plants adopted by the NRA as well as their implementation.
New Safety Standards
When the NRA was established, a major task was to formulate new
safety guidelines. It established four councils to handle the matter, two
discussing safety requirements for commercial nuclear power plants, one
dealing with nuclear fuel cycle facilities, and one more in charge of a
safety review procedure. Each council consisted of at least one NRA