On 13 September chief nuclear officers representing all operating U.S. commercial nuclear energy facilities concluded a week of safety-focused dialogue and tours of Japanese nuclear plants, including the Fukushima Daiichi and Daini plant sites, the NEI has reported.
The unprecedented exchange among nearly 30 U.S. CNOs and their Japanese counterparts allowed the American contingent to see first-hand the impact of the 2011 Fukushima accident, to share lessons learned—and to discuss actions taken in the aftermath of the event and ways to improve the nuclear safety culture in both countries.
“Engaging with our Japanese counterparts and visiting Fukushima has had a profound impact on us,” said Anthony Pietrangelo, the Nuclear Energy Institute’s senior vice president and chief nuclear officer, at a news conference concluding the visit. “We sought, and received, first-hand accounts from our Japanese counterparts of the experience in all of its challenge and uncertainty. Seeing the devastation in person provides a greater understanding of the significance of the event and its effect on people in the area.”
Jim Scarola of Duke Energy Corp., on loan to NEI as executive director of the U.S. industry’s Fukushima response, explained the industry’s voluntary implementation of additional backup measures, known as FLEX.
“While the tsunami and resulting impact on the people of Japan have clearly been devastating, the lessons must become a catalyst for raising safety standards, behaviors and emergency response capability in all nations,” Scarola added.