Blank Page

Table of contents
SECTION A.
A. 1
A. 2
A. 3
A. 4

INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................... 7

Preparation of the report.......................................................................................................... 7
Current Status of Utilization of Nuclear Energy and its Management in Japan...................... 7
International Activities .......................................................................................................... 10
Scope of Facilities Defined by the Legal Framework of Japan............................................. 10

SECTION B.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES (ARTICLE 32, SECTION 1)............................. 13

B. 1 Spent Fuel Management Policy............................................................................................. 13
B. 2 Spent Fuel Management Practices......................................................................................... 13
B. 3 Radioactive Waste Management Policy ................................................................................ 14
B. 4 Radioactive Waste Management Practices ............................................................................ 14
B. 4. 1 Government Activities related to Radioactive Waste Management .............................. 14
B. 4. 2 Radioactive Waste Management Practices by Operators .............................................. 15
B. 5 Criteria for Definition and Classification of Radioactive Waste ........................................... 17
SECTION C.

SCOPE OF APPLICATION (ARTICLE 3).......................................................... 23

SECTION D.

LISTS AND INVENTORIES (ARTICLE 32, SECTION 2)................................ 27

D.1
List of Spent Fuel Management Facilities............................................................................. 27
D.2
Inventory of Spent Fuel......................................................................................................... 27
D.3
List of Radioactive Waste Management Facilities ................................................................ 27
D.4
Inventory of Radioactive Waste ............................................................................................ 28
D.4.1
Inventory of Radioactive Waste Being Held in Storage................................................ 28
D.4.2
Inventory of Radioactive Waste That Has Been Disposed of........................................ 28
D.4.3
Inventory of Radioactive Waste that Has Resulted from Past Practices........................ 29
D.5
List of Nuclear Facilities in the Process of Being Decommissioned..................................... 29
SECTION E.

LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY SYSTEM................................................ 43

E.1
Implementing Measures (Article 18)..................................................................................... 43
E.2
Legislative and Regulatory Framework (Article 19)............................................................. 44
E.2.1
Basic Legislation Governing the Utilization of Nuclear Energy................................... 44
E.2.2
Legislative and Regulatory Framework Governing the Safety of Nuclear Utilization . 44
E.2.3
Regulatory Framework for the Safety of Spent Fuel Management............................... 48
E.2.4
Regulatory Framework for the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management .................. 49
E.2.5
The Enforcement of Applicable Regulations and the Terms of the Licenses................ 49
E.2.6
Clear Allocation of Responsibilities in the Different Steps........................................... 49
E.3
Regulatory Body (Article 20)................................................................................................ 54
E.3.1
Mandate of the Regulatory Bodies ................................................................................ 54
E.3.2
The Structure of the Regulatory Body and Supporting Organizations.......................... 54
E.3.3
Nuclear Safety Commission (NSC)............................................................................... 56
E.3.4
Other Administrative Bodies......................................................................................... 57
SECTION F.

OTHER GENERAL SAFETY PROVISIONS ..................................................... 67

F.1
Responsibility of the Licence Holder (Article 21) ................................................................ 67
F.1.1
Responsibility of the Licence Holder ............................................................................ 67
F.1.2
Steps to Ensure that Each Licence Holder Meets its Responsibility. ............................ 67
F1.3 Steps Taken against Absence of the License Holder ......................................................... 68
F.2
Human and Financial Resources (Article 22) ....................................................................... 69
F.2.1
Human Resources of a Licence Holder to Maintain Major Nuclear Facilities.............. 69
F.2.2
Financial Resources and Financial Rules ...................................................................... 701

F.3
Quality Assurance (Article 23).............................................................................................. 71
F.3.1
Regulatory Activities to Ensure Appropriate Quality Assurance (QA) Programs ........ 71
F.3.2
Outline of QA Program by Operator of Facilities ......................................................... 71
F.4
Operational Radiation Protection (Article 24) ...................................................................... 73
F.4.1
Summary of Laws, Regulations and Requirements on Radiation Protection................ 73
F.4.2
National Requirements on Radiation Protection and the Implementation .................... 74
F.4.3
Regulatory Control Activities........................................................................................ 75
F.4.4
Unplanned or Uncontrolled Releases ............................................................................ 76
F.5
Emergency Preparedness (Article 25) ................................................................................... 77
F.5.1
Laws, Regulations and Requirements for Nuclear Emergency Preparedness ............... 77
F.5.2
Emergency in the Vicinity of the Territory.................................................................... 80
F.6
Decommissioning (Article 26) .............................................................................................. 85
F.6.1
Human and Financial Resources ................................................................................... 85
F.6.2
Radiation Protection at the Decommissioning Stage .................................................... 86
F.6.3
Emergency Preparedness............................................................................................... 86
F.6.4
Keeping Records of Information Important to Decommissioning ................................ 86
SECTION G.

SAFETY OF SPENT FUEL MANAGEMENT .................................................... 89

G.1
General Safety Requirements (Article 4) .............................................................................. 91
G.1.1
Criticality and Removal of Residual Heat..................................................................... 91
G.1.2
Minimization of the Generation of Radioactive Waste in Spent Fuel Management ..... 91
G.1.3
Interdependencies Among Different Steps in Spent Fuel Management........................ 92
G.1.4
Regulations for Radiation Protection ............................................................................ 92
G.1.5
Taking into Account Biological, Chemical and Other Hazards .................................... 92
G.1.6
Taking into Account Impacts on Future Generations .................................................... 92
G.1.7
Taking into Account Burdens on Future Generations ................................................... 92
G.2
Existing Facilities (Article 5) ................................................................................................ 94
G.2.1
Existing Spent Fuel Management Facilities .................................................................. 94
G.3
Siting of Proposed Facilities (Article 6)................................................................................ 95
G.3.1
Evaluation of Site-Related Factors and Impact of Proposed Facilities ......................... 95
G.3.2
Information Disclosure.................................................................................................. 96
G.3.3
Relationship with Neighboring Countries ..................................................................... 96
G.4
Design and Construction of Facilities (Article 7).................................................................. 97
G.4.1
Limitation of Radiological Impacts on Individuals, Society and the Environment ...... 97
G.4.2
Conceptual Plans and Technical Provisions for Decommissioning .............................. 98
G.4.3
Steps to Support the Reliability of Technologies .......................................................... 98
G.5
Assessment of Safety of Facilities (Article 8) ....................................................................... 99
G.5.1
Systematic Safety Assessment and Environmental Assessment ................................... 99
G.5.2
Updating of Assessments Before Operation of Facilities.............................................. 99
G.6
Operation of Facilities (Article 9) ....................................................................................... 100
G.6.1
Verification through Pre-service Inspection ................................................................ 100
G.6.2
Operational requirements and Conditions ................................................................... 100
G.6.3
Procedures and Conduct of Maintenance, Operation, Inspection, Etc. ....................... 100
G.6.4
Technical Support throughout the Operation Lifetime................................................ 101
G.6.5
Reporting of Incidents and Failures ............................................................................ 101
G.6.6
Reflecting Operating Experience ................................................................................ 101
G.6.7
Decommissioning Plans and Updating of Information ............................................... 102
SECTION H.

SAFETY OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT............................... 107

H.1
General Safety Requirements (Article 11) .......................................................................... 109
H.1.1
Criticality and Removal of Residual Heat................................................................... 109
H.1.2
Minimization in the Generation of Radioactive Waste................................................ 109
H.1.3
Interdependencies among the Different Steps in Waste Management .........................1102

H.1.4
Regulations for Radiation Protection ...........................................................................110
H.1.5
Taking into Account the Biological, Chemical and Other Hazards..............................111
H.1.6
Taking into Account Impacts on Future Generations ...................................................111
H.1.7
Taking into Account Burdens on Future Generations ..................................................111
H.2
Existing Facilities and Past Practices (Article 12) ...............................................................112
H.2.1
Existing Radioactive Waste Management Facilities.....................................................112
H.2.2
Examination of the Results of Past Practices ...............................................................113
H.3
Siting of Proposed Facilities (Article 13).............................................................................114
H.3.1
Evaluation of Site-related Factors and Impact of Proposed Facilities..........................114
H.3.2
Evaluation of Site-related Factors and Impact of Disposal Facilities...........................115
H.3.3
Information Disclosure.................................................................................................115
H.3.4
Relationship with Neighboring Countries ....................................................................115
H.4
Design and Construction of Facilities (Article 14)...............................................................116
H.4.1
Limitation of Radiological Impacts on Individuals, Society and the Environment .....116
H.4.2
Conceptual Plans and Technical Provisions for Decommissioning .............................117
H.4.3
Technical Provisions for the Closure of a Disposal Facility.........................................118
H.4.4
Steps to Support the Reliability of Technologies .........................................................118
H.5
Assessment of Safety of Facilities (Article 15) ................................................................... 120
H.5.1
Systematic Safety Assessment and Environmental Assessment ................................. 120
H.5.2
Assessment for the Period following Closure of a Disposal Facility .......................... 120
H.5.3
Updating of Assessments Before Operation of Facilities............................................ 121
H.6
Operation of Facilities (Article 16) ..................................................................................... 122
H.6.1
Verification through Pre-service Inspection ................................................................ 122
H.6.2
Operational Requirements and Conditions.................................................................. 123
H.6.3
Procedures of Operation and Updating of Assessment of a Disposal Facility ............ 123
H.6.4
Technical Support throughout the Operating Lifetime................................................ 124
H.6.5
Characterization and Segregation of Radioactive Waste............................................. 124
H.6.6
Reporting of Incidents and Failures ............................................................................ 125
H.6.7
Reflecting Operating Experience ................................................................................ 126
H.6.8
Preparation of Plans for Decommissioning of Nuclear facilities ................................ 126
H.6.9
Preparation of Plans for the Closure of Disposal Facilities......................................... 126
H.7
Institutional Measures after Closure (Article 17) ................................................................ 134
H.7.1
Records Keeping of Waste Disposal Facilities............................................................ 134
H.7.2
Implementation of Institutional Controls .................................................................... 134
H.7.3
Intervention Measures if Necessary ............................................................................ 135
SECTION I.

TRANSBOUNDARY MOVEMENT (ARTICLE 27)......................................... 139

I. 1
Transboundary Movement................................................................................................... 140
I. 1. 1
Steps to Ensure Prior Notification and Consent of the State of Destination ............... 140
I. 1. 2
Steps to Ensure Transboundary Movement Subject to International Obligations....... 140
I. 1. 3
Consent as a State of Destination ................................................................................ 140
I. 1. 4
Confirmation of the Capacity of a State of Destination .............................................. 140
I. 1. 5
Steps to Permit Re-entry in case of Uncompleted Transboundary Movement............ 140
I. 2
Steps to Ban Shipment to a Destination South of Latitude 60˚ South................................. 140
SECTION J.
J.1
J.2

DISUSED SEALED SOURCES (ARTICLE 28) ................................................ 145

Standards for the Storage of Disused Sealed Sources ......................................................... 145
Reentry of Returning Sealed Sources.................................................................................. 145

SECTION K.
Annex 1
Annex 2PLANNED ACTIVITIES TO IMPROVE SAFETY.......................................... 149

Legislations and Guidelines
Glossary3

Blank Page

4

A. Introduction

5Blank Page

6

Section A. Introduction
A. 1

Preparation of the report

This national report of Japan, submitted in accordance with the provisions of Article 32 of “the Joint
Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste
Management”, addresses the measures taken to implement each of the obligations of the Convention.
The text (Sections B through K) and the annexes (Section L) of the report are prepared in accordancewith “the Guidelines regarding the Form and Structure of National Reports”, and the text of each Articleof the Convention is reproduced in bold letters at the top of the report on the Article.
This report was prepared by the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) of the Ministry of
Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), the Science and Technology Policy Bureau (STPB) of the
Ministry of Education Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), and the Pharmaceutical andFood Safety Bureau (PFSB) and Health Policy Bureau (HPB) of the Ministry of Health, Labour andWelfare (MHLW), in consultation with other relevant governmental organizations, and was submitted to
the Nuclear Safety Commission (NSC). In preparing the report, cooperation was obtained from the
Nuclear Power Engineering Corporation, the Radioactive Waste Management and Nuclear Facility
Decommissioning Technology Center and other relevant organizations. The report was also sent forcomments to the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Subcommittee of the Advisory Committee for Natural
Resources and Energy of METI.
A. 2

Current Status of Utilization of Nuclear Energy and its Management in JapanThe research, development and utilization of nuclear energy in Japan are conducted solely for peacefulpurposes, in accordance with the provisions of Article 2 of the Atomic Energy Basic Law. The Atomic
Energy Commission (AEC), established on the basis of the Law, plans, deliberates and makes decisions
on national policies relating to the utilization of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. In order to clarify
the fundamentals for the utilization of nuclear energy and its development, the Commission has
formulated a total of nine Long-Term Programs for Research, Development and Utilization of Nuclear
Energy (Long-Term Programs) since 1956, one approximately every five years. The latest one waspublished in November 2000.
In line with the policy stated in the Long-Term Program, the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy(ANRE) of METI and MEXT establish implementation plans for utilization of nuclear energy for power
generation and related fuel cycle activities, and utilization of nuclear energy in science and technology,
respectively.
As to ensuring safety, the NSC established on the basis of the Atomic Energy Basic Law, plans,deliberates and makes decisions on policies aimed at ensuring the safe utilization of nuclear energy.
As the regulatory bodies responsible for ensuring safety within their particular area of competence,
NISA of METI, the STPB of MEXT and the PFSB and the HPB of the MHLW regulate and give
guidance on relevant activities. Operators of nuclear business conduct their activities under the policies
and the regulations mentioned above.
(1)

Current Status of Utilization of Nuclear Energy in Japan

It has been 40 years since the research, development and utilization of nuclear energy began anddiverse activities are presently ongoing. An outline of the current status as of March 2003 is asfollows.

7

In Japan, operation of the first commercial nuclear power reactor was started in 1966. Following the1973 oil crisis, nuclear power plants were built actively, and now has a total of 55 commercial nuclear
power plants are in operation or under construction, supplying more than one third of the grosselectric power demand. One plant is at the decommissioning stage.
Nuclear fuel cycle facilities related to commercial nuclear power generation, including 6 enrichment
and fuel manufacturing facilities, 2 reprocessing facilities, 3 disposal facilities, etc are in operation orunder construction. In addition, two power reactors at the stage of research and development for theeffective use of nuclear fuel material in future and 16 research reactor facilities for use in national andprivate institutes and universities are in operation.
Radioactive materials are now widely used in research applications and commercial activities, andvarious forms of radiation represent indispensable tools in state-of-the-art technologies such as
microscopic observation and measurement of molecule, atom and nucleous and micro-fabrication
procedures, supplying new insight into the development of science and technology. Also expanding
are uses of X-rays or radioisotopes in medical diagnosis and treatment of cancer, amelioration ofrubbers and plastics, sterilization of medical equipment and foodstuffs, crop breeding, etc. There are
more than 5000 national or private facilities utilizing various types of radiation.
(2)

Current Status of Spent Fuel Management and Radioactive Waste Management

The Law for the Regulation of Nuclear Source Material, Nuclear Fuel Material and Reactors (theReactor Regulation Law) and the Law Concerning Prevention from Radiation Hazards due toRadioisotopes, etc. (the Radiation Hazards Prevention Law), the Medical Care Law, thePharmaceutical Affairs Law and the Clinical Laboratory Technicians and Health Laboratory
Technicians Law (the latter three are referred to hereafter as the Medical Care Law, etc.) are intended
to ensure safety in the utilization of nuclear energy and radiation. The laws and their related
regulations have been amended, as appropriate, as the utilization of nuclear energy and radiation
expands and diversifies. The laws are consistent with one another in terms of the basics and details ofradiation protection.
1)

The Status of Spent Fuel Management
Within their respective areas of competence, NISA of METI and the STPB of MEXT regulate
and give guidance on activities aimed at ensuring the safety of spent fuel management at reactor
facilities and spent fuel reprocessing plants, based on the Reactor Regulation Law and/or theElectricity Utilities Industry Law.
Japan’s basic policy in this field is to reprocess spent fuel and make effective use of therecovered plutonium, uranium and other elements. Spent fuel generated in nuclear powerreactors is sent for reprocessing after a period of on-site storage. Up till now, the spent fuel, withthe exception of a portion reprocessed by the Tokai Reprocessing Facility of the Japan Nuclear
Cycle Development Institute (JNC), has been reprocessed in overseas facilities. In the meantime,
Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd. (JNFL) has started constructing the Rokkasho-mura Spent Fuel
Reprocessing Plant, which is to be completed by 2005. Storage of spent fuel in the plant’s
storage facility began in 1999.
Interim storage of spent fuel before reprocessing allows flexibility in the nuclear fuel cycle. The
Reactor Regulation Law was amended in 1999 to incorporate provisions on interim spent fuelstorage, and a company is preparing for commercial operation of interim storage facilities by
2010.

2)

The Status of Radioactive Waste Management

8

The safety of radioactive waste management is regulated either by the Reactor Regulation Law,
the Radiation Hazards Prevention Law or the Medical Care Law, etc.
Within their respective competence, METI, MEXT and the MHLW regulate activities relevantto the safety of radioactive waste management.
Based on the Reactor Regulation Law and /or Electricity Utilities Industry Law, NISA of METI
regulates, and gives guidance on, activities ensuring the safety of radioactive waste management
in disposal facilities, power reactors, enrichment facilities, fuel manufacturing facilities andreprocessing facilities. NISA establishes regulations for each stage of licensing, design,operation and decommissioning, including emergency preparedness, giving due consideration to
the importance of safety for each nuclear sector.
Based on the Reactor Regulation Law, the STPB of MEXT regulates, and gives guidance on,
activities ensuring the safety of radioactive waste management in research reactor facilities andfacilities using fuel material for research and development purposes. STPB also establishes
regulations giving due consideration to the features and scale of each facility, as well as
regulating activities aimed at ensuring the safety of facilities using radioisotopes, based on the
Radiation Hazards Prevention Law.
The PFSB and the HPB of the MHLW regulate, and give guidance on, activities ensuring thesafe management of radioisotope wastes produced in medical applications, based on the Medical
Care Law, etc.
The basic policy of Japan in this field is that the present generations, who enjoy the benefits ofnuclear energy, are obliged to do their utmost to ensure the safe disposal of radioactive waste
generated in the research, development and utilization of nuclear energy, and shall invest
continued efforts in proceeding disposal.
When implementing the policy, the waste producers have the primary responsibility for safe
processing and disposal of the waste, and they prepare and promote plans for radioactive waste
processing and disposal in consultation with other relevant organizations. Meanwhile, thegovernment is responsible for regulating, and giving guidance to, the producers, with the aim of
ensuring that waste processing and disposal are carried out appropriately and safely. In Japan,
radioactive waste is classified into two categories, namely high-level waste (HLW) generated
from spent fuel reprocessing and other low-level waste (LLW). The LLW is sub-classified
according to origin (differences in radionuclide composition) and level of radioactivity.
3)

The Status of Radioactive Waste Disposal
Concerning the disposal of radioactive waste, the AEC decides on the basic policy for disposal.
Based on the policy, the NSC decides on the fundamental concept for safety regulations, upperbound of radioactivity concentration in disposal and the safety assessment of radioactive waste
disposal facilities. METI and MEXT establish relevant regulations.
LLW generated in reactors, reprocessing facilities, etc., is processed and temporarily stored atthese facilities and then sent to disposal facility. Disposal of some LLWs from power reactors iscurrently being carried out, while disposal of waste with comparatively high radioactivity isawaiting the establishment of relevant safety criteria.
Disposal of very low-level concrete waste from dismantling of the Japan Power Demonstration
Reactor (JPDR) is already completed and the disposal facility was closed in 1997.
The Specified Radioactive Waste Final Disposal Act, enacted in the year 2000, established an

9implementing organization for disposal of the HLW, the funds reserved for disposal, theprocedure for selecting a disposal site, etc., thus facilitating disposal of HLW generated fromspent fuel reprocessing.
A. 3

International Activities

As Japan’s basic policy for utilizing nuclear energy is to do it solely for peaceful purposes, thegovernment of Japan actively contributed to the establishment of the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) and has participated in its various committees, appropriately taking into account theresults of deliberations at our national policy making and planning on utilization of nuclear energy.
Recognizing that international cooperation is essential in ensuring safety of spent fuel and radioactive
waste management, Japan has taken part in activities of the IAEA and the Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development/Nuclear Energy Agency (OECD/NEA) for information exchange anddiscussions on safety-related matters.
A. 4

Scope of Facilities Defined by the Legal Framework of Japan

Under the legal framework of Japan, the facilities mentioned in this report belong to various nuclear
businesses, each of which has to be licensed by the Reactor Regulation Law or the Radiation Hazards
Prevention Law. The overall concept for regulations is common among all businesses. In this report,
discussions related to the common concept are described, and supplemented as necessary withadditional observations referring to any particular businesses, thus avoiding unnecessary duplication.
In addition, the description about the Medical Care Law, etc. subsequent to Section F is omitted, since
the regulation in the Medical Care Law, etc. applies to the Radiation Hazards Prevention Law
correspondingly as later mentioned with Section E.
The word "processing " in this report is used meaning "any operation that changes the characteristics ofa waste, including pretreatment, treatment and conditioning".

10

B. Policies and Practices

11Blank Page

12

Section B. Policies and Practices (Article 32, Section 1)
1. In accordance with the provisions of Article 30, each Contracting Party shall submit anational report to each review meeting of Contracting Parties. This report shall address
the measures taken to implement each of the obligations of the Convention. For eachContracting Party the report shall also address its:(i) spent fuel management policy;(ii) spent fuel management practices;(iii) radioactive waste management policy;(iv) radioactive waste management practices;(v) criteria used to define and categorize radioactive waste.

As introduced in the previous Section, the AEC has formulated a series of Long-Term Programs. Basedon the policy stated therein, the ANRE of METI and MEXT are responsible for establishing
implementation plans for utilizing nuclear energy for power generation and related fuel cycle activities,
and for scientific and technological applications, respectively. Moreover, the NSC plans, deliberates anddecides on policies aimed at ensuring the safe utilization of nuclear energy. As the regulatory bodies
responsible for ensuring safety within their particular areas of competence, NISA of METI, the STPB of
MEXT and the PFSB and the HPB of the MHLW regulate and give guidance on relevant activities.
Operators of nuclear business conduct their activities under these policies and the regulations mentioned
above.
Following are the national policies on spent fuel management and radioactive waste management asstated in the Long-Term Program, etc., as well as the implementation plans established by the Japanese
government and the practices conducted by business operators.
B. 1

Spent Fuel Management Policy

The Long-Term Program states that nuclear power generation should contribute to Japan’s energy
supply system as an economical, stable and environmentally acceptable source of energy, and that
nuclear fuel cycle technologies have the potential to further improve these aspects, allowing people toenjoy the benefits of nuclear power generation over a long period of time. Recognizing these features,and considering the geography and energy resources of the country, Japan has made it a basic policy toreprocess spent fuel and to make effective use of the recovered plutonium and uranium and otherelements, while pursuing the principles of safety and nuclear non-proliferation.
Ensuring self-subsistence, Japan intends to reprocess all spent fuel domestically, as a national policy.
The Long-Term Program also states that interim storage of spent fuel ensures sufficient time before
reprocessing, thus allowing flexibility in the nuclear fuel cycle.
There are concerns about safety and nuclear proliferation related to the use of plutonium recovered from
reprocessing of spent fuel. To address these concerns, Japan is making every effort to ensure safety andto make Japan’s policy understood in the international community.
B. 2

Spent Fuel Management Practices

Spent fuel generated in power reactors are sent to reprocessing facilities after a period of on-site coolingand storage. The spent fuel has been reprocessed overseas in accordance with contracts with British andFrench companies, with the exception of a portion reprocessed by the Tokai Reprocessing Plant of the13

JNC. In the meantime, taking into account the call for domestic reprocessing, JNFL began constructing
the Rokkasho-mura Spent Fuel Reprocessing Plant, based on operational experience accumulated at theTokai Reprocessing Facility and on technologies and experience from countries advanced in
reprocessing. The plant is to be completed by 2005. Storage of spent fuel in the plant’s storage facility
began in 1999 and export of spent fuel to foreign reprocessing plants ended in July 2001.
The Reactor Regulation Law was amended in 1999 to incorporate provisions on interim spent fuelstorage, and a company is currently preparing for commercial operation of interim fuel storage facilities
by 2010.
The spent fuel from research reactor facility has been exported to the USA, or is to be reprocessed inJapan.
B. 3

Radioactive Waste Management Policy

The AEC, in its Long-Term Program and other documents, states that the waste producers has theprimary responsibility for safe processing and disposal of the waste and that the government has the
responsibility for taking necessary measures to ensure that this processing and disposal are carried out
appropriately and safely by the producers, through giving adequate guidance and setting necessary
regulations. Further, the AEC states that the government should play an appropriate role in
implementing the disposal program for radioactive waste, particularly HLW, with a view to ensuringlong-term safety, in addition to its activities related to promotion of research and development activities
and safety regulation. (*1)
The AEC states that the present generations, which enjoy the benefits of nuclear energy, are obliged to
do their utmost to ensure the safe disposal of radioactive waste generated in the research, development
and utilization of nuclear energy, and should invest continued efforts in achieving this goal. The AEC
decided on November 2, 1993 to eliminate the option of sea dumping of radioactive waste, based on theConvention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter (1972) and
its amendment to Annex I in 1993.
The AEC states that nuclear facilities should be decommissioned safely at the responsibility of license
holder with the local community’s understanding and support, and that generation of radioactive waste
should be minimized. The AEC encourages research and development efforts aimed at recycling and/or
reusing waste. The AEC acknowledges that waste below “clearance levels” need not be dealt with asradioactive material and may be handled as conventional waste, and encourages recycling to the fullest
extent practical and reasonable.
*1:The policy on processing and disposal of radioactive waste, Decision by the AEC, Oct.22, 1985
B. 4

Radioactive Waste Management Practices

B. 4. 1Government Activities related to Radioactive Waste Management

METI and MEXT have established and continued to improve the legal framework consisting of theReactor Regulation Law and the Radiation Hazards Prevention Law, for safe and proper processing,storage and disposal of radioactive waste, based on studies and decisions made by the AEC and the NSC.
Among these regulations, the criteria for gaseous and liquid radioactive waste disposal have been
established in accordance with relevant international recommendations.

14Solid radioactive waste is classified into two categories, namely HLW (liquid waste generated fromspent fuel reprocessing in vitrified package) and other LLW. The LLW is sub-classified according toorigin (differing radionuclide composition) and level of radioactivity, as shown in Table B. 4-1.
Table B. 4-2 shows the status of activities aimed at preparing the relevant regulations for disposal.
Following is a summary of the basic concepts for disposal shown in Table B. 4-2.
There are two basic concepts for land disposal, i.e. “geological disposal” and “near- and sub-surface
disposal”. Near- and sub-surface disposal consists of near-surface disposal, including concrete vault andtrench disposal, and sub-surface disposal at a depth sufficient to safety margin for conventional
sub-surface use of land. HLW is disposed of solely by geological disposal, and LLW can be disposed ofeither by geological disposal or near- and sub-surface disposal, taking into consideration thecharacteristics of waste. Vitrified HLW is emplaced in a stable geological formation at a depth of morethan 300 meters, following 30 to 50 years of interim storage to allow cooling. As for the LLW frompower reactors, wastes with comparatively higher radioactivity are disposed of in sub-surface facilities,
while other wastes are disposed of in concrete vaults or trenches, depending on their radioactivity levels.
Radioactive wastes containing transuranic nuclides from reprocessing, uranium waste from enrichment
and/or fuel manufacturing, and radioactive waste from medical, industrial and research facilities aredisposed of either by geological disposal or near- and sub-surface disposal, depending on types ofradionuclides and levels of radioactivity.
In the future, discussions will continue on measures that can be taken to provide different disposal
methods in a single disposal facility, or disposing of wastes of different origin in a single disposal
facility.
The AEC decides on the basic policy for disposal. Based on the policy, the NSC decides on the basic
concept for the safety regulations for land disposal (*2), upper bounds of radioactivity concentration for
disposal of radioactive materials and methods for assessing the safety of disposal facilities, METI and
MEXT establish relevant regulations. To date, the regulations for disposal of LLW from power reactors,
including the upper bounds in license applications for waste disposal, have already been established.
The radioactive waste returned from overseas reprocessing is disposed of together with waste fromdomestic reprocessing.
The Specified Radioactive Waste Final Disposal Act, enacted in the year 2000, stipulates theestablishment of an implementing organization for disposal of HLW, the funds reserved for disposal, andprocedure for selecting a disposal site, etc. Final Disposal Plan is developed every five years based on
the Act.
Partitioning and transmutation is a technology used to separate radioactive materials with long half-lives
in HLW from the rest of the waste and convert them into short half-lives or stable materials. This
technology, even though it is still in early stage of development, should be further pursued because it
may contribute to reducing cost the burden of waste processing and disposal and to effective use ofavailable resources.
*2: Basic Concept for Safety Regulation for Land Disposal of Low-Level Solid Radioactive Waste(Committee on Safety Regulation of Radioactive Waste, NSC, October 11, 1985)
B. 4. 2

Radioactive Waste Management Practices by Operators

Operators, recognizing their responsibility concerning radioactive waste management addressed in B.3,

15

shall manage radioactive waste generated at their facilities in compliance with the Reactor Regulation
Law, the Radiation Hazards Prevention Law and relevant regulations.
(1)

High-Level Radioactive Waste Management Practices

Spent fuel has been reprocessed by the Tokai Reprocessing Plant of the JNC and by overseas
reprocessing plants in France and the United Kingdom. In the meantime, JNFL is constructing avitrification facility for HLW, attached to its reprocessing facility. This is to be completed by 2005.
High-level liquid waste generated at the Tokai Reprocessing Plant of the JNC is stored in a tankwithin the facility. The vitrification facility started operation in January 1995 and had produced 130
canisters by March 2003.
Utilities in Japan have concluded reprocessing contracts with British and French companies for a totalof 5,600 t U of light water reactor spent fuel and 1,500 t U of gas cooled reactor spent fuel. In
accordance with these contracts, vitrified waste packages are returned to the utilities and are stored by
JNFL. By March 2003, 616 vitrified packages had been returned and a total of 2,200 packages will be
stored, with remaining packages to be returned in the next ten-odd years.
Vitrified waste will be disposed of by geological disposal. Based on the Specified Radioactive Waste
Final Disposal Act, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization of Japan, the responsible
implementing body, will select preliminary investigation areas, then detailed investigation areas and,
finally, a site for disposal facility construction, and will implement disposal of HLW in this disposal
facility.
(2)

Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Practices

As shown in B. 4. 1, LLW is classified into waste from power reactors, waste containing transuranic
nuclides, uranium waste and radioactive waste from medical, industrial and research facilities. The
waste management strategy for each of these categories is as follows.
1)

Waste from Power Reactors
As of March 2003, fifty-four nuclear power reactors were in operation. Liquid waste concentrate
is solidified with cement in drums after evaporation. Paper, clothing and other combustibles areplaced in drums after incineration. Plastics, metals and other non-combustibles are placed indrums after compaction. Used steam generators and other large-volume solid wastes are placedin storage facilities. Of the comparatively highly radioactive waste, replaced control rods andchannel boxes, etc. are stored in spent fuel pools and spent ion exchange resins are stored intanks. Near-surface disposal of LLW solidified with cement in drums started in 1992 at thedisposal facility of JNFL at Rokkasho Village in Aomori Prefecture.
A reactor at the Tokai Power Station of the Japan Atomic Power Co. ceased operation in 1998
and has been in decommissioning since December 2001. The advanced thermal reactor “Fugen”
of JNC ceased commercial operation in March 2003 and decommissioning will start after about
ten years of preparation.

2)

Waste Containing Transuranic Nuclides
Liquid transuranic waste generated at the Tokai Reprocessing Plant of JNC is stored in tanks
temporarily, and a portion of the liquid waste are solidified in drums after concentration byevaporation. Segmented fuel cladding, used filters and sampling bottles are put in containers andother solid waste is put into drums. These drums and the containers are being held in storage at16

on-site storage facilities.
3)

Uranium Waste
Liquid waste containing uranium generated from enrichment and/or fuel manufacturing
facilities of JNC and/or other private facilities are stored in tanks. Solid uranium waste and theash resulting from the incineration of part of the solid uranium waste are put in drums. They areheld in storage at on-site storage facilities.

4)

Radioactive Waste from Medical, Industrial and Research Facilities
Radioactive waste generated from medical and industrial uses is collected by the operators ofradioisotope waste management facilities, who store it in their own storage facilities after
processing such as, compaction or incineration. Radioactive waste generated in research reactor
facilities and fuel material use facilities of the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI),
the JNC and universities are stored in their own storage facilities after processing such ascompaction or incineration.

B. 5

Criteria for Definition and Classification of Radioactive Waste

As shown in B. 4, radioactive waste is classified into two categories, namely HLW and LLW. Depending
on its origin, the LLW is sub-classified into waste from power reactors, waste containing transuranic
nuclides, uranium waste and radioactive waste from medical, industrial and research facilities.
Based on a report published by the NSC, a provision was formulated under the Reactor Regulation Law
on the upper bounds of radionuclides concentration in license applications for disposal of waste fromreactor facilities.
The NSC is discussing clearance levels for radioactive waste, founded on the basic concept set out by
the AEC, and has published clearance levels (radionuclide concentrations) for waste from light water
reactors, gas-cooled reactors, heavy water reactors, fast reactors and fuel material use facilities, as well
as clearance level certification methods.

17

Table B. 4-1 Classification of Radioactive Waste

Classification

ExampleOrigin of Waste

High-Level Radioactive Waste

Vitrified
Liquid Waste

Reprocessing facilities

Waste
from
Power
Reactors

LowLevelRadioactive
Waste

Waste with
Comparatively
High Radioactivity

Control Rods
Core Internals

Low-Level Waste

Liquid Waste
Filters
Used Equipment
Expendables

Very Low-Level
Waste

Concrete
MetalsWaste Containing Transuranic Parts of Fuel Rod
Liquid Waste
NuclidesFilters

Uranium Waste

Expendables
SludgeUsed Equipment

Radioactive Waste from
Medical, Industrial and Research Solidified Package
MetalsFacilities
Concrete
Plastics
Filters
Miscellaneous Solids
Waste below Clearance Levels

Waste from
Decommissioning

18

Power Reactors

Reprocessing Facilities
MOX Fuel
Fabrication Facilities
Enrichment and
Fuel Manufacturing
Facilities
Fuel Material Use
Facilities
Radioisotope Use
Facilities
Research reactor
Facilities
All Nuclear Facilities

Table B.4-2 Classification of basic concepts for disposal and status of activities preparing for relevant regulations
Atomic Energy
Commission

High-Level Radioactive Waste
Low-Level
Radioactive
Waste
Waste
from
Power
Reactors

Waste with
Comparatively HighRadioactivity(core internals, etc.)

19

Basic concepts for
disposal

Basic concept forsafety regulation

Restriction for
disposal facility

Method of safetyassessment

Situation regarding
establishment ofregulatory law andprovisions

EstablishedMay 1998

StudiedNov 2000

To be studied

To be studied

To be establishedEstablishedOct 1998

EstablishedSep 2000

EstablishedSep 2000

To be studied

Almost establishedDec 2000

EstablishedFeb 1987,
June 1992

StudiedMar 1988,
Jan 1993

Almost establishedMar 1987,
Feb 1993

Established
June 1992,
Sep 2000

StudiedJan 1993

Almost establishedSep 1992
Dec 2000

Nuclear Safety Commission

Low-Level Waste
EstablishedAug 1984

EstablishedOct 1985

Very Low-Level
Waste
Waste Containing Transuranic
NuclidesEstablishedApr 2000

Under study

To be studied

To be studied

To be established

Uranium Waste

EstablishedDec 2000

Under study

To be studied

To be studied

To be establishedRadioactive Waste from
Medical, Industrial andResearch Facilities *2

Established
June 1998

Under study

To be studied

To be studied

To be establishedEstablishedAug 1984

EstablishedMar 1999, Jul 2001, Apr 2003 *1

Clearance Levels

To be established*1 : Clearance levels for Main Nuclear Facilities, Clearance levels for Heavy Water Reactors and Fast Neutron Reactors, Clearance levels for Fuel Material
Use Facilities (Facilities where Irradiated Fuel and Materials are handled).
*2 : Status of study by the Atomic Energy Commission and Nuclear Safety Commission and the situation regarding establishment of laws and provisions
for radioactive waste generated from reactor facilities are the same as the status and situation for waste from power reactors.

19Blank Page

20

C. Scope of Application

21

Blank Page

22

Section C. Scope of Application (Article 3)
1. This Convention shall apply to the safety of spent fuel management when the spent fuelresults from the operation of civilian nuclear reactors. Spent fuel held at reprocessing
facilities as part of a reprocessing activity is not covered in the scope of this Convention
unless the Contracting Party declares reprocessing to be part of spent fuelmanagement.
2. This Convention shall also apply to the safety of radioactive waste management when
the radioactive waste results from civilian applications. However, this Convention shallnot apply to waste that contains only naturally occurring radioactive materials andthat does not originate from the nuclear fuel cycle, unless it constitutes a disused sealed
source or it is declared as radioactive waste for the purposes of this Convention by theContracting Party.
3. This Convention shall not apply to the safety of management of spent fuel orradioactive waste within military or defence programmes, unless declared as spent fuelor radioactive waste for the purposes of this Convention by the Contracting Party.
However, this Convention shall apply to the safety of management of spent fuel andradioactive waste from military or defence programmes if and when such materials aretransferred permanently to and managed within exclusively civilian programmes.
4. This Convention shall also apply to discharges as provided for in Articles 4, 7, 11, 14, 24
and 26.

The government of Japan applies this Convention to the safety of spent fuel management when the spent
fuel results from the operation of civilian nuclear reactors. The government of Japan, jointly with UK
and France, declared that it should report, within the context of the Convention, on reprocessing as partof spent fuel management (September 5, 1997), and, when acceding to the convention, declared
reprocessing to be part of spent fuel management.
The government of Japan applies this Convention to the safety of radioactive waste management when
the radioactive waste results from civilian applications. However, the government of Japan does not
apply this Convention to waste that contains only naturally occurring radioactive materials and that does
not originate from the nuclear fuel cycle.
Japan does not have, or does not plan to have, any spent fuel within military or defence programmes.
The government of Japan does not make declaration specified in the Article 3. 3.

23

Blank Page24

D. Lists and Inventories

25

Blank Page

26

Section D. Lists and Inventories (Article 32, Section 2)
This report shall also include:(i)a list of the spent fuel management facilities subject to this Convention, their location,
main purpose and essential features;(ii) an inventory of spent fuel that is subject to this Convention and that is being held instorage and of that which has been disposed of. This inventory shall contain adescription of the material and, if available, give information on its mass and its total
activity;(iii) a list of the radioactive waste management facilities subject to this Convention, theirlocation, main purpose and essential features;(iv) an inventory of radioactive waste that is subject to this Convention that:(a) is being held in storage at radioactive waste management and nuclear fuel cycle
facilities;(b) has been disposed of; or(c) has resulted from past practices. This inventory shall contain a description of thematerial and other appropriate information available, such as volume or mass,
activity and specific radionuclides;(v) a list of nuclear facilities in the process of being decommissioned and the status ofdecommissioning activities at those facilities.

D.1

List of Spent Fuel Management Facilities

Spent fuel from power reactor facilities is being held in storage at spent fuel management facilities
within power reactor facilities or at the spent fuel management facilities within the Tokai Reprocessing
Facility of JNC and Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant of JNFL. Spent fuel from research reactor facilities isbeing held in storage at spent fuel management facilities of the research reactor facilities. The locations,main purposes and essential features of these spent fuel management facilities are listed in Tables D.1-1
and D.1-2.
D.2

Inventory of Spent Fuel

Spent fuel stored in above-mentioned spent fuel management facilities totals approximately 11,000 ton
as of the end of March, 2003.
D.3

List of Radioactive Waste Management Facilities

Radioactive waste management facilities within power reactor facilities include the followings: waste
processing facilities where waste generated at the reactor facility is processed; solid waste storage
facilities where drums (homogeneous solidification, fill-up solidification, miscellaneous solid andothers), etc. filled with processed waste are being held in storage; storage facilities where the replaced
steam generators and other large solid wastes are being held in storage; spent fuel pools etc. where theused control rods, the disused channel boxes, etc. are being held in storage; and tanks where the spent
ion exchange resin is being held in storage.

27

Radioactive waste management facilities within enrichment and fuel manufacturing facilities include
the followings; waste processing equipments that processes waste generated at the facilities; and solid
waste storage facilities where drums filled with processed waste are held in storage.
Radioactive waste management facilities within spent fuel reprocessing facilities include thefollowings; waste processing equipments that processes waste generated at the facility; waste storage
facilities where vitrified waste and high level liquid waste are being held in storage; and waste storage
facilities where low level liquid waste and low level solid waste are being held in storage.
Radioactive waste management facilities licensed under the disposal business include the followings;
radioactive waste repositories where radioactive waste is disposed of; and waste management facilities
where radioactive waste is processed and being held in storage before disposal.
Radioactive waste management facilities within research reactor facilities and major fuel material use
facilities include the followings; waste processing equipments that processes low level radioactive
waste generated at those facilities; and solid waste storage facilities where drums filled with processed
waste are being held in storage.
Radioisotope waste management facilities licensed on the basis of the Radiation Hazards Prevention
Law include storage facilities, where drums, etc. filled with processed waste generated at radioisotopes
use facilities, etc, are being held in storage.
Radioactive waste management facilities licensed on the basis of the Medical Care Laws etc. include thestorage facilities, etc., where drums, etc. filled with processed radioactive medical waste generated at
medical care facilities, etc, being are being held in storage.
The locations, main purposes and essential features of these radioactive waste management facilities arelisted in Tables D.3-1 and D.3-2.
D.4

Inventory of Radioactive Waste

D.4.1

Inventory of Radioactive Waste Being Held in Storage

Radioactive waste from power reactor facilities, including approximately 550,000 drums (converted tonumber of 200 litter drums) in solid waste storage facilities, 29 steam generators in steam generator
storage facilities, used control rods, disused channel boxes, spent resin in spent fuel pools and otherfacilities respectively, are stored at end of March 2003.
HLWs of approximately 700 vitrified packages and approximately 400m3 high level liquid waste arestored in fuel reprocessing facilities. LLWs of approximately 440,000 drums (converted to number of
200 litter drums) and approximately 4,000m3 low level liquid waste are stored in fuel reprocessing
facilities, fuel fabrication facilities, laboratories, research reactor facilities of universities, and storage
facilities of Japan Radioisotopes Association at end of March 2003.
D.4.2

Inventory of Radioactive Waste That Has Been Disposed of

A portion of LLW from power reactor facilities, which has comparatively low concentration ofradionuclides has been transported to a radioactive waste disposal facility of a disposal business
operator and disposed of at near surface disposal facility since 1992.
The amount of the waste emplaced at the disposal facility is listed in Table D.4-1. Presently, the28disposal facility of JNFL is in operation and has disposed of about 150,000 drums (each carrying 200
liters) of waste, as of the end of March 2003. At the disposal facility of Tokai Research Establishment of
JAERI, disposal of about 1,670 tons of very low level waste resulting from dismantling of JPDR was
finished in 1995, and the disposal facility has been at the preservation stage since October 1997.
D.4.3

Inventory of Radioactive Waste that Has Resulted from Past Practices

None.
D.5

List of Nuclear Facilities in the Process of Being Decommissioned

Nuclear facilities in the process of being decommissioned include Tokai Power Plant of Japan Atomic
Power Co., and JRR-2 of JAERI. Nuclear facilities scheduled to be decommissioned include theadvanced thermal reactor Fugen Nuclear Power Plant of JNC. The status of decommissioning activities,
etc. is listed in Tables D.5-1 and D.5-2.

29

Table D.1-1 List of Spent Fuel Management Facilities (Related to Power Generation) (No. 1)
Nuclear facilities where spent fuelEssential
Location
Main purpose
management facilities are locatedfeatures
Japan Atomic Power Co.
Ibaraki-pref.
Storage of spent Wet storage
Tokai-2 Power Station
fuel(partly stored indry casks)
Japan Atomic Power Co.
Fukui-pref.
Storage of spent Wet storage
Tsuruga Power Station
fuelHokkaido Electric Power Co., Inc.
Hokkaido-pref.
Storage of spent Wet storage
Tomari Power Station
fuelTohoku Electric Power Co., Inc.
Miyagi-pref.
Storage of spent Wet storage
Onagawa Nuclear Power Station
fuel
The Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc.
Fukushima-pref.
Storage of spent Wet storage
Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station
fuel(partly stored indry casks)
The Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc.
Fukushima-pref.
Storage of spent Wet storage
Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Station
fuel
The Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc.
Niigata-pref.
Storage of spent Wet storage
Kashiwazaki Kariwa Nuclear Power
fuel
Station
The Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc.
Shizuoka-pref.
Storage of spent Wet storage
Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station
fuel
Hokuriku Electric Power Co., Inc.
Ishikawa-pref.
Storage of spent Wet storage
Shika Nuclear Power Station
fuel
The Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc.
Fukui-pref.
Storage of spent Wet storage
Mihama Power Station
fuel
The Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc.
Fukui-pref.
Storage of spent Wet storage
Takahama Power Station
fuel
The Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc.
Fukui-pref.
Storage of spent Wet storage
Ohi Power Station
fuel
The Chugoku Electric Power Co., Inc.
Shimane-pref.
Storage of spent Wet storage
Shimane Nuclear Power Station
fuel
Shikoku Electric Power Co., Inc.
Ehime-pref.
Storage of spent Wet storage
Ikata Power Station
fuelKyushu Electric Power Co., Inc.
Saga-pref.
Storage of spent Wet storage
Genkai Nuclear Power Station
fuelKyushu Electric Power Co., Inc.
Kagoshima-pref. Storage of spent Wet storage
Sendai Nuclear Power Station
fuelJapan Nuclear Cycle Development
Fukui-pref.
Storage of spent Wet storage
Institute
fuelFugen Nuclear Power Station
Japan Nuclear Cycle Development
Ibaraki-pref.
Storage of spent Wet storage
Institute
fuelTokai Reprocessing Plant
Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited
Aomori-pref.
Storage of spent Wet storage
Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant
fuelJapan Nuclear Cycle Development
Fukui-pref.
Storage of spent Wet storage*1
Institute Monju
fuel(As of the end of March 2003)*1: Pre-service inspection stage

30

Table D.1-2 List of Spent Fuel Management Facilities (Research Reactors) (No. 2)
Nuclear facilities where spent fuelEssential
Location
Main purpose
management facilities are locatedfeatures
Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute
Ibaraki-pref.
Storage of spent Dry storage
Tokai Research Establishment
fuelJapan Atomic Energy Research Institute
Ibaraki-pref.
Storage of spent Wet storage
Oarai Research Establishment
fuelJapan Atomic Energy Research Institute
Aomori-pref.
Storage of spent Dry storage
Mutsu Establishment
fuelJapan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute
Oarai Engineering Center
Rikkyo University
Institute for Atomic Energy
Musashi Institute of Technology
Atomic Energy Research Laboratory
Kyoto University
Research Reactor InstituteToshiba Corporation
Research Reactor Center
Hitachi Engineering Co., Ltd.
Ozenji Branch Section

Ibaraki-pref.
Kanagawa-pref.
Kanagawa-pref.
Osaka-pref.
Kanagawa-pref.
Kanagawa-pref.

Storage of spent Wet storage
fuel
Storage of spent Dry storage
fuel
Storage of spent Dry storage
fuel
Storage of spent Wet storage
fuel
Storage of spent Wet storage
fuel
Storage of spent Wet storage
fuel(As of the end of March 2003)<Reference>
List of Nuclear facilities where spent fuel management facilities are not located (Research Reactors)
Nuclear facilities
Location
Kinki University
Osaka-pref.
Atomic Energy Research Institute
The University of Tokyo Nuclear Engineering R
Ibaraki-pref.
Laboratory, Graduate School of Engineering
Toshiba Corporation
Kanagawa-pref.
Nuclear Engineering Lab.
Hitachi, Ltd.
Kanagawa-pref.
Power & Industrial Systems R&D Laboratory
Ozenji Branch Section(As of the end of March 2003)* Because of small thermal output, there is no assumption to generate spent fuel in the research reactors
on this list during the service period

31

Table D.3-1 List of Radioactive Waste Management Facilities (Power Reactors)
Nuclear facilities whereradioactive waste management
facilities are locatedJapan Atomic Power Co.
Tokai Power Station

Location

Main Purpose

Ibarakipref.

Processing andstorage of waste fromthe power plant
Japan Atomic Power Co.
IbarakiProcessing andTokai-2 Power Station
pref.
storage of waste fromthe power plant
Japan Atomic Power Co.
FukuiProcessing and
Tsuruga Power Station
pref.
storage of waste fromthe power plant
Hokkaido Electric Power Co., Inc.
HokkaidoProcessing andTomari Power Station
pref.
storage of waste fromthe power plant
Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc.
MiyagiProcessing andOnagawa Nuclear Power Station
pref.
storage of waste fromthe power plant
The Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc. Fukushima- Processing andFukushima Daiichi Nuclear Powerpref.
storage of waste from
Stationthe power plant
The Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc. Fukushima- Processing andpref.
storage of waste from
Fukushima Daini Nuclear Powerthe power plant
StationThe Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc. NiigataProcessing andKashiwazaki Kariwa Nuclear Power pref.
storage of waste from
Stationthe power plant
The Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc. ShizuokaProcessing andHamaoka Nuclear Power Station
pref.
storage of waste fromthe power plant
Hokuriku Electric Power Co., Inc.
IshikawaProcessing andShika Nuclear Power Station
pref.
storage of waste fromthe power plant
The Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. FukuiProcessing and
Mihama Power Station
pref.
storage of waste fromthe power plant
The Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. FukuiProcessing and
Takahama Power Station
pref.
storage of waste fromthe power plant
The Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. FukuiProcessing and
Ohi Power Station
pref.
storage of waste fromthe power plant
The Chugoku Electric Power Co.,
ShimaneProcessing and
Inc.
pref.
storage of waste from
Shimane Nuclear Power Station
the power plant
Shikoku Electric Power Co., Inc.
EhimeProcessing and
Ikata Power Station
pref.
storage of waste fromthe power plant
Kyushu Electric Power Co., Inc.
SagaProcessing and
Genkai Nuclear Power Station
pref.
storage of waste fromthe power plant
Kyushu Electric Power Co., Inc.
Kagoshima- Processing and
Sendai Nuclear Power Station
pref.
storage of waste fromthe power plant
Japan Nuclear Cycle Development
FukuiProcessing andInstitute, the advanced thermal
pref.
storage of waste from
Reactor Fugen Nuclear Power Plant
the power plant
FukuiProcessing andJapan Nuclear Cycle Development
pref.
storage of waste from
Institutethe power plant
Monju

Essential Features
Stored at a storage facility after
volume reduction bycompaction, incineration, etc.
Stored at a storage facility after
volume reduction bycompaction, incineration, etc.
Stored at a storage facility after
volume reduction bycompaction, incineration, etc.
Stored at a storage facility after
volume reduction bycompaction, incineration, etc.
Stored at a storage facility after
volume reduction bycompaction, incineration, etc.
Stored at a storage facility after
volume reduction bycompaction, incineration, etc.
Stored at a storage facility after
volume reduction bycompaction, incineration, etc.
Stored at a storage facility after
volume reduction bycompaction, incineration, etc.
Stored at a storage facility after
volume reduction bycompaction, incineration, etc.
Stored at a storage facility after
volume reduction bycompaction, incineration, etc.
Stored at a storage facility after
volume reduction bycompaction, incineration, etc.
Stored at a storage facility after
volume reduction bycompaction, incineration, etc.
Stored at a storage facility after
volume reduction bycompaction, incineration, etc.
Stored at a storage facility after
volume reduction bycompaction, incineration, etc.
Stored at a storage facility after
volume reduction bycompaction, incineration, etc.
Stored at a storage facility after
volume reduction bycompaction, incineration, etc.
Stored at a storage facility after
volume reduction bycompaction, incineration, etc.
Stored at a storage facility after
volume reduction bycompaction, incineration, etc.
Stored at a storage facility after
volume reduction bycompaction, etc.

(As of the end of March 2003)

32

Table D.3-2 List of Radioactive Waste Management Facilities (Other Than Power Reactors)
Nuclear facilities where radioactive waste
management facilities are locatedGlobal Nuclear Fuel Enrichment
Japan Co., Ltd.
and/or fuelmanufacturing
facility
Mitsubishi Nuclear Fuel
Enrichment
Co., Ltd.
and/or fuelmanufacturing
facility
Nuclear Fuel Industries,
Enrichment
Ltd.
and/or fuelTokai Works
manufacturing
facility
Fuel material
use facility
Nuclear Fuel Industries,
Ltd.
Kumatori Works
Japan Nuclear Cycle
Development Institute
Ningyo-Toge
Environmental
Engineering Center

Japan Nuclear Cycle
Development InstituteTokai Works

Location

Main Purpose

Essential features

Kanagaw
apref.

Processing and storage Stored at a storage facility,of uranium waste
etc. after volume reduction
by compaction, etc.

Ibarakipref.

Processing and storage Stored at a storage facility,of uranium waste
etc. after volume reduction
by compaction,
incineration, etc.
Processing and storage Stored at a storage facility,of uranium waste
etc. after volume reduction
by incineration, etc.

Ibarakipref.

Enrichment
and/or fuelmanufacturing
facility
Enrichment
and/or fuelmanufacturing
facility
Fuel material
use facility

Osakapref.

Processing and storageof waste from fuelmaterial use facility
Processing and storageof uranium waste

Okayamapref.

Processing and storage Stored at a storage facility,of uranium waste
etc. after volume reduction
by incineration, etc.

Reprocessing
facility

Ibarakipref.

Processing and storageof waste from fuelmaterial use facility
Processing and storage
of HLW and waste
containing transuranic
nuclidesFuel material
use facility

Japan Nuclear Cycle
Development Institute0arai Engineering Center

Research
Ibarakireactor facility; pref.
Fuel material
use facility

Japan Nuclear Fuel
LimitedReprocessing Businessdivision

Reprocessing
facility

Aomoripref.

Wastemanagement
facility

33

Stored at a storage facility,
etc. after volume reduction
by incineration, etc.
Stored at a storage facility,
etc. after volume reduction
by compaction, etc.

Stored at a storage facility,
etc. after volume reduction
by incineration, etc.
HLW stored after
vitrification, waste
containing transuranic
nuclides stored after
volume reduction by
incineration, etc.
Processing and storage Stored at a storage facility,of waste from fueletc. after volume reduction
material use facility
by compaction,
incineration, etc.
Processing and storage Stored at a storage facility,of waste from fueletc. after volume reduction
material use facility
by compaction, etc.
and research reactor
facility
Processing and storage Presently, waste from aof HLW and waste
reception and storage
containing transuranic facility for spent fuel isnuclidesstored at a storage facility(main facility is currently
under construction).
Storage of vitrified
A storage facility for
waste
returned vitrified waste

Nuclear facilities where radioactive waste
management facilities are locatedJapan Nuclear Fuel
Waste disposal
Limitedfacility
Enrichment and Disposal Enrichment
Officeand/or fuelmanufacturing
facility
Japan Atomic Energy
Waste disposal
Research Institutefacility
Tokai Research
Research
Establishment
reactor facility;
Fuel material
use facility;
Radioisotope
WasteManagement
facility*1
Japan Atomic Energy
Waste
Research Institutemanagement
Oarai Researchfacility; FuelEstablishment
material use
facility;
Radioisotope
WasteManagement
facility*1
Research
reactor facility

Location

Main Purpose

Essential features

Aomoripref.

Disposal of low level Unit 1 Disposal facility andradioactive waste
Unit 2 Disposal facility
Processing and storage Stored at a storage facilityof uranium waste

IbarakiPref.

Disposal of low level
radioactive waste
Processing and storageof radioactive wastefrom medical,
industrial and researchfacilities

IbarakiPref.

Japan Atomic Energy
Research InstituteMutsu Establishment
The University of Tokyo
Nuclear Engineering
Research Laboratory,
Graduate School ofEngineering
Kyoto University
Research Reactor InstituteResearch
reactor facility

Research
reactor facility
Fuel material
use facility

Osakapref.

Rikkyo University
Institute for Atomic
EnergyMusashi Institute of
University
Atomic Energy ResearchInstitute
Kinki University
Atomic Energy ResearchInstituteToshiba Corporation
Research Reactor Center

Research
reactor facility

Kanagaw
a-pref.

Research
reactor facility

Kanagaw
a-pref.

Research
reactor facility

Osakapref.

Research
reactor facility

Kanagaw
a-pref.

AomoriPref.

Research
Ibarakireactor facility; Pref.
Fuel material
use facility

34

Stored at a storage facility,
etc. after volume reduction
by compaction,
incineration, etc.

Processing and storageof radioactive wastefrom medical,
industrial and researchfacilities

Stored at a storage facility,
etc. after volume reduction
by compaction,
incineration, etc.

Storage of waste fromresearch reactor
facility
Processing and storageof waste from research
reactor facility
Momentary storage of
waste from research
reactor facility andfuel material use
facility
Processing and storageof waste from research
reactor facility andfuel material use
facility
Processing and storageof waste from research
reactor facility
Storage of waste fromresearch reactor
facility

Storage of ion exchange
resin

Storage of waste fromresearch reactor
facility
Storage of waste fromresearch reactor
facility

Stored at a storage facility,
etc. after volume reduction
by compaction, etc.
Processed in Japan Atomic
Energy Research InstituteTokai Research
Establishment
Stored at a storage facility,
etc. after volume reduction
by compaction, etc.

Stored at a storage facility,
etc. after volume reduction
by compaction, etc.
Stored at a storage facility,
etc.

Stored at a storage facility,
etc.
Stored at a storage facility,etc.

Nuclear facilities where radioactive waste
management facilities are locatedToshiba Corporation
Fuel material
Nuclear Engineering Lab. use facility;
Research
reactor facility
Hitachi, Ltd.
Research
Power & Industrial
reactor facility
Systems R&D Laboratory
Ozenji Branch Section
Hitachi Engineering Co., ResearchLtd.
reactor facility
Ozenji Branch Section
National Institute ofFuel material
Radiological Sciences
use facility
Radiotoxicology Building
Operations Section
National Institute ofFuel material
Advanced Industrial
use facility
Science and Technology
Tsukuba Central 2

Location

Main Purpose

Essential features

Kanagaw
a-pref.

Storage of waste fromresearch reactor
facility and fuelmaterial use facility
Storage of waste fromresearch reactor
facility

Stored at a storage facility,
etc.

Storage of waste fromresearch reactor
facility
Storage of waste fromfuel material use
facility

Stored at a storage facility,
etc.

Ibarakipref.

Storage of waste fromfuel material use
facility

Stored at a storage facility,
etc.

Processing and storage Stored at a storage facility,of waste from fueletc. after volume reduction
material use facility
by compaction,
incineration, etc.
Storage of waste from Stored at a storage facility,
fuel material use
etc.
facility
Processing and storage Stored at a storage facility,of waste from fueletc. after volume reduction
material use facility
by compaction, etc.
Processing and storage Stored at a storage facility,of waste from fueletc. after volume reduction
material use facility
by compaction, etc.

Kanagaw
a-pref.

Kanagaw
a-pref.
Chibapref.

Nuclear Material Control
CenterRokkasho Safeguards
Analytical Laboratory
Nuclear Material Control
CenterTokai Safeguards Center
Nippon Nuclear Fuel
Development Co., Ltd.
NFD Hot Laboratory
Nuclear Development
Corporation
Fuel Hot Laboratory

Fuel material
use facility

Aomoripref.

Fuel material
use facility

Ibarakipref.

Fuel material
use facility

Ibarakipref.

Fuel material
use facility

Ibarakipref.

Japan Radioisotope
Association
The Kaya Memorial
Takizawa Laboratory
Japan Radioisotope
Association
Tohoku Storage Facility

Radioisotope
WasteManagement
facility*2
Radioisotope
WasteManagement
facility*2
Radioisotope
WasteManagement
facility*2
Radioisotope
WasteManagement
facility*2
Radioisotope
WasteManagement
facility*2

Iwatepref.

Japan Radioisotope
Association
Kanto Storage Facility
Japan Radioisotope
Association
Ichihara Office
Japan Radioisotope
Association
Kanto Waste Relay
Station II

Stored at a storage facility,
etc.

Stored at a storage facility,
etc.

Processing and storageof waste fromradioisotope use
facility, etc.
Storage of waste fromradioisotope use
facility, etc.

Stored at a storage facility,
etc. after volume reduction
by compaction,
incineration, etc.
Stored at a storage facility,
etc.

Ibarakipref.

Storage of waste fromradioisotope use
facility, etc.

Stored at a storage facility,
etc.

Chibapref.

Storage of waste fromradioisotope use
facility, etc.

Stored at a storage facility,
etc.

Chibapref.

Processing and storage Stored at a storage facility,of waste frometc. after volume reduction
radioisotope use
by compaction, etc.
facility, etc.

Miyagipref.

35

Nuclear facilities where radioactive waste
management facilities are locatedJapan Radioisotope
Radioisotope
Association
Waste
Kanto Waste Relay
Management
Stationfacility*2
Japan Radioisotope
Radioisotope
Association
Waste
Kansai Waste Relay
Management
Stationfacility*2
The University of Tokyo Radioisotope
Radioisotope Center
Waste
Management
facility*1
T.N. Technos Co.
Radioisotope
Tsukuba Research Center Waste
Management
facility*1

Location

Main Purpose

Essential features

Chibapref.

Storage of waste fromradioisotope use
facility, etc.

Stored at a storage facility,etc.

Kyotopref.

Storage of waste fromradioisotope use
facility, etc.

Stored at a storage facility,etc.

TokyoMetro.

Processing and storageof waste fromradioisotope use
facility, etc.
Processing and storageof waste fromradioisotope use
facility, etc.

Stored at a storage facility,
etc. after volume reduction
by incineration, etc.

Ibarakipref.

Stored at a storage facility,
etc. after volume reduction
by incineration, etc.

(As of the end of March 2003)*1 : Radioisotope Waste Management facility licensed on the basis of the Radiation Hazards Prevention Law*2 : Radioisotope Waste Management facility licensed on the basis of the Radiation Hazards Prevention Law and
the Medical Care Laws etc.

36

Table D.4-1 The Amount of Waste Disposed ofRepresentative
nuclides
Co-60, Ni-63, Cs-137,
Sr- 90, C-14
Co-60, Ni-63, Cs-137,
Sr- 90, C-14

Name of facility

Disposed amountJapan Nuclear FuelNo. 1 disposal facility
134,683 drums*3
Limited, Enrichment/waste
disposal division,
No. 2 disposal facility
15,832 drums*3
Radioactive waste disposal
facility*1
Japan Atomic Energy
Waste disposal facility Co-60, Ni-63, Cs-137, 1,670 tons
Research Institute, Tokai
Sr- 90, Ca-41, C-14,
Research Establishment *2
Eu-152, H-3*1: As of the end of March 2003
*2: Disposal of very low level concrete waste resulting from the dismantling of JPDR. Disposal
completed in 1995, and operation has been shifted to the preservation stage of the disposal facility
since October 1997.
*3: 200-liter drums

37

Table D.5-1

List of Nuclear Facilities in the Process of Being Decommissioned and Planned to Be
Decommissioned. Status of Decommissioning Activities at These Facilities(With Respect to Power Reactors)
Electrical
ReactorCommercial
Name of facility Location
Status of decommissioning
outputtype
operation(MW)
Ibaraki
GCR
166
Jul 1966
Decommissioning started in 2001
Japan Atomic-pref.
Power Co.,Mar 1998
Tokai Power
Plant
Fukui
ATR
165
1979
Commercial operation
Japan Nuclear-pref.
discontinued in March 2003.
Cycle
Mar 2003 It will start decommissioning
Development
procedure after ten years ofInstitute,
preparation.
the advanced
thermal reactor
Fugen Nuclear
Power Plant(As of the end of March 2003)

38

Table D.5-2

List of Nuclear Facilities in the Process of Being Decommissioned and Planned to Be
Decommissioned. Status of Decommissioning Activities at These Facilities(With Respect to Research Reactors)

Name of facility

Location

Reactor type

Thermaloutput(kW)
50ServiceperiodStatus ofdecommissioning

Aug
1957
Mar
1969

Decommissioning has
been completed.
The reactor body, fuelmaterial handlingequipment, primarycooling equipment and, a
sub-pile room arecurrently being
maintained as remaining
facilities.
The following activities
for decommissioning
have been completed.
Shipment of spent fueland heavy water,
isolation of reactor
cooling system andreactor body, removal of
secondary cooling systemand experimental
equipment.
Dismantling and removalof the reactor body andleveling of reactor(including resin painting)have been completed.

Japan Atomic
Energy ResearchInstitute
Tokai Research
Establishment
JRR-1

Ibarakipref.

Water-boiler
reactorJapan Atomic
Energy ResearchInstitute
Tokai Research
Establishment
JRR-2

Ibarakipref.

Heavy-watermoderatedcooling tankreactor

10,000

Oct
1960
Dec
1996

Japan Atomic
Energy ResearchInstitute
Tokai Research
Establishment
VHTRC
Japan Atomic
Energy ResearchInstitute
Mutsu
Establishment
The Reactor
Facilities Of The
First Nuclear Ship
(Mutsu)Japan Nuclear
Cycle
Development
Institute.
Oarai Engineering
CenterDeuterium Critical
Assembly(DCA)

Ibarakipref.

Graphite-moder
ated reactor

0.01

May
1985
Jun
1999

Aomoripref.

Pressurized
light-watermoderated andcooled reactor,
PWR

36,000

Aug
1974
Feb
1992

Dismantling has been
completed.
Accessory land facilities
are currently being
maintained for the
purpose of storing solid
waste and processing
liquid waste .

Ibarakipref.

Heavy-watermoderated
reactor

Dec
1969
Sep
2001

Deactivation has been
completed.

139

Thermal
outputServiceperiodStatus ofdecommissioning

Dec
1961
Feb
1975

Dismantling has been
completed.
Currently being
proceeding are themaintenance of the poolstoring spent fuel and thestorage and maintenanceof radioactive waste.
Permanent suspension ofoperational functions andremoval of reactor
cooling system facilities.

Name of facility

Location

Reactor type

HitachiEngineering
Co., Ltd.
Ozenji Branch
Section
HTR

Kanagawa-pref.

Light-watermoderated andcooled reactor

Toshiba
Corporation
Research Reactor
CenterToshiba Training
Reactor-1(TTR-1)

Kanagawa-pref.

Light-watermoderated
inhomogeneous
reactor

100

Mar
1962
Jan
2001

Kanagawa
Hitachi, Ltd.
Power & Industrial -pref.
Systems R&D
Laboratory Ozenji
Branch Section
OCF

Light-watermoderated andcooledinhomogeneous
reactor

0.1

Oct
1962
Sep
1968

Dismantling has been
completed.
Radioactive waste iscurrently being stored
and maintained.

Rikkyo University
Institute for
Atomic Energy

Zirconium
hydridemoderated
light-watercooled reactor

100

Dec
1961
Dec
2001

Dismantling started in
2002.

Kanagawa-pref.

(As of the end of March 2003)

40

(kW)
100

E. Legislative and Regulatory System

41Blank Page

42

Section E.
E.1

Legislative and Regulatory System

Implementing Measures (Article 18)
Each Contracting Party shall take, within the framework of its national law, thelegislative, regulatory and administrative measures and other steps necessary for implementing
its obligations under this Convention.

This report describes the legislative, regulatory and administrative measures and other steps, taken by
the Government of Japan, necessary for implementing its obligation under this Convention.

43

E.2

Legislative and Regulatory Framework (Article 19)

Each Contracting Party shall establish and maintain a legislative and regulatory
framework to govern the safety of spent fuel and radioactive waste management.
This legislative and regulatory framework shall provide for:(i)the establishment of applicable national safety requirements and regulations forradiation safety;(ii) a system of licensing for spent fuel and radioactive waste management activities;(iii) a system of prohibition for the operation of a spent fuel or radioactive waste
management facility without a license;(iv) a system of appropriate institutional control, regulatory inspection anddocumentation and reporting;(v)

the enforcement of applicable regulations and of the terms of the licenses;(vi) a clear allocation of responsibilities of the bodies involved in the different stepsof spent fuel and radioactive waste management.
When considering whether to regulate radioactive materials as radioactive waste,
Contracting Parties shall take due account of the objectives of this Convention.
E.2.1

Basic Legislation Governing the Utilization of Nuclear Energy

The basic law on the utilization of nuclear energy in Japan is the Atomic Energy Basic Law that wasestablished in 1955. The objectives of the law are quoted as "to secure future energy resources, achieve
progress in science and technology, and promote industry, by encouraging research, development, andthe utilization of nuclear energy, and thereby contribute to the improvement of the welfare of humansociety and the national living standard." The basic policy here is prescribed as follows: "The research,development and utilization of nuclear energy shall be limited to peaceful purposes, on a basis of
ensuring priority to safety, and performed on a self-controlled basis under democratic administration,and the results thereof shall be made public and actively contribute to international cooperation."
In order to attain these objectives and achieve the basic policy, the law prescribes the following:- Establishment of the AEC and the NSC, and their duties, organization, administration, andauthorities- Regulations governing nuclear fuel materials- Regulations governing the construction, etc. of reactor facility.
- Prevention of radiation hazards
The law also prescribes the assignment of these matters to the respective laws.
E.2.2

Legislative and Regulatory Framework Governing the Safety of Nuclear Utilization

Major laws established for the purpose of providing safety regulations on the utilization of nuclear
energy and related laws include "the Law for the Regulation of Nuclear Source Material, Nuclear Fuel
Material and Reactors (the Reactor Regulation Law)", "the Electricity Utilities Industry Law," "the Law
Concerning Prevention from Radiation Hazards due to Radioisotopes, etc. (the Radiation Hazards
Prevention Law)" and "Medical Care Law, etc." Also included are "the Basic Law for Emergency
Preparedness," "the Special Law of Emergency Preparedness for Nuclear Disaster," "the Law forTechnical Standards of Radiation Hazards Prevention" and "the Specified Radioactive Waste Final

44

Disposal Act," etc. Overviews of these laws are provided in the following paragraphs.
Apart from the laws mentioned above, "the Law for Establishment of the AEC and the NSC," "theMinistry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) Establishment Law," "the Ministry of Education,
Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) Establishment Law," "the Ministry of Health, Labourand Welfare (MHLW) Establishment Law," "the Japan Nuclear Energy Safety Organization
Establishment Law," etc. establish the administrative organizations responsible for the safety regulationof nuclear facilities.
The major laws related to the safety regulation of nuclear facilities are shown in Tables E.2-1 (a) and (b).
(1)

The Law for the Regulation of Nuclear Source Material, Nuclear Fuel Material and Reactors(the Reactor Regulation Law) and the Electricity Utilities Industry Law

In accordance with the spirit of "the Atomic Energy Basic Law", the Reactor Regulation Law, toensure that the uses of nuclear source material, nuclear fuel material, and reactors are limited topeaceful purposes, and carried out in a planned manner, and to ensure public safety by preventing
hazards due to them and providing physical protection of nuclear fuel material, provides for:- Fabrication business for nuclear fuel- Establishment and operation of reactor facilities- Storage business for spent fuel- Reprocessing business for spent fuel- Disposal business for radioactive wastes- Use of nuclear fuel material, etc., and- Regulations regarding off site waste management.
The safety of the management of spent fuel generated in a reactor facility and stored on site, spent fuelstored off site or spent fuel brought into and stored in a reprocessing facility, is regulated by theprovisions on the establishment and operation of reactor facilities, by the provisions on the storage
business or by the provisions on the reprocessing business, respectively.
As radioactive wastes generated at enrichment and/or fuel manufacturing facilities, reactor facilities,
spent fuel storage facilities, reprocessing facilities, fuel material use facilities, etc. are stored orprocessed in associated facilities of the respective facility, the safety of their management is regulatedby the provisions on respective businesses. Meanwhile, the provisions on disposal business regulate
the safety of waste disposal and related waste management.
The Reactor Regulation Law stipulates:- Regulations on basic design or design policy at the time of facility establishment(Licensing)- Regulations on detailed design at the time of facility construction (Approval of Design
and Construction Methods)- Inspections at the time of facility construction (Welding Inspection, Pre-Service
Inspection)- Regulations at the time of facility operation (Approval of the Safety Preservation Rules,
the Nuclear Safety Inspection)- Inspections of facility during operation (Periodical Inspection of Facility)- Measures taken for safety preservation of facility

45

-Record management
Report collection
Regulations on facility transfer, and succession or merger of nuclear business operator
Dismantling of facility
Safety Verification on Waste Disposal.

The content of major regulations is as follows:
At the time of issuing the License for Establishment of a nuclear facility, the regulatory body conducts
an examination to determine adequacy of the site and adequacy of the basic design of structure andequipment from the point of emergency preparedness. In addition, the regulatory body confirms thatthe nuclear facility will not be used for non-peaceful purposes, that the license will cause nohindrance to planned development and utilization of atomic energy, and that the applicant planning toestablish the nuclear facility has sufficient technical capability to ensure safety and sufficientfinancial basis to execute the plan.
At the time of Approval of the Design and Construction Methods of nuclear facilities, the regulatory
body evaluates detailed design to determine whether the structures, system and components to beconstructed are in accordance with the above basic design, as well as in compliance with national
technical standards.
Moreover, the regulatory body conducts the Pre-Service Inspection and the Welding Inspection ofpipes, components, etc. to confirm whether the construction of facilities and the manufacturing of thecomponents are in accordance with the detailed design mentioned above. The regulatory body also
conducts, during operation, the Periodical Inspection of Facilities to continually confirm the integrityof the facilities and equipment. The nuclear business operators are required to report and keep
operation records.
In the disposal business, the regulatory body confirms whether the radioactive waste disposal facility,
the waste packages and the safety preservation measures are in accordance with the technicalstandards.
At the operation of a nuclear facility, in addition to regulations focusing on the integrity of structural
aspects described above, an assessment is also conducted concerning managerial aspects of thenuclear business operator such as the organization, reporting system, operating procedure, equipment
maintenance, surveillance, radiation control for personnel, radioactive waste management,
radioactive gaseous and liquid waste discharge, radiation monitoring and safety education for
personnel. These aspects are comprehensively documented in the Safety Preservation Rules, whichshall be examined by the regulatory body for approval. Furthermore, the Nuclear Safety Inspection
system was established, and the Nuclear Safety Inspectors who confirms compliance with the Safety
Preservation Rules are stationed at each nuclear facility. The Safety Preservation Rules were
strengthened to clarify the rules on safety education for personnel. Moreover, the allegation system
was established, encouraging personnel to allege violation of safety regulation at nuclear facility
without incurring unfavorable treatment.
Some provisions of the Electricity Utilities Industry Law apply to a commercial power reactor facility,
which is also an electric structure, while the corresponding provisions of the Reactor Regulation Law
are exempted from application.
As shown in Figures E.2-1 (a) and (b), rules and standards are established for each business under theReactor Regulation Law. When conducting safety examination of a nuclear facility, Examination
Guides and various reports (Table E.2-1) established by the NSC are used. Moreover, appropriate

46

industry association level guidelines, etc. (Table E.2-2) are used as necessary.
(2)

The Law Concerning Prevention from Radiation Hazards due to Radioisotopes, etc. (TheRadiation Hazards Prevention Law)

The objectives of the Radiation Hazards Prevention Law are to regulate the handling of radioisotopes,
radiation generating devices, and material contaminated with radioisotopes, etc., thereby preventing aradiation hazards and ensuring public safety.
As shown in Figure E.2-1 (a) mentioned above, the Ordinance and Rules for the Enforcement of the
Law Concerning Prevention from Radiation Hazards due to Radioisotopes, etc. are established under
the Radiation Hazards Prevention Law.
A holder of license for sales business, lease business or waste management business issued under the
Radiation Hazards Prevention Law, in the case where they either possess a storage facility of a certain
size or more or use a radiation generating device, is required to undergo the Pre-Service Inspection
and the Periodic Inspection.
Those who use the facility must compile a set of the Internal Rules for Prevention of Radiation
Hazards, designate the Supervisor of Radiation Protection, and report these results to the regulatory
body before handling commences. Furthermore, those who use the facility have an obligation to
conform to the standards for facilities to be used, which have been established by legislation. Other
obligations include: measuring the radiation doses within the premises or on the boundary of thebusiness establishment; measuring the exposure doses of the occupational personnel; providing
education and training; and conducting health examinations, etc (some nuclear business operators are
excluded).
Regarding management of radioisotopes or materials contaminated with such radioisotopes generated
from radioisotopes handling business, management must be carried out in conformity with thestandards established by laws and regulations within the premises of said place of business or thepremises of the place of radioisotope waste management business operator.
When the use of radioisotopes or radiation generating devices is to be abolished, a report describing
the measures adopted as part of the abolishing procedures must be submitted to the Minister of MEXT,
along with a notice of such abolition
If necessary, MEXT gives instruction for the Radiation Inspectors to conduct an on site inspection inorder to ascertain the state of compliance with the standards established by laws and regulations.
(3)

Medical Care Law, etc.

Waste business operators designated by the Minister of MHLW conduct radioisotope waste
management for medical use, on the basis of the Medical Care Law, the Clinical Laboratory
Technicians and Health Laboratory Technicians Law, and the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law.
Site, structure, and equipment of the waste management facilities have to comply with related
technical standards in order to be designated by the Minister of MHLW and Welfare.
Furthermore, Periodical Inspection, Radiation Hazard Prevention Rules, conformance order to thestandards of waste management facilities, education and training, notification of closure of waste
management business, etc, are provided by these laws the same as by the Radiation Hazards
Prevention Law.
(4)

The Basic Law for Emergency Preparedness and the Special Law of Emergency Preparedness47

for Nuclear Disaster
The Special Law of Emergency Preparedness for Nuclear Disaster was established to address special
characteristics of nuclear emergency, within the legal framework of the Basic Law for Emergency
Preparedness. This special law stipulates special measures for nuclear emergency, including
obligation of nuclear business operators to prevent occurrence of nuclear emergency, the Declarationof Nuclear Emergency and establishment of the Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters, andactivation of emergency measures. The Senior Specialist for Nuclear Emergency is stationed in thevicinity of each nuclear facility, to guide and advise the nuclear business operator in preparing its Plan
for Nuclear Emergency Preparedness, as well as to conduct its duty to prevent occurrence of nuclear
emergency and mitigate consequences should it occur.
Moreover, the nuclear emergency measures in the Basic Plan for Emergency Preparedness on thebasis of the Basic Law for Emergency Preparedness clarify measures necessary to prevent occurrence
and progression of nuclear emergency, where an abnormal level of radioactivity is released outside
the nuclear facility, and to recover from the emergency.
(5)

The Law for Technical Standards of Radiation Hazards Prevention

The objectives of the Law for Technical Standards of Radiation Hazards Prevention are to clarify thebasic policy for defining technical standards for radiation hazards prevention and to establish theRadiation Review Council within MEXT, so that coordination of technical standards for radiation
hazards prevention can be realized. "The Radiation Review Council Orders" are stipulated under the
Law for Technical Standards of Radiation Hazards Prevention.
(6)

Specified Radioactive Waste Final Disposal Act

Specified Radioactive Waste Final Disposal Act, enacted in May 2000, established an implementing
body for disposal, the funds reserved for disposal, the procedure for selecting disposal site, etc., sothat the disposal of designated radioactive waste, that is, vitrified waste package from spent fuelreprocessing plant, should be promoted steadily in a planned manner. The Minister of METI
determines the basic policy on and the basic plan for disposal. The Nuclear Waste Management
Organization of Japan, which is the implementing body, draws up an implementing plan for disposal
and carries out the plan. Power reactor operators deposit funds for disposal to the Nuclear Waste
Management Organization.
Safety regulation on disposal of specified radioactive waste will be established separately from this
act.
E.2.3

Regulatory Framework for the Safety of Spent Fuel Management

As described in Section E.2.2 (1), the safety of management of spent fuel on a reactor facility or a
reprocessing facility is regulated by the provisions of the Reactor Regulation Law concerning theestablishment and operation of reactor facility or a reprocessing business, respectively. Morespecifically, spent fuel management facilities are regulated as facilities attached to main facilities
operated in the respective business. Details of the safety regulations for spent fuel management arereported in Section G.
On the other hand, safety management of spent fuel stored outside a reactor site or a reprocessing plantsite is regulated in accordance with the provisions of the Reactor Regulation Law concerning spent fuelstorage business, and provisions on licensing, permission, approval and inspections of a spent fuelstorage facility are applied as an independent facility. At present, there is no independent storage facility48

in operation, under construction or in the process of license application.
E.2.4

Regulatory Framework for the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management

As described in Section E.2.2 (1), radioactive wastes generated at enrichment and/or fuel manufacturing
facilities, reactor facilities, spent fuel storage facilities, reprocessing facilities, fuel material use facilities,
etc. are stored or processed in associated facilities to the main, and the safety of their management isregulated by the provisions on respective businesses.
The provisions on disposal business regulate the safety of waste disposal and related waste management.
Specified Radioactive Waste Final Disposal Act, mentioned above, provides for the funds reserved for
HLW disposal and the procedure for selecting disposal site, leaving safety regulations for HLW disposal
to be established separately from the Act. Details of the safety regulations for the radioactive waste
management in the disposal business are reported in Section H.
The safety of the radioisotope waste management at facilities licensed under the Radiation Hazards
Prevention Law is regulated as described in Section E.2.2 (2).
The safety of the radioactive waste management at facilities licensed under the Medical Care Law, etc. isregulated as described in Section E.2.2 (3), and relevant provisions are similar to those in the Radiation
Hazards Prevention Law. Therefore, description of the safety of waste management under the Medical
Care Law is omitted in Sections F and thereafter.
E.2.5

The Enforcement of Applicable Regulations and the Terms of the Licenses

The Reactor Regulation Law and the Radiation Hazards Prevention Law prescribes imprisonment
and/or fines under circumstances such as establishing a nuclear facility without a License, violating a
Shut-Down Order, or failing to take relevant emergency measures. The competent minister, on the basisof the Reactor Regulation Law, the Radiation Hazards Prevention Law or the Medical Care Law, etc.,
may revoke the License or impose other administrative measures under circumstances such as operating
a nuclear facility without a License, violating an order legally issued by the regulatory body, failing to
implement measures necessary for safety preservation prescribed by the regulatory body, operating
nuclear facility without the Safety Preservation Rules or the Internal Rules for Prevention of Radiation
Hazards (the Safety Preservation Rules, etc.) approved by the regulatory body, or failing to comply with
the Safety Preservation Rules, etc.
The regulatory body may order changes in the Safety Preservation Rules, etc., whenever it is deemednecessary for preventing accident. License holders failing to abide by such orders could be punishedwith a fine.

E.2.6

Clear Allocation of Responsibilities in the Different Steps

The regulatory body issues a license to an operator of nuclear business for each of the steps in a series ofprocesses including generation, storage and reprocessing of spent fuel, as well as generation, processing,storage and disposal of radioactive waste. The allocation of responsibilities within the regulatory bodythat issues license for each of these steps is clearly defined as illustrated in a report of Article 20 (Section
E.3.3, Table E.3-1).

49

Ministry of Economy, Trade andIndustry Establishment Law

Japan Nuclear Energy Safety Organization Establishment
Law

Ministry of Education, Culture,
Sports, Science and Technology
Establishment Law

Atomic Energy Basic Law

Ministry of Health, Labour andWelfare Establishment Law
Law for Establishment of
the Atomic Energy
Commission and the
Nuclear Safety
Commission
Law for the Regulationsof Nuclear Source
Material, Nuclear Fuel
Material and Reactors

Ordinance for the
Enforcement of the Law for
the Regulations of Nuclear
Source Material, Nuclear
Fuel Material and Reactors

See Figure E.1-1(b)Ordinance for the
Enforcement of the Law
Concerning Prevention
from Radiation Hazards due
to Radioisotopes, etc.

Rules for the
Enforcement of the
Law Concerning
Prevention from
Radiation Hazards due
to Radioisotopes, etc.

Electricity Utilities Industry Law

Ordinance for the
Enforcement of theElectricity Utilities Industry
Law

Rules for the
Enforcement of theElectricity Utilities
Industry Law

Law for Technical Standards ofRadiation Hazards Prevention

Radiation Review Council
OrdersLaw Concerning
Prevention from
Radiation Hazards due toRadioisotopes, etc.

Medical Care Law /Clinical Laboratory Techniciansand Health Laboratory Technicians
Law /Pharmaceutical Affairs Law

Basic Law on Emergency
Preparedness/
Special Law of Emergency
Preparedness for Nuclear DisasterFigure E.2-1(a) Major Laws, etc. for the Safety Regulation of the Nuclear facility

50Fabrication
business
Establishment, operation, etc. of nuclear
reactors
Storagebusiness
Reprocessing
business

Rules for establishment, operation, etc.
of commercial power reactors

Major safety
examination guidelines,
etc. for light water
nuclear power reactor
facility(Table E.2-1)

Rules for establishment, operation, etc.
of reactors at a stage of research anddevelopment
Rules for the establishment, operation,etc. of research reactors

Disposal businessIndustry
association levelguidelines, etc.
(Table E.2-2)

Rules for reprocessing business forspent fuelRules for waste disposal business fornuclear fuel materials or those which
are contaminated therewith

Use of nuclear
fuel material, etc.

Industry
association levelguidelines, etc.
(Table E.2-2)

Major safety
examination guidelines,
etc. for research reactor,
fast breeder reactor, andadvanced thermal
reactor(Table E.2-1)

Rules for storage business for spent
fuel

Rules for waste management businessfor nuclear fuel materials or thosewhich are contaminated therewith

Waste management
outside of plant orplace of business

The Law for the Regulations of Nuclear Source Material, Nuclear Fuel Material and Reactors, and Ordinance for its Enforcement

Rules for fabrication business fornuclear fuelMajor safety
examination guidelines,
etc. for nuclear fuelcycle facility(Table E.2-1)

Major safety
examination guidelines,
etc. for nuclear fuelcycle facility(Table E.2-1)

Rules for use, etc. of nuclear fuelmaterials

Rules for waste management of nuclear
fuel materials, etc. outside of plant orplace of business

Figure E.2-1(b) Major Laws, etc. for the Safety Regulation of the Nuclear facility

51

Table E.2-1 Major Safety Examination Guidelines, etc.

For light water nuclear power reactor facility, etc.
SitingDesign-Examination guide for nuclear reactor siting evaluation and application criteria
Examination guide for safety design of light water nuclear power reactor
facilities- Examination guide for classification of importance of safety functions for lightwater nuclear power reactor facilities- Examination guide for seismic design of nuclear power reactor facilities- Examination guide for fire protection of light water nuclear power reactor
facilities- Examination guide for radiation measurement in accidents of light water
nuclear power reactor facilities- Terms or fundamentals to be considered in the safety examination of liquidradioactive waste processing facilities
Safety evaluation - Evaluation guide for safety assessment of light water nuclear power reactor
facilities- Meteorological guide for safety analysis of nuclear power reactor facilities
Numerical guide - Numerical guide for dose of general public in the vicinity of light water
for dose
nuclear power reactor facilities- Evaluation guide for dose of general public in the vicinity of light water
nuclear power reactor facilities- Guide for measurement of radioactive materials released from light water
nuclear power reactor facilities

For research reactor, fast breeder reactor, advanced thermal reactor, etc.
Research reactor

Fast breeder
reactorAdvanced
thermal reactor
Dismantling/dec
ommissioning-

Examination guide for safety design of water cooled research reactor facilities
Examination guide for safety evaluation of water cooled research reactor
facilities- Safety evaluation principles for fast breeder reactor- Reference dose for plutonium intake in relation to siting evaluation of reactors
with plutonium contained fuel- Principles for safety evaluation of advanced thermal reactor demonstration
reactor- Basic philosophy to assure safety for dismantling nuclear reactor facilities

For nuclear fuel cycle facility-

Basic guide for safety examination of nuclear fuel facilities
Safety evaluation guide for uranium fuel fabrication facilities
Examination guide for specific uranium fuel fabrication facilities
Regulatory guide for licensing of reprocessing plants
Reference dose for plutonium intake in relation to siting evaluation of nuclear
fuel facilities- Examination guide for uranium and plutonium mixed oxide fuel fabrication
facility- Examination guide for spent fuel interim storage facility utilizing dry metalcasks- Fundamental guidelines of licensing review of land disposal facility of
low-level radioactive waste- Basic philosophy to assess safety of waste management facilities
Source: The collection of safety commission's guidelines

http://nsc.jst.go.jp/anzen/sisin/contents/contents.html

52

Table E.2-2 Industry Association Level Guidelines, etc.
(Codes and Guides of the Japan Electric Association
NumberTitle

JEAG 4101-2000

Guide of Quality Assurance for Nuclear Power Plants

JEAG 4102-1996
JEAC 4205-2000
JEAG 4207-2000

Emergency Response Guidelines for Nuclear Power Plants
In-service Inspections of Light Water Cooled Nuclear Power Plant Components
Ultrasonic Examination for In-service Inspections of Light Water Cooled
Nuclear Power Plant Components
Guide for Maintenance and Inspection for Nuclear Power Plant Equipment
Technical guidelines for Aseismic Design of Nuclear Power Plants
Technical guidelines for Aseismic Design of Nuclear Power Plants : Allowable
Stress Classification
Technical guidelines for Aseismic Design of Nuclear Power Plants: Supplement
Guide for Design of Emergency Power Supply Systems for Nuclear Power
PlantsGuide for Design of Safety Protection System for Nuclear Power Plants
Definitions and Engineered Safety Features and Related Systems of Nuclear
Power Plants
Radiation Monitoring for Nuclear Power Plants
Guide for Fire Protection of Nuclear Power Plants
Lightning Protection Guidelines for Nuclear Power Plants
Application Criteria for Programmable Digital Computer System in the
Safety-Related System of Nuclear Power Plants
Personal Dose Monitoring for Nuclear Power Plants
Guide for Design Instrumentation and Control Equipment with Safety Functions
Guide for Safety Grade Classification of Electrical and Mechanical Equipmentwith Safety Functions
Technical Guidelines for Protection Design against Postulated Piping Failures in
Nuclear Power Plants
Guide for Operating Manual of Nuclear Power Plants
Guide for Education and Training for Nuclear Power Plants
Guide for Operational Safety Preservation of Light Water Cooled Reactors

JEAG 4209-1996
JEAG 4601-1987
JEAG 4601-1984
JEAG 4601-1991
JEAG 4603-1992
JEAG 4604-1993
JEAC 4605-1992
JEAG 4606-1996
JEAG 4607-1999
JEAG 4608-1998
JEAG 4609-1999
JEAG 4610-1996
JEAG 4611-1991
JEAG 4612-1998
JEAG 4613-1998
JEAG 4801-1995
JEAG 4802-2002
JEAG 4803-1999(Equipment Standards for Power Reactors by Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers)
Number
JSME S NB1-2001
JSME S NC1-2001
JSME S FA1-2001

Title
Welding Standards
Design and Construction Standards
Structure Standards for Metal Casks(Standards by Atomic Energy Society of Japan)
NumberTitle

AESJ-SC-F002: 2002

Standards for Safety Design and Inspection of Metal Casks for Spent
Fuel Interim Storage Facilities: 2002

53

E.3

Regulatory Body (Article 20)

Each Contracting Party shall establish or designate a regulatory body entrusted with
the implementation of the legislative and regulatory framework referred to in Article 19, andprovided with adequate authority, competence and financial and human resources to fulfill its
assigned responsibilities.
Each Contracting Party, in accordance with its legislative and regulatory framework,
shall take the appropriate steps to ensure the effective independence of the regulatory functions
from other functions where organizations are involved in both spent fuel or radioactive waste
management and in their regulation.
E.3.1

Mandate of the Regulatory Bodies

The mandate of the regulatory bodies is to ensure public safety through securing safety of nuclear
facilities, and their duties are to implement the legislative and regulatory framework described in thereport of Article 19. The regulatory bodies are responsible for conducting regulatory activitiesprescribed in the Reactor Regulation Law, the Radiation Hazards Prevention Law, etc. on the basis of theAtomic Energy Basic Law. Their organizations and assigned duties are clearly defined in theirrespective establishment laws, and their financial resources are covered by the national budget.
The Minister of METI serves as the competent minister for safety regulation over all activities
concerning utilization of nuclear energy, and NISA administers the regulatory activities as a specialorganization for METI. Moreover, the Minister of MEXT serves as the competent minister for thesafety regulation over the nuclear utilization associated with science and technology and the utilizationof radioisotopes (except medicines, etc.), etc., and the STPB administers the regulatory activities. The
Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare governs the safety regulation concerning medical facilities as thecompetent minister, and the PFSB and the HPB administer the regulatory activities.
These regulatory bodies have clearly defined duties on safety regulation, and their effective
independence is ensured both in legislation and in substance. Furthermore, in the regulatory procedureon the utilization of nuclear energy and research reactor facilities, the NSC, with five members who areappointed by the Prime Minister with the consent of the Diet, independently monitors and reviews theregulatory activities conducted by the regulatory body concerned.
E.3.2

The Structure of the Regulatory Body and Supporting Organizations(1)

Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA)The Minister of METI, as the competent minister stipulated in the Reactor Regulation Law and theElectric Utilities Industry Law, governs the safety regulation over all activities on the utilization of
nuclear energy including nuclear power generation, and NISA was established as a specialorganization of METI to administer the safety regulation.
NISA, under the Minister of METI, has the authority to issue a license for the establishment of a
nuclear facility, after conducting safety examination that the siting, structure and equipment has nohindrance to the prevention of disasters
It also has the authority to cancel the license under certain circumstances such as violation of
applicable laws and regulations by the license holder.

54

Within NISA, there are eleven divisions that administer safety regulations for nuclear facility
associated with utilization of nuclear energy. The assigned duties of each of these divisions areillustrated in Table E.3-1. The Nuclear Safety Inspectors are assigned to resident position at eachnuclear facility, with duties to conduct the Nuclear Safety Inspection four times a year to confirm
compliance with the Safety Preservation Rules by the operator, and to address abnormal events if theyoccur. The locations of offices of the Nuclear Safety Inspectors are illustrated in Figure E.3-1 andTable E.3-2.
Staff members who are in charge of nuclear safety regulation are required to have expertise in nuclear
technology. Knowledgeable and experienced persons are constantly recruited from outside, andspecialized and advanced education and training programs are implemented. Staff members areprovided with opportunities to attend international meetings or take long-term assignments ofworking in international organizations, etc
Moreover, NISA maintains and develops its ability, as well as contributes to improve international
nuclear safety regulation, through exchange of technical experts and information on safety regulationand safety technology, under bilateral cooperation arrangements with foreign regulatory bodies and in
the framework of multilateral cooperation (IAEA and OECD/NEA).
On the basis of METI Establishment Law, the Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy
is established, a subcommittee of which is the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Subcommittee that
proposes policies on nuclear safety and safety of electric power as the terms of reference. The
organization of the Subcommittee is illustrated in Table E.3-3. The experts in the Subcommittee areassigned based on their knowledge and experience in specialized fields including nuclear andthermal-hydraulic design, system design, seismic design, radiation control, radioactive waste disposal,
etc., and when necessary, NISA solicits the views of these experts about what ensuring safety should
be.
NISA entrusts the Institute of Nuclear Safety of Nuclear Power Engineering Corporation (NUPEC)
with siting evaluation and safety evaluation during accidents, which is an evaluation made by a party
other than the applicant. Japan Power Engineering and Inspection Corporation and four otherorganizations are the designated organizations for Welding Safety Management Inspections, and the
Nuclear Safety Technology Center is the designated organization for the Safety Verification of Waste
Disposal, etc.
A law for the establishment of an incorporated administrative agency, "Japan Nuclear Energy Safety
Organization" as a technical support organization of NISA was approved in December 2002 by theDiet. The objectives of this organization, which is scheduled to be established in October 2003, is toprovide a foundation for the nuclear safety preservation with regard to utilization of nuclear energy.
The scope of work to be performed by the organization includes the following: 1) inspections of
nuclear and reactor facilities; 2) analysis and evaluation of safety design for nuclear and reactor
facilities; 3) work related to the prevention of occurrence and progression of, and the recovery from,
nuclear hazards; 4) study, test, research and training concerning the nuclear safety preservation; and5) collection, sorting and supply of information.

(2)

Science and Technology Policy Bureau (STPB), Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Scienceand Technology (MEXT)

The safety regulation concerning the activities around the nuclear utilization from a scientific andtechnological aspect and the utilization of radioisotopes (excluding medicines, etc.) is governed by
the Minister of MEXT as the competent minister, and is administered by the Science and Technology
Policy Bureau (STPB).
With regard to the licensing of a new business under the Reactor Regulation Law and the radioisotope

55waste management business under the Radiation Hazards Prevention Law, the Minister of MEXT has
the authority to issue the respective licenses, after conducting an examination of the site, structure andequipment from the standpoint of disaster prevention. He or she also has the authority to revoke thelicenses under certain circumstances, such as the violation of applicable laws and regulations by thelicense holder.
STPB contains the Nuclear Safety Division, which has a further three offices. The assigned duties ofthe divisions and offices are listed in Table E.3-1. Moreover, an inspector for the safety managementof nuclear facility shall be assigned to resident position at each research reactor facilities and major
fuel material use facilities, whose duties are to conduct examinations and inspections stipulated in theReactor Regulation Law four times a year to confirm compliance with the Safety Preservation Rules
and surveillance of reactor operation management, and to respond to an emergency situation. The
locations of offices of Nuclear Safety Inspectors are illustrated in Figure E.3-1.
As to the education and training programs for the staff members in charge of nuclear safety
regulations as well as the cooperation with international regulatory organizations, similararrangements described in section (1) which NISA takes, are adopted, thereby contributing to theimprovement of international nuclear safety regulation as well as to the improvement of the nuclear
safety regulation by the regulatory bodies in Japan.
The STPB holds advisory committee on nuclear safety regulation, etc. with an objective to contributeto the transparent and efficient administration of nuclear safety by MEXT. Under this committee,
sub-committees are held, as listed in Table E.3-4, in order to consider the safety regulations forresearch reactor, etc, and for radiation under the jurisdiction of MEXT.
As to the activities of the STPB related to the safety regulation for the nuclear facility, Nuclear Safety
Technology Center is designated as an organization for welding inspections of the nuclear facility
under the Reactor Regulation Law, periodic inspections of the facilities for radioisotope waste
management business under the Radiation Hazards Prevention Law, etc.
(3)

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW)The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) administer the safety regulations forradioactive medicines and the regulations for the protection against clinical radiation.
The PFSB exercises jurisdiction over the safety regulations concerning the production of radioactive
medicines in conformity with the Regulations for Buildings and Facilities for Pharmacies, etc. and theRegulations for Manufacturing and Handling of Radio Pharmaceuticals based on the Pharmaceutical
Affairs Law, and the Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare of the MHLW conducts periodic
inspections of manufacturing plants that produce radioactive medicines. And, the PFSB also
designates those who can be entrusted by manufacturers of radioactive medicines with the disposal ofradioactive materials, while conducting safety regulations concerning the entrustment of the disposal.
As a part of the safeguards in a medical facility, the HPB manages preventive measures against theradiation hazard, standards for the structure and equipment, etc. in the case where the medical facility
is equipped with an X-ray device according to the Rules for the enforcement of the Medical Care Law,etc. This enforcement rule also provides standards for the storage, and disposal, etc. of clinicalradioisotopes, etc.

E.3.3

Nuclear Safety Commission (NSC)

The Nuclear Safety Commission (NSC), which was established within the Cabinet Office under the56

Atomic Energy Basic Law, consists of five members who are appointed by the Prime Minister with theconsent of the Diet. The chairperson is elected by mutual vote.
The NSC has duties of planning, deliberation and decisions on matters that are related to ensuring safetyof the utilization of nuclear energy, and establishes guidelines to be used at the safety examination.
If the NSC deems it necessary as part of its assigned duties, it may advise, and request reports andcooperation including the submission of materials, statement of views, and explanation from, the headsof relevant administrative organization by way of the Prime Minister.
Before the regulatory body issues an establishment license for nuclear facility (excluding fuel material
use facility and RI facility), the competent minister inquires about the opinions of the NSC on whether
the applicant has adequate technical capability, and whether the site, the structure and the equipment of
the nuclear facility are adequate for preventing nuclear accidents. The NSC responds to the inquiries byconducting independent investigation.
Furthermore, at construction and operational stage of the nuclear facility, the NSC receives quarterly
reports from the regulatory body on the changes of the Safety Preservation Rules, the compliance with
the Safety Preservation Rules by the operator, results of the Periodical Inspection of Facility, etc. And
the NSC independently monitors and reviews the situation and adequacy of the regulatory activities
The NSC has a secretariat in the Cabinet Office. The Secretariat of the NSC is composed of theSecretary-General, the General Affairs Division, the Regulatory Guides and Review Division, theRadiation Protection and Accident Management Division and the Subsequent Regulation Review
Division. Under the NSC, two Committees for Examination, eight Special Committees and others areorganized, as shown in Table E.3-5.
E.3.4

Other Administrative Bodies(1)

The Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)

The Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) consists of the chairperson and four other members
appointed by the Prime Minister with the consent of the Diet.
The AEC has duties of planning, deliberation and decisions concerning the research, development
and utilization of nuclear energy (excluding safety regulations).
If the AEC deems it necessary as part of its assigned duties, it may advise, and request reports andcooperation including the submission materials, statement of views, and explanation from, the headsof relevant administrative organizations by way of the Prime Minister. Furthermore, before theregulatory body issues an establishment license for a nuclear facility (excluding fuel material use
facility), the competent minister inquiries about the opinions of the AEC on whether the nuclear
facility will be used for peaceful purposes, whether the license is in line with the planneddevelopment or utilization of nuclear energy, and whether the applicant has an adequate financial
basis to construct and maintain the nuclear facility.
(2)

Radiation Review Council

The Radiation Review Council is established within MEXT under "the Law for Technical Standardsof Radiation Hazards Prevention" so that coordination of technical standards for radiation hazards
prevention is realized. When drawing up technical standards for radiation hazard prevention, thecouncil deliberates with the basic policy that the radiation doses received by occupational personnel
and the general public be less than that may cause any hazards. The council answers inquiries fromthe heads of relevant administrative organizations, and can present its opinion to the heads of such57

organizations.
The Radiation Review Council consists of a maximum of 20 members, and a basic committee
composed of experts from different fields is established under the council.
(3)

OthersAs the establishment of a nuclear facility involves requirements of laws such as the Fire Protection
Law, the Port Regulation Law, etc., the Fire Protection Agency, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure
and Transport, and other competent administrative bodies administer the related regulations.
The Basic Law for Emergency Preparedness, the Special Law of Emergency Preparedness for
Nuclear Disaster and related regulations apply to a nuclear emergency. Administrative bodies having
jurisdiction over these laws are described in Section F.5 (Article 25).

58

Table E.3-1 The Allocated Duties of Safety Regulation Related Divisions of Nuclear Facilities
1. Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry(Director-General, Deputy Director-General, Inspectors, Senior Safety Examiner, Divisions, Offices
Approx. 400 members)
Policy Planning and Coordination
Division
Nuclear Safety Regulatory Standard
Division
Nuclear Safety Special Investigation
Division
Nuclear Safety Administration
Division
Nuclear Power Licensing Division
Nuclear Power Inspection Division
Nuclear Fuel Cycle Regulation
Division
Nuclear Fuel Transport and Storage
Regulation Division
Radioactive Waste Regulation
Division
Nuclear Emergency Preparedness
Division
Electric Power Safety Division

General management of NISA
Planning and coordination of the matters relating to technical and institutional
affairs concerning securing the nuclear safety.
Regulations of power reactors at the stage of research and development.
Management of allegation and litigation concerning nuclear safety
Administration of Nuclear Safety Inspectors and Senior Specialists for Nuclear
Emergency
Regulations of commercial power reactors in establishment stage
Regulations of commercial power reactors in construction and operation stage
Regulations of milling , fuel fabrication and reprocessing business
Regulations of spent fuel storage business;
Regulations of off-site transportation of nuclear fuel materials
Regulations of radioactive waste disposal business, and dismantling of nuclear
facilities (including fuel cycle facilities)
Establishing measures to deal with a nuclear emergency;
Response to failures and incidents at nuclear facilities
Regulations for turbines, etc.;
Environmental impact assessment* In addition, Offices of Inspectors for Safety Management of Nuclear Installations are located throughout the country, where
the Nuclear Safety Inspectors are stationed. The inspectors belong to Nuclear Power Inspection Div., Nuclear Safety
Regulatory Standard Div., Nuclear Fuel Cycle Regulation Div., or Radioactive Waste Regulation Div.

2. Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology; Science and Technology Policy
Bureau(Director-General, Deputy Director-General, Nuclear Safety Division, Offices; 89 members in total)
Nuclear Safety Division

General management of Nuclear Safety Division

Nuclear Safety Division
Office for Nuclear Regulation

Regulations for research reactor facility and fuel material use facility

Nuclear Safety Division
Office for Radiation Regulation

Regulations for radioisotopes, etc.

Nuclear Safety Division
Office for Emergency Planning andEnvironmental Radioactivity

Nuclear emergency measures
Environmental radiation measures* In addition, Offices of Inspectors for Safety Management of Nuclear Installations are located throughout the country, where
Nuclear Safety Inspectors are stationed to perform safety inspections and belong to Office for Nuclear Regulation

3. Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
Pharmaceutical and Food Safety
Bureau, General Affairs Division
Pharmaceutical and Food Safety
Bureau, Safety Division
Pharmaceutical and Food Safety
Bureau, Compliance Division

Regulations concerning the entrustment of disposal of radioactive
medicines, etc.
Provision of preventive measures against the radiation hazard andregulations for the structure and equipment, etc. in the case where themedical facility is equipped with an X-ray device, etc.
Regulations for Manufacturing, etc. of Radioactive Medicines

59Table E.3-2 Nuclear Facilities covered by Offices of Nuclear Safety Inspectors and Offices of Nuclear
Safety Management
Offices of Inspectors for Safety Management
Nuclear Facilities
of Nuclear Installations- Tomari Office of the Inspectors for Safety- Tomari Power Station
Management of Nuclear Installations(Hokkaido Electric Power Co., Inc.)- Rokkasho Office of the Inspectors for Safety - Reprocessing Business Division,
Management of Nuclear Installations- Enrichment Business Division,- Radioactive Waste Disposal Business Division(Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited)- Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Office of the Inspectors - Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Stationfor Safety Management of Nuclear(Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc.)
Installations- Shika Office of the Inspectors for Safety- Shika Nuclear Power Station
Management of Nuclear Installations(Hokuriku Electric Power Co., Inc.)- Tsuruga Office of the Inspectors for Safety- Tsuruga Power Station
Management of Nuclear Installations(The Japan Atomic Power Co.)
- Monju Construction Office(Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute)-Fugen Nuclear Power Station(Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute)- Mihama Office of the Inspectors for Safety- Mihama Power Station
Management of Nuclear Installations(The Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc.)- Ohi Office of the Inspectors for Safety- Ohi Power Station
Management of Nuclear Installations(The Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc.)- Takahama Office of the Inspectors for Safety - Takahama Power Station
Management of Nuclear Installations(The Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc.)- Shimane Office of the Inspectors for Safety- Shimane Nuclear Power Station
Management of Nuclear Installations(The Chugoku Electric Power Co., Inc.)- Kamisaibara Office of the Inspectors for Safety - Ningyo-Toge Environmental Engineering Center
Management of Nuclear Installations(Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute)- Genkai Office of the Inspectors for Safety- Genkai Nuclear Power Station
Management of Nuclear Installations(Kyushu Electric Power Co., Inc.)- Ikata Office of the Inspectors for Safety- Ikata Power Station
Management of Nuclear Installations(Shikoku Electric Power Co., Inc.)- Sendai Office of the Inspectors for Safety- Sendai Nuclear Power Station
Management of Nuclear Installations(Kyushu Electric Power Co., Inc.)- Hamaoka Office of the Inspectors for Safety- Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station
Management of Nuclear Installations(Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc.)- Osaka Branch Office of the Inspectors for- Atomic Energy Research Institute
Safety Management of Nuclear Installations(Kinki University)- Kumatori Office of the Inspectors for Safety- Kumatori WorksManagement of Nuclear Installations(Nuclear Fuel Industries, Ltd.)- Osaka Office of the Inspectors for Safety- Research Reactor InstituteManagement of Nuclear Installations(Kyoto University)- Onagawa Office of the Inspectors for Safety- Onagawa Nuclear Power Station
Management of Nuclear Installations(Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc.)- Fukushima No.1 Office of the Inspectors for - Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station
Safety Management of Nuclear Installations(Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc.)- Fukushima No.2 Office of the Inspectors for - Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Station
Safety Management of Nuclear Installations(Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc.)

60

Offices of Inspectors for Safety Management
Nuclear Facilities
of Nuclear Installations- Tokai Oarai Office of the Inspectors for Safety - Tokai-1, 2 Power Station
Management of Nuclear Installations(The Japan Atomic Power Co.)
- Nuclear Fuel Industries, Ltd. Tokai Works(Mitsubishi Nuclear Fuel Co., Ltd.)- Tokai, Oarai Research Establishment(Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute)- Tokai Engineering Center(Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute)- Ibaraki Office of the Inspectors for Safety- Tokai WorksManagement of Nuclear Installations(Nuclear Fuel Industries, Ltd.)- (Mitsubishi Nuclear Fuel Co., Ltd.)- Tokai, Oarai Research Establishment(Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute)- Tokai, Oarai Engineering Center(Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute)- Tokai Safeguards Center(Nuclear Material Control Center)- Fuel Hot Laboratory(Nuclear Development Corporation)- NFD Hot Laboratory(Nippon Nuclear Fuel Development Co., Ltd.)- Nuclear Engineering Research Laboratory,
Graduate School of Engineering(The University of Tokyo)- Kanagawa Office of the Inspectors for Safety - Research Reactor Center,
Management of Nuclear Installations- Nuclear Engineering Laboratory(Toshiba Corporation)- Power & Industrial Systems R&D Laboratory
Ozenji Branch Section(Hitachi, Ltd.)- Hitachi Training Reactor(Hitachi Engineering Co., Ltd.)- Atomic energy Research Laboratory(Musashi Institute of University)- Yokosuka Office of the Inspectors for Safety(Global Nuclear Fuel - Japan Co., Ltd.)Management of Nuclear Installations- Kanagawa Minami Office of the Inspectors for - Institute for Atomic Energy (Rikkyo University)
Safety Management of Nuclear Installations

61

As for the plants, refer toTable E.3-2

Tomari Office of the Inspectors for Safety Managementof Nuclear Installations
Rokkasho Office of the Inspectors for Safety
Management of Nuclear Installations
Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Office of the Inspectors for Safety
Management of Nuclear Installations

Shika Office of the Inspectors for Safety Managementof Nuclear Installations
Onagawa Office of Inspectors for Safety Managementof Nuclear Installations

Tsuruga Office of the Inspectors for Safety
Management of Nuclear Installations

Fukushima No.1 Office of Inspectors for Safety
Management of Nuclear Installations
Fukushima No.2 Office of Inspectors for Safety
Management of Nuclear Installations

Ohi Office of the Inspectors for Safety Managementof Nuclear Installations

Tokai Oarai Office of Inspectors for Safety
Management of Nuclear Installations
Ibaraki Office of Inspectors for Safety Management of
Nuclear Installations

62

Mihama Office of the Inspectors for Safety Managementof Nuclear Installations

Takahama Office of the Inspectors for Safety
Management of Nuclear Installations

Kanagawakita Office of Inspectors for Safety
Management of Nuclear Installations
Yokosuka Office of Inspectors for Safety
Management of Nuclear Installations

Shimane Office of the Inspectors for Safety
Management of Nuclear Installations
Kamisaibara Office of the Inspectors for Safety
Management of Nuclear Installations
Genkai Office of the Inspectors for Safety
Management of Nuclear Installations

Hamaoka Office of the Inspectors for Safety
Management of Nuclear Installations

Ikata Office of the Inspectors for Safety Managementof Nuclear Installations

Osaka Branch Office of the Inspectors for Safety
Management of Nuclear Installations

Sendai Office of the Inspectors for Safety
Management of Nuclear Installations

Kumatori Office of the Inspectors for Safety
Management of Nuclear Installations
Osaka Office of the Inspectors for Safety
Management of Nuclear Installations

Figure E.3-1 The Locations of Offices of Inspectors for Safety Management of Nuclear Installations
62

Table E.3-3 The Organization of the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Subcommittee
Basic Safety Policy Subcommittee

General matters securing safety

Nuclear Reactor Safety Subcommittee

Technical matters on commercial power reactors at the stage of
research and development
Nuclear Fuel Cycle Safety
Fabrication and reprocessing of nuclear fuel, storage of spent
Subcommittee
fuel, transportation of nuclear fuel material, and the technicalstandards
Decommissioning Safety Subcommittee Decommissioning of nuclear facilities
Radioactive Waste Safety
Subcommittee

Securing safety of disposal and storage of radioactive waste

Soil and Earthquake Engineering
Technical matters on seismic design of nuclear facilities
Subcommittee
Nuclear facility Operation Management Technical matters in operation, incidents and accidents, andand Emergency Preparedness
emergencies of nuclear facilities
Subcommittee
INES Evaluation Subcommittee

Assessment of incidents and accidents against INES scale

Subcommittee for the Convention on
Nuclear Safety
Electric Power Safety Subcommittee
Subcommittee on Appropriateness of
the Inspection System

Matters related to the Convention on Nuclear Safety andinternational standards on nuclear safety
Securing safety of electrical power r
Appropriateness of the inspection systems concerning
nuclear power generation facilities and nuclear fuel cycle
facilities
Subcommittee for the Convention on the Matters concerning Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent
Nuclear Safety of Radioactive Waste
Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste
Management, etc.
Management
Subcommittee for Legislation for
Consideration of necessary legal systems, etc. for the
Nuclear Safety Regulation
verification of background and the prevention of recurrence,in the case of malpractice such as alteration ofself-controlled inspection records
Subcommittee for Integrity Assessment Evaluation of plant integrity when cracks are found in theof Nuclear Power Generationcore shroud, etc.
Equipment
Table E.3-4 Subordinate Organization of Advisory Committee on Nuclear Safety Regulation, etc.
Subcommittee on Safety Regulation for
ITER
Subcommittee on Safety Regulation for
Research Reactors, etc.
Subcommittee on Safety Regulation for
Radiation

Directions for safety regulation of ITER
Directions for safety regulation of research reactors,
nuclear source materials, etc.
Directions for radiation safety regulation

63

Table E.3-5 List of Special Committees within the Nuclear Safety Commission
Committee on Examination of
Reactor Safety
Committee on Examination of
Nuclear Fuel Safety
Emergency Technical Advisory
Body
Special Committee on
Comprehensive Nuclear Safety- Matters concerning the safety of nuclear facilities- Matters concerning the safety of nuclear fuel materials- Technical advice in nuclear emergency

Special Committee on Safety Goal Special Committee on
Fundamentals of Prevention ofRadiation Hazards

Special Committee on Safety
Standards

Special Committee on Nuclear
Safety ResearchSpecial Committee on
Investigation of Nuclear Accident
and Failures
Emergency Technical Advisory
Body on Countermeasure forDisaster by the Nuclear Warship
Special Committee on Nuclear
Emergencies.
Committee on Safety
Investigation of Special
Radioactive Waste
Special Advisory Board forInternational Activities on
Radiation Protection
Project Team on the Safety
Assessment of the Nuclear Power
Plant

Project Team for Regulatory
Review of Reprocessing Facility
SafetySafety regulation of radioactive waste
Safety of transportation of radioactive materials
Regulation of technical ability of licensees
Accident management
Safety of dismantling of nuclear facilities
Measures against aging of nuclear facilities
Risk assessment
OthersSafety goal, including quantitative goal with practical use ofprobabilistic safety assessment, etc.
- Fundamentals of prevention of radiation hazards, and securing safetyof radioisotopes- Environmental radiation monitoring in the vicinity of nuclear
facilities and survey of general radioactive levels- Standards and guides of reactors, nuclear fuel facilities, intermediatestorage facilities of spent fuel, etc.
- Standards and guides of radioactive waste- Others- Planning of annual safety research program- Implementation of annual safety research program- Review of safety research program- Analysis and evaluation of accidents and incidents domestic andabroad- Investigation of specific accidents and incidents indicated by the
NSC, and assessment of the measures taken- Matters concerning the technical advice on emergency
countermeasures for the possible or actual cases of nuclear disaster by
the nuclear warship.
- Technical and expert matters on emergency measures taken innuclear emergencies- Investigation and deliberation of technically essential aspects forsafety assurance of HLW disposal- Matters pertaining to the technical aspects of international
contribution on the subject of radiation protection- Matters pertaining to the safety assessment of various facilities
and equipments of the nuclear power plants of Tokyo ElectricPower Company (TEPCO), etc, especially regarding the cracks
that were made public following the disclosure of TEPCO's
falsified safety report.
- Check and review to the regulatory activities for the Rokkasho- Reprocessing Plant during its operational tests.

64

F. Other General Safety Provisions

65Blank Page

66

Section F.
F.1

Other General Safety Provisions

Responsibility of the Licence Holder (Article 21)

1. Each Contracting Party shall ensure that prime responsibility for the safety of spent fuel orradioactive waste management rests with the holder of the relevant licence and shall take theappropriate steps to ensure that each such licence holder meets its responsibility.
2. If there is no such licence holder or other responsible party, the responsibility rests with theContracting Party which has jurisdiction over the spent fuel or over the radioactive waste.

F.1.1

Responsibility of the Licence Holder

The prime responsibility for the safety of a nuclear facility including the safety of spent fuel orradioactive waste management rests with the licence holder of the nuclear facility. That is, the licenceholder is responsible for adopting necessary measures to fully meet the regulatory requirements
stipulated either in the Reactor Regulation Law, the Electricity Utilities Industry Law or the Radiation
Hazards Prevention Law, etc. at all of the stages of planning, establishment, operation and maintenanceof the nuclear facility, as described in Sections G and H. In addition to meeting with regulatory
requirements, the licence holder is required to make efforts for improving safety and reliability of thenuclear facility, through implementing education and training programs of personnel, preparing
operation manuals, collecting, studying and sharing information on operating experience and applying it
to design, operation and maintenance, adopting the latest progress in technology, performing safety
research, and promoting quality assurance activities.
F.1.2

Steps to Ensure that Each Licence Holder Meets its Responsibility.

Steps to ensure that each licence holder meets its responsibility are shown below. The details aredescribed in Sections G and H.
The regulatory body regulates licence holders’ activities at all of the stages of a nuclear facility inaccordance with the regulations provided by the Reactor Regulation Law, the Electricity Utility Industry
Law or the Radiation Hazards Prevention Law. Especially in the stage of establishment of a major
nuclear facility, the competent minister examines the location, structure and the equipment are such thatthe occurrence of disaster can be prevented, and issue the licence.
The regulatory body, on the basis of the Reactor Regulation Law or the Electricity Utilities Industry Law,
conducts the Periodical Facility Inspection to confirm nuclear facility’s compliance with the technicalstandards, and the Nuclear Safety Inspection to confirm licence holder’s compliance with the Safety
Preservation Rules. Also, it may conduct the On-the-Spot Inspection as necessary. In case the business
operator does not observe the Safety Preservation Rules, the regulatory body has authority to revoke thelicence or order shutdown of the operation.
For the radioisotope waste management facilities subject to the Radiation Hazards Prevention Law, theregulatory body conducts the Periodical Inspection to confirm nuclear facility’s compliance with thetechnical standards, and the Radiation Inspector conducts the On-the-Spot inspection of a use facility asnecessary. In case the business operator does not observe provisions of the Radiation Hazards
Prevention Law, regulatory body has authority to revoke the licence or order shutdown of the operation
In addition, on the basis of the Reactor Regulation Law and the Electricity Utilities Industry Law, thelicence holder shall cooperate inquiry by the NSC when the NSC reconfirms the adequacy of the67

activities of the regulatory body
F1.3

Steps Taken against Absence of the License Holder

In Japan, the management of spent fuel and radioactive waste are subject to the licence issued under theReactor Regulation Law or the Radiation Hazards Prevention Law. The laws include provisions on
succession of a license or steps to be taken by liquidator or administrator in bankruptcy, ensuring safetyof spent fuel management or radioactive waste management in such a case.
A license holder of radioisotope waste management facility issued under to the Medical Care Law etc. isallowed to close its business operation only after it completes necessary measures for the closure ofbusiness stipulated by the law.

68

F.2

Human and Financial Resources (Article 22)

Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that:(i) Qualified staff are available as needed for safety-related activities during the operating
lifetime of a spent fuel and a radioactive waste management facility;(ii) Adequate financial resources are available to support the safety of facilities for spent fueland radioactive waste management during their operating lifetime and fordecommissioning;(iii) Financial provision is made which will enable the appropriate institutional controls andmonitoring arrangements to be continued for the period deemed necessary following
the closure of a disposal facility.

F.2.1

Human Resources of a Licence Holder to Maintain Major Nuclear Facilities(1)

Human Resources

In issuing establishment licence of a nuclear facility, the regulatory body confirms that the applicant
possesses technical capability necessary to establish and operate it adequately. (Exempted are thereprocessing activities by JNC and JAERI, two national institutes established by legislation.)
The applicant for a license under the Reactor Regulation Law attaches an explanation on its technicalcapability to the application format. Following is an example of items to be included for reprocessing
business licence.
1) Curriculum vitae of major technical experts
2) Other items concerning technical capability relating reprocessinga. Information on technical expertsa) departments and divisions in charge of reprocessingb) the number of engineersc) experience of engineers (years engaged in nuclear field)d) the number of qualified staff including the Supervisors of Nuclear Fuel and the Class 1
Supervisors of Radiation Protection.
e) the number of engineers trained in domestic and foreign training coursesb Training program of technical expertsa) on-the-job training program for technical experts through operation and maintenance ofa reprocessing facilityb) operation training at reprocessing facilities in domestic and/or foreign plants and at
nuclear power plants, improvement of technical capability and management capability
through on-the-job training
The operator of facilities licensed under the Radiation Hazards Prevention Law, before starting theirfacility operation, appoints the Supervisor of Radiation Protection and prepares the Internal Rules forPrevention of Radiation Hazards in which safety management of radioisotopes, work scope andorganization of workers, and education and training programs are provided.
(2)

Qualification of Personnel Engaged in Safety Activities

Any operator of facilities licensed under the Reactor Regulation Law appoints, and notifies theregulatory body of, a Chief Engineer of Reactors to supervise safety preservation in the operation of areactor facility, a Chief Nuclear Fuel Engineer to supervise safety preservation in the operation of a
nuclear fuel fabrication facility or a reprocessing facility, a Supervisor of Spent Fuel to supervise
safety preservation in the handling of spent fuel in a spent fuel storage facility and a Supervisor ofRadioactive Waste to supervise safety preservation in the handling of nuclear fuel materials etc. in69radioactive waste management facilities.
Any operator of facilities licensed under the Radiation Hazards Prevention Law appoints, and notifies
the regulatory body of, the Supervisor of Radiation Protection to supervise prevention of radiation
hazards, before starting facility operation.
(3) Staff Training and Retraining
Any operator of facilities licensed under the Reactor Regulation Law is requested to provide
following items concerning training and education, in the Safety Preservation Rules.
1) matters relating to regulations and the Safety Preservation Rules
2) structure, performance and the operation of the facility3) matters relating to radiation management4) matters relating to the handling of nuclear fuel materials and material contaminated with nuclear
fuel material5) steps to be taken in the case of emergency
Any operator of facilities licensed under the Radiation Hazards Prevention Law is requested toprovide education and training programs on the following items
1) radiation impact on human body2) safe handling of radioisotopes
3) regulation relating to the prevention of radiation hazards due to radioisotopes
4) Internal Rules for Prevention of Radiation Hazards
F.2.2

Financial Resources and Financial Rules

In issuing establishment licence of a nuclear facility (except for the nuclear fuel material use facility) the
regulatory body, in accordance with the Reactor Regulation Law, confirms that the applicant for the
licence possesses necessary financial basis. For example, it requires applicant for reprocessing businessto submit “Amount of Funds Required for Construction and Finance Procurement Plan” and “Financial
Plan and Estimated Annual Financial Balance for the First Decade After the Commissioning of
Reprocessing Business” as attached to the application format.
Electric utilities deposit funds for reprocessing of spent fuel and decommissioning on the basis of the
Ministerial Order concerning Reserves for Reprocessing of Spent Fuel and Decommissioning Nuclear
Power Generation Facilities established under the Electricity Utilities Industry Law.
In accordance with the Specified Radioactive Waste Final Disposal Act enacted in May 2000, operatorsof power reactor facilities deposit funds for disposal of high level radioactive waste to the Nuclear Waste
Management Organization of Japan, the implementing body for disposal, who entrusts management of
the fund to the Radioactive Waste Management Funding and Research Center.
Financial basis of a license holder of fuel material use is to be confirmed through procedures to approve
the Safety Preservation Rules and the steps to be taken at the time of decommissioning.
Financial Basis of the operator of radioisotope waste management facility licensed under the Radiation
Hazards Prevention Law is to be confirmed through the Periodical Inspection, obligation to maintain thefacility in compliance with technical standards, implementation of education and training programs,
notification of the Internal Rules for Prevention of Radiation Hazards and the steps to be taken at thetime of decommissioning.

70

F.3

Quality Assurance (Article 23)

Each Contracting Party shall take the necessary steps to ensure that appropriate quality
assurance programmes concerning the safety of spent fuel and radioactive waste management are
established and implemented.

F.3.1

Regulatory Activities to Ensure Appropriate Quality Assurance (QA) Programs

The regulatory body, on the basis of the Regulation Law, the Electricity Utilities Industry Law and theRadiation Hazards Prevention Law, requests a license holder, or an applicant for a license, to submit
relevant documents at every stage of license application, construction, operation and decommissioning,and confirms the license holder’s technical capability including quality assurance (QA). The regulatory
activity at each stage is as follows.
(1) Examination of the Policy for QA at business licensing
The regulatory body requests the applicant to submit the “Policy for Quality Assurance” attached tothe application format, and examines it.
(2) Examination of QA Program in Construction StageAt the construction stage of a commercial power reactor facility, the regulatory body requests thelicence holder to submit the “Description on Quality Assurance Program” as specified in the Rules for
the Electricity Utilities Industry Law, which describes licence holder’s QA activities through detailed
design, manufacturing, installation and functional tests, and examines it. Also, the regulatory body
instructs the license holder to promote and oversee subcontractor’s quality control, material control,etc., in addition to its QA audit of primary contractor and primary contractor’s own management of
manufacturing process.
(3) Confirmation of QA Activities Throughout Service Life
Regulatory body confirms QA activities of the licence holder throughout service life of nuclear
facility by1) requesting explanation on QA management plan in the Periodical Inspection, and2) periodically receiving report on QA activities in the nuclear facility.
3) requiring the licence holder to specify QA program in the Safety Preservation Rules and to comply
with it,F.3.2

Outline of QA Program by Operator of Facilities

Operators prepare and implement QA program at every stage from the licensing to the operation ofmajor nuclear facilities based on JEAG-4101 that is an industrial association level guideline. The QA
program covers document management, design control, procurement control, management of inspection
and testing, nonconformity management, and audit, etc.
The licence holder submits the “Policy for Quality Assurance” and “Description on Quality Assurance
Program” to regulatory body as shown in section F.3.1.
JEAG 4101 refers to the “Quality Assurance for Safety in Nuclear Power Plants” by the IAEA in 1988,

71

and describes details of QA activities with examples. JEAG 4101 is now being revised in accordancewith the IAEA Safety Series 50-C/SG-Q “Quality Assurance for Safety in Nuclear Power Plants andOther Nuclear facilities”.

72

F.4

Operational Radiation Protection (Article 24)

Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that during theoperating lifetime of a spent fuel or radioactive waste management facility:(i)the radiation exposure of the workers and the public caused by the facility shallbe kept as low as reasonably achievable, economic and social factors being taken
into account;(ii)

no individual shall be exposed, in normal situations, to radiation doses which
exceed national prescriptions for dose limitation which have due regard tointernationally endorsed standards on radiation protection; and(iii)

measures are taken to prevent unplanned and uncontrolled releases ofradioactive materials into the environment.

Each Contracting Party shall take appropriate steps to ensure that discharges shall belimited:(i)to keep exposure to radiation as low as reasonably achievable, economic andsocial factors being taken into account; and(ii)

so that no individual shall be exposed, in normal situations, to radiation doses
which exceed national prescriptions for dose limitation which have due regard tointernationally endorsed standards on radiation protection.

Each Contracting Party shall take appropriate steps to ensure that during theoperating lifetime of a regulated nuclear facility, in the event that an unplanned or
uncontrolled release of radioactive materials into the environment occurs, appropriate
corrective measures are implemented to control the release and mitigate its effects.
F.4.1

Summary of Laws, Regulations and Requirements on Radiation Protection

The national standards for radiation protection at nuclear facilities are prescribed by the Reactor
Regulation Law, the Electric Utilities Industry Law, and the Radiation Hazards Prevention Law, etc. andrelated government ordinances, ministerial ordinances, orders and notifications, and guidelines based onthese laws. The recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection(ICRP) are given due consideration and are incorporated into legislation and regulation. The Radiation
Review Council coordinates technical standards in the laws and regulations on prevention of radiation
hazards.
Ministerial ordinances include the Rules for Enrichment and/or Fuel Manufacturing, the Rules forCommercial Power Reactors, the Rules for Research Reactors, the Rules for Spent Fuel Storage, theRules for Spent Fuel Reprocessing, the Rules for Waste Disposal, the Rules for Waste Management andthe Rules for Fuel Material Use on the basis of the Reactor Regulation Law, and the Rules for the
Enforcement of the Law Concerning Radiation Hazards Prevention and other rules on the basis of the
Radiation Hazards Prevention Law. These regulations prescribe area control for radiation protection,
radiation control of personnel engaged in radiation controlled areas, measurement and surveillance ofradiation levels, monitoring of discharged radioactive materials, and maintenance of radiation control
equipment. The Notification for Dose Limits on the basis of each of these rules prescribes dose limits
and concentration limits of radioactive materials both inside controlled area and outside peripheral
monitoring area, and dose limits and concentration limits of radioactive materials for personnel engaged
in radiation work, and dose limits for personnel engaged in emergency activities.
In order to ensure compliance with these regulations, operators are required to prescribe in the Safety

73

Preservation Rules, 1) controlled areas, conservation areas and peripheral monitoring area and access
control to these areas, 2) monitoring equipment at air ventilation and water discharge, 3) monitoring of
the dose, dose equivalent, the concentration of radioactive materials in the air and the density ofradioactive materials on the surface of contaminated objects, and the decontamination, and 4)
maintenance of radiation monitoring equipment. In examining application of a license for a nuclear
facility, it is confirmed that the application conforms to the Examination Guides established by the NSC
as well as the legislation and technical standards. In these guides, operators are required to reasonably
reduce discharge of radioactive materials from a nuclear facility into environment and the dose to the
public.
F.4.2

National Requirements on Radiation Protection and the Implementation(1) Allowable Dose Limits
1) Definition of Controlled Areas
The abovementioned rules and dose limit notifications define a controlled area as an area where
dose of external radiation may exceed 1.3mSv for a period of three months, the concentration ofradioactive material in the air may exceed the limit specified in the notification, or the density ofradioactive material on the surface of contaminated objects may exceed the limit specified in the
notification, and request operators to take necessary measures in the area.
2) Allowable Dose Limits for Occupational Exposure
The abovementioned rules and dose limit notifications provide for the allowable dose limits foroccupational exposure listed in Table F. 4-1.
Table F.4-1 Dose limits for personnel engaged in radiation work
Items
Limits
1. Effective dose limits
100mSv/5 years but do not exceed 50mSv/1(1)Personnel engaged in radiation workyear
In addition to the provision (1), 5mSv/3 months(2)Female personnel
In addition to the provision (2), 1mSv for(3)Pregnant female personnel
internal exposure during a period fromnotification of pregnancy to delivery
2. Equivalent dose limits
150mSv/1 year
(1)Eye lens
500mSv/1 year(2)Skin
2mSv during a period from notification of(3)Pregnant female’s abdominal region
pregnancy to delivery
3. Dose limits for the personnel engaged inemergency radiation work
100mSv(1)Effective dose limits
300mSv(2)Equivalent dose limits for eye lens
1Sv(3)Equivalent dose limits for skin3) Dose Limits for the Public
The abovementioned rules and dose limit notifications provide for the allowable dose limits forthe public listed in Table F.4-2.

74

Table F. 4-2 Dose limits for the public
Items
Limits
Dose limits outside the peripheral
monitoring area
1mSv/year
Effective dose
15mSv/year
Equivalent dose for eye lens
50mSv/year
Equivalent dose for skin(2) Numerical Guide to Reduce Dose to the Public in Vicinity and Discharge Control
At major nuclear facilities licensed on the basis of the Reactor Regulation Law, an operator, in
addition to comply with dose limits and concentration limits of radioactive materials outside
peripheral monitoring area, establishes an annual numerical discharge control guide, whichcorresponds to a dose well below the dose limit of 1mSv/year, and makes efforts to keep thenumerical discharge control guide. The regulatory body acknowledges the numerical discharge
control guide and receives report on it from the operator
At radioisotope waste management facilities licensed on the basis of the Radiation Hazards
Prevention Law, an operator, in addition to comply with concentration limits of gaseous and liquid
discharge, makes efforts to keep dose at site boundary below 250µSv/3 months(3) Measurement of Environmental Radiation
An operator of major nuclear facility licensed on the basis of the Reactor Regulation Law conducts
radiation monitoring at the site vicinity during normal operation, assesses the impact upon theenvironment of the discharge of radioactive materials from the facility, and feedbacks the results inimproving discharge control and facility management.
Local governments hosting nuclear facilities also monitor radiation level independently at the site
vicinity to protect public health and safety.
Meanwhile, the NSC indicates fundamentals of the monitoring plan and its implementation and theevaluation of radiation dose in the Guide on Environmental Radiation Monitoring, in order toimprove and standardize monitoring technology. Local governments and operators implementmonitoring in accordance with the guide.
An operator of radioisotope waste management facility licensed on the basis of the Radiation Hazards
Prevention Law monitors radiation level and measures contamination by radioactive materials at
controlled area boundary, site boundary and any appropriate points.
F.4.3

Regulatory Control Activities(1) Discharge Control of Radioactive Materials
The abovementioned rules provide for concentration limits of radioactive materials in both gaseousand liquid discharge from nuclear facilities monitored outside peripheral monitoring area, and dose
limit due to radioactive materials in liquid discharge from reprocessing facilities monitored at theoutlet to the ocean. The rules also provide that operators shall immediately report to the regulatory
body when any of these limits are exceeded, and report within 10 days on details of the event andcorrective measures taken.
(2) Control of Personal Exposure

75

The abovementioned rules require operators to keep records of doses to personnel engaged inradiation work.
F.4.4

Unplanned or Uncontrolled Releases

Operators of Nuclear Facilities, on the basis of abovementioned rules, shall prepare the Safety
Preservation Rules and have them approved by the regulatory body, which provide that operators, incase of emergency including unplanned or uncontrolled release of radioactive materials, should takemeasures against the spread of contamination by nuclear fuel materials or radioisotopes and carryout
decontamination work, and rescue persons who suffer or may suffer from radiation damage. The Safety
Examination Guide for Reprocessing Facility, which is used in safety examination of reprocessing
facility with large inventory of radioactive materials, provides that fire and explosion due to fine metal
particles from fuel cladding or organic solvent, criticality accident, leakage or loss of function due todamage or failure of equipment or piping, or spent fuel handling failure do not cause excessive exposureof radiation to the public.
When an unplanned or an uncontrolled release of radioactive materials initiates any specific events(Table F.5-1) defined in the Special Law for Nuclear Emergency, emergency activities start according to
the procedure, and the Prime Minister declares Nuclear Emergency if the initial event progresses andexceeds the predetermined level.
Nuclear emergency will be described in detail in the ensuing section.

76

F.5

Emergency Preparedness (Article 25)
1.

Each Contracting Party shall ensure that before and during operation of a spent fuelor radioactive waste management facility there are appropriate on-site and, if
necessary, off-site emergency plans. Such emergency plans should be tested withappropriate frequency.

2.

Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps for the preparation andtesting of emergency plans for its territory insofar as it is likely to be affected in theevent of a radiological emergency at a spent fuel or radioactive waste management
facility in the vicinity of its territory.

F.5.1

Laws, Regulations and Requirements for Nuclear Emergency Preparedness

The Special Law of Emergency Preparedness for Nuclear Emergency (hereinafter referred to as theSpecial Law of Nuclear Emergency) came into force in June 2000 in order to take special measures
addressing special characteristics of nuclear emergency. Also, the NSC revised in May 2000 the"Emergency Preparedness Guidelines" on technical and special matters of a nuclear emergency
measures. The Special Law of Nuclear Emergency was enacted within the legal framework alreadyestablished by the Basic Law on Emergency Preparedness, which had defined roles of the national
government, local governments, etc. in emergencies such as earthquakes, typhoons, conflagrations andnuclear emergency. The Special Law of Nuclear Emergency defines a nuclear emergency as a situation
where, as a result of the operation of a nuclear facility, unusually high level of radioactive materials orradiation is released or streams outside the nuclear facilities, and a nuclear disaster as a situation where anuclear emergency damages the life, body or property of the public. The part of “Nuclear Emergency
Preparedness” in the Basic Plan for Emergency Preparedness based on the Basic Law on Emergency
Preparedness, was extensively revised in accordance with the Special Law of Nuclear Emergency,
clarifying roles and responsibilities of the national government, local governments, and nuclear business
operators. In this Article, nuclear business operators include operators of enrichment and/or fuelmanufacturing business, nuclear reactor facilities, spent fuel storage business, reprocessing business andradioactive waste disposal business.
At radioisotope waste management facilities licensed under the Radiation Hazards Prevention Law, anuclear emergency defined by the Special Law of Nuclear Emergency is not postulated to occur.
However, the law and relevant regulations provide measures of communication, evacuation,
decontamination, etc. to be taken by an operator in case of earthquake, fire, etc.
This section describes preparedness for emergencies defined by the Special Law of Nuclear Emergency.
(1) An Outline of Emergency Preparedness concerning Major Nuclear Facilities
The summary of emergency preparedness on the basis of the Special Law of Nuclear Emergency isgiven by Fig. F.5-1. Details are given below.
1)

Initial Responses in Nuclear Emergency
Quick response and coordinated cooperation among related organizations are important in a
nuclear emergency.
- The Special Law of Nuclear Emergency defines specific initial events in a major nuclear
facilities (see Table F.5-1), the occurrence of which the operator shall immediately notify
the competent minister and the heads of related local governments of.

77

-

-

-

-

2)

The competent minister, receiving the notification, starts activities according to theprocedure stipulated by the law. Staff with expertise in emergency measures will be sent tolocal governments on request. The Senior Specialist for Nuclear Emergency collects
information and coordinates activities preventing expansion of the events.
When the competent minister recognizes that the specific initial event exceeds thepredetermined level and has developed into an emergency, the minister immediately reports
it to the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister declares “Nuclear Emergency”, and advises or directs related local
governments on necessary measures such as sheltering or evacuation to be taken by them.
The Prime Minister establishes the "Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters" in Tokyo,
which he will head, and the "Local Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters" in the
district where emergency measures are to be taken.
Local governments establish their own emergency response headquarters following
declaration of “Nuclear Emergency.”
In order to tighten cooperation among the national government, related local governments
etc., the "Joint Council for Nuclear Emergency Response" is established at the Off-SiteCenter mentioned later.
Strengthening of the National Emergency Preparedness

The national government establishes following preparation to prevent occurrence of nuclear
emergency and to take measures in emergency.
- The competent minister stations a Senior Specialist for Nuclear Emergency in the vicinity ofeach nuclear facility, who guides and advise the operator in preparing Operator’s Plan for
Emergency Preparedness and, in emergency, takes necessary measures preventing
progression of the emergency.
- The competent minister designates a facility in the vicinity of a nuclear facility as Off-SiteCenter to be used in an emergency. In the case of an emergency, the national government,
the local governments and the operator establish at the Off-Site Center the "Joint Council for
Nuclear Emergency Response", in order to share information and to coordinate theiractivities. Off-Site Centers were established on the point shown in Fig. F.5-2 by March 2002
Off-Site Centers have communication equipment with the Prime Minister’s Official
Residence, the NSC, the Emergency Response Centers of NISA and MEXT and related
local governments, and other necessary equipment.
- The national government establishes arrangements to secure quick and coordinatedactivities in an emergency.
- The national government conducts comprehensive nuclear emergency exercise once a year.
3)

Clarification of the Operator’s Responsibility--

The operator develops its own Operator’s Plan for Nuclear Emergency Preparedness after
consulting with related local governments, and submits it to the competent minister.
The operator establishes on-site organization for nuclear emergency preparedness, anddesignates a Manager for Nuclear Emergency Preparedness who administers theorganization.
The Manager for Nuclear Emergency Preparedness shall notify specific initial events to thecompetent authorities.

(2) On-site and Off-site Nuclear Emergency Preparedness of Major Nuclear Facilities
Organizations related to nuclear emergency preparedness keep themselves ready to collect and send
information and start quick response against an emergency, and conduct exercises, disseminate
knowledge and promote research on emergency preparedness. Outline of roles and responsibilities ofrelated organization are as follows.

78

1)

On-Site Emergency Preparedness of Major Nuclear Facilities
When the operator detects abnormal release of radioactive material or abnormal level ofradiation at a nuclear facility, it takes necessary measures to prevent progression of the event
into an emergency.
The operator develops Operator’s Plan for Nuclear Emergency Preparedness after consultingwith related local governments, which provides for prevention of, emergency measures against,
and post-emergency restoration of, a nuclear emergency, including on-site and off-sitecooperation with other organizations. Especially, quick and accurate notification of occurrenceof specific initial events to related organizations is a very important obligation of the operator.
Moreover, the operator is required to take part in comprehensive exercise with relatedorganizations, and keep close contact with them.

2)

Off-Site Emergency Preparedness of Major Nuclear Facilities
Roles and responsibilities of the national government and local governments in emergency
preparedness are defined in the Special Law of Nuclear Emergency and the Basic Plan for
Emergency Preparedness. Each local government develops its own detailed local plan for
emergency preparedness. They conduct emergency environmental radiation monitoring, andimplement evacuation or sheltering of residents receiving advice or direction from the Prime
Minister based on the report of the competent minister.
Emergency activities are roughly divided into five categories.
a. to convey information, directions, etc. to residents
b. to conduct emergency environmental radiation monitoringc. to advise or direct local residents on sheltering or evacuation.
d. to restrict intake of foods and drinks.
e. to conduct emergency medical treatment(3)

Trainings and Exercises

The purpose of nuclear emergency exercise is 1) to enhance understanding of the nuclear emergency
preparedness by responsible personnel of the national government, local governments and theoperator, and residents, and 2) to verify whether emergency measures function in predetermined way,
and whether information sharing and cooperation among related organizations are adequate. The
national government, local governments, designated public organizations and the operator cooperate
and participate in exercises, which cover communication, monitoring, making decision on emergency
measures to be taken, sheltering or evacuation etc., ranging from large scale national exercise tooperator’s on-site exercise. Exercises in the past years are shown below.
1)

Exercise Planned by the National Government (Table F.5-2 (1))
The first comprehensive exercise after the enactment of the Special Law of Nuclear Emergency
was conducted on October 28, 2000, at Unit 2 of Shimane Nuclear Power Station, Kashima
Town, Shimane Prefecture. The exercise was participated by 83 organizations and 13,000
persons, as well as the Prime Minister, the then Minister of MITI and other ministers. The
exercise included the declaration of “Nuclear Emergency” and the establishment of the Nuclear
Emergency Headquarters, in addition to verifying the function of the Joint Council for Nuclear
Emergency Response established at the Off-Site Center, and the communication with local
residents. The subsequent comprehensive exercise was conducted at Unit 1 of Tomari Nuclear
Power Station, Hokkaido, on October 27, 2001 and Unit 3 of Ohi Power Station, Fukui

79Prefecture, on November 7, 2002.
2)

Exercises Planned by Local Governments (Table F.5-2 (2))
The local plan for emergency preparedness prescribes local exercise to be planned andconducted by local governments, which national government supports by sending expert staff.

3)

Exercise Planned by the Operator
The operators have conducted on-site exercises including establishment of emergency response
headquarters, communication, monitoring, evacuation or sheltering, etc. based on Operator’sPlan for Emergency Preparedness for each site.

4)

Participation in International Nuclear Emergency Exercise
Japan participated in the Joint International Nuclear Emergency Exercise (JINEX1) held in May
2001 sponsored by the IAEA, learning lessons on cross border radiological emergency, and will
participate in future international exercises.

F.5.2

Emergency in the Vicinity of the Territory

Japan is a contracting party to the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident, and to theConventions on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency. The Ministryof Foreign Affairs has been designated as the authority for notification and the competent ministry forradiological emergency in the vicinity of the territory.

80

Operators

National Government

ReportingNuclear Emergency
Preparedness Manager

Local Governments

Competent Minister- To s e t u p a n o r g a n i z a t i o n f o r

Requesting the
dispatch ofexpert officials

response to the event reported- To j u d g e w h e t h e r t h e e v e n t i s a
nuclear emergency or not (seeTa b l e F. 5 - 1 f o r t h e j u d g m e n tcriteria)- To o r d e r t h e r e s i d e n t S e n i o rSpecialists for Nuclear
Emergency collect informationand carry out necessary steps- Confirming theoccurrence of an event
to be reported (seeTa b l e F. 5 - 1 f o r t h ereporting criteria)- An onsite nuclear
emergency response
team to takeemergency measures

Related prefectural
governors

Municipal
Dispatchingexpert officials

mayorsPrime Minister- To d e c l a r e a s t a t e o f n u c l e a r
emergency and publicize theaffected area, the reported event
and action to take through themass media- To e s t a b l i s h N u c l e a r E m e r g e n c y
Response Headquarters

AdviceNuclear Emergency Response
Headquarters
Director General: Prime Minister
Deputy Director: Competent
ministerMembers: Ministers of related
ministries and agencies, anddirectors of related government
offices

Nuclear Safety
Commission

Advises ordirects
evacuation or
sheltering of
local residents.

Residents

Direction

Related local
governments toestablish Emergency
Response Headquarters

Participation
To s e t u p L o c a l N u c l e a r E m e r g e n c y
Response Headquarters

Self-Defense
ForcesEstablishment of a Joint Council for Nuclear Emergency Response
This joint council will be set up at the Off-Site Center in order to share informationand coordinate emergency response activities among related organizations

Emergency control
activities by theo p e r a t o r ’s o n s i t eemergency response
team

Nuclear Safety
Commission

Main activities of the Joint Council- To m a k e a c c u r a t e i n f o r m a t i o navailable to the public- To a d v i s e o r o r d e r r e s i d e n t s t oevacuate their homes- To m e a s u r e r a d i a t i o n d o s e i n t h esurrounding environment- To r e s c u e d i s a s t e r v i c t i m s- To m a k e t e m p o r a r y r e p a i r s o n t h enuclear facility

Directions and requests- Special support: the National Institute ofRadiological Sciences, the Nuclear
E me rg e n c y S u p p o r t a n d Tr a i n i n g C e n t e r, a n dother institutions- Fire fighting, rescue and first aid: the Fire
Defense Agency- Security guard: the National Police Agency

Prime Minister
Advice- To d e c l a r e t h e c a n c e l l a t i o n o f t h e
declaration of nuclear emergency

Dissolution of the Nuclear
Emergency Response Headquarters

Measures by the national and local
governments and the operator:- Contamination surveys- Health counseling- Publicity activities to prevent
damage from rumor

F i g . F. 5 - 1 M e a s u r e s B a s e d o n t h e S p e c i a l L a w f o r N u c l e a r E m e r g e n c i e s

81Kyowa-cho

Rokkasho-mura

Fukui-pref.

Ohi-choTsuruga-shi

Onagawa-cho

Mihama-cho

Kashiwazaki-shi

Takahama-cho

Okuma-choShika-cho

Hitachinaka-shi
Matsue-shi

Kawasaki-shi
Yokosuka-shi

Kamisaibara-son
Karatsu-shi

Higashi Osaka-shi
Ikata-cho

Hamaoka-cho

Kumatori-cho

Off-Site Center

Sendai-shi

Fig. F5-2 Off-Site Center Site82

Table F.5-1 Main Specific Events, Nuclear Emergencies and Countermeasures Prescribed by the Special Law for Nuclear Emergencies
EventsReporting Criteria for Nuclear Business Operators and the Criteria for
the National Government’s Declaration of Emergencya) Detection of radiation near
the site boundary

Exceeding 5µSv/h at one point for more than 10 minutes
Exceeding 5µSv/h at more than two points at the same time

Events to be reported by nuclear business operators

Conditions whereby to judge the occurrence of an emergency

The concentration of radioactive material remains at a level equivalent tob) Detection of radioactive
material at the usual release exceeding 5µSv/h for more than 10 minutes, or radioactive material release at apoints, such as exhaust pipes level equivalent to exceeding 5µSv/h has taken place.
Radiation dose exceeding 50µSv/hc) Detection of radiation or
Release of radioactive material equivalent to exceeding 5µSv/h
radioactive material (at places
other than the controlled area)
due to a fire or an explosiond) Separate events depending on
the characteristics of nuclear
facilities
Examples:- Failure of scram- Loss of reactor coolant- Loss of all AC power
supplies- A decline in the spent fuelpool water level at a
reprocessing facility

83

The national government’s
response

Exceeding 500µSv/h at one point for more than 10 minutes
Exceeding 500µSv/h at more than two points at the same time
The concentration of radioactive material remains at a level equivalent toexceeding 500µSv/h for more than 10 minutes, or radioactive material release at alevel equivalent to exceeding 5mSv/h has taken place.
Radiation dose exceeding 5mSv/h
Release of radioactive material equivalent to exceeding 500µSv/h

All reactor shutdown functions have been lost.
A nuclear reactor shut down can not be achieved by usual neutron absorbers.
Reactor coolant leakage that requires the activation of the emergency core cooling All the ECCSs are unable to flood the reactor for cooling.
system (ECCS) has occurred.
All AC power sources have been lost and all core cooling functions have been lost.
All AC power supplies have been stopped for more than five minutes.
The spent fuel pool water level has dropped to a level at which fuel assemblies are
exposed.
The competent minister sends staff with expertise to local governments at theirrequest.
Resident senior specialists for nuclear emergencies carry out necessary response
operations.
Although these activities are not required by the Special Law for Nuclear
Emergencies, related ministries and agencies will carry out the following activities
in accordance with agreements:- Officials from related ministries and agencies will gather together to have aliaison conference for emergency response among related ministries andagencies in Tokyo.
- Interested parties will gather together at the Off-Site Center to hold a liaison
conference for field disaster control.

83- The competent minister confirms the occurrence of a nuclear emergency andreports it to the Prime Minister.
- The Prime Minister declares a state of nuclear emergency and takes thefollowing action:- To advise or direct the heads of related local governments to order residents toevacuate their homes or take shelter indoors;- To establish Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters in Tokyo and Local
Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarter at the appropriate Off-Site Center;and- To set up the Joint Council for Nuclear Emergency Response in order toexchange information between the national and local governments.

Table F.5-2 Nuclear Emergency Exercise
Conductor

Date

Nuclear Power Station(1) Exercise conducted by National Government
National
Government
National
Government
National
Government

2000/10/28(Sat.)
2001/10/27(Sat.)
2002/11/07(Thurs.)

The Chugoku Electric Power Co., Inc.
Shimane Nuclear Power Station
Hokkaido Electric Power Co., Inc.
Tomari Power Station
The Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc.
Ohi Power Station(2) Exercise conducted by Local Government (From April 2001 To July 1, 2003 )Miyagi-pref.

2001/07/11(Wed.)

Ibaraki-pref.

2001/09/29(Sat.)

Kanagawa-pref

2001/10/25(Thurs.)

Okayama-pref.

2001/10/29(Mon.)

Ehime-pref.

2001/11/01(Thurs.)

Shimane-pref.

2001/11/07(Wed.)

Niigata-pref.

2001/11/20(Tues.)

Saga-pref.

2001/11/26(Mon.)

Fukushima-pref.

2001/11/28(Wed.)

Ishikawa-pref.

2002/01/11(Fri.)

Kagoshima-pref.

2002/01/31(Thurs.)

Shizuoka-pref.

2002/02/21(Thurs.)

Fukui-pref.

2002/03/30(Sat.)

Miyagi-pref.

2002/09/03(Tues.)

Ibaraki-pref.

2002/09/30(Mon.)

Hokkaido

2002/10/25(Fri.)

Ehime-pref.

2002/10/25(Fri.)

Kagoshima-pref.

2002/10/29(Tues.)

Fukushima-pref.

2002/11/08(Thurs.)

Shimane-pref.

2002/11/08(Fri.)Niigata-pref.

2002/11/09(Sat.)

Ishikawa-pref.

2002/11/11(Mon.)

Saga-pref.

2002/11/25(Mon.)

Okayama-pref.

2002/11/26(Tues.)

Aomori-pref

2002/12/18(Wed.)

Nagasaki-pref

2003/01/30(Thurs.)

Shizuoka-pref.

2003/02/03(Mon.)/04(Tues.)

Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc.
Onagawa Nuclear Power Station
Japan Nuclear Cycle Development InstituteTokai Reprocessing)Global Nuclear Fuel-Japan Co., ltd.
Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute
Ningyo-Toge Environmental Engineering
Shikoku Electric Power Co., Inc.
Ikata Power Station
The Chugoku Electric Power Co., Inc.
Shimane Nuclear Power Station
The Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc.
Kashiwazaki Kariwa Nuclear Power Station
Kyushu Electric Power Co., Inc.
Genkai Nuclear Power Station
The Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc.
Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Station
Hokuriku Electric Power Co., Inc.
Shika Nuclear Power Station
Kyushu Electric Power Co., Inc.
Sendai Nuclear Power Station
The Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc.
Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station
The Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc.
Mihama Power Station
Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc.
Onagawa Nuclear Power Station
Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute Oarai Engineering Center
Hokkaido Electric Power Co., Inc.
Tomari Power Station
Shikoku Electric Power Co., Inc.
Ikata Power Station
Kyushu Electric Power Co., Inc.
Sendai Nuclear Power Station
The Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc.
Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station
The Chugoku Electric Power Co., Inc.
Shimane Nuclear Power Station
The Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc.
Kashiwazaki Kariwa Nuclear Power Station
Hokuriku Electric Power Co., Inc.
Shika Nuclear Power Station
Kyushu Electric Power Co., Inc.
Genkai Nuclear Power Station
Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute
Ningyo-Toge Environmental Engineering
Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd.
Reprocessing Plant
Kyushu Electric Power Co., Inc.
Genkai Nuclear Power Station
The Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc.
Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station

84

F.6

Decommissioning (Article 26)

Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure the safety ofdecommissioning of a nuclear facility. Such steps shall ensure that:(i)qualified staff and adequate financial resources are available;(ii)

the provisions of Article 24 with respect to operational radiation protection,discharges and unplanned and uncontrolled releases are applied;(iii) the provisions of Article 25 with respect to emergency preparedness are applied;and(iv) records of information important to decommissioning are kept.

The AEC’s Long-term Program states that nuclear facilities licensed on the basis of the Reactor
Regulation Law should be decommissioned safely at the responsibility of their operators, whileobtaining local community’s understanding and support, and that the land, after decommissioning ofcommercial power reactors, is expected to serve as sites for new nuclear power plants, again with theunderstanding of their communities.
The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Committee Decommissioning Safety Subcommittee at the Advisory
Board for Natural Resources and Energy published a report “A Concept for Assuring and Regulating the
Safety of Decommissioning Commercial Power Reactor Facilities”, August 2, 2001. The regulatory
body applies existing regulations of the Notification of Dismantling and the Change of the Safety
Preservation Rules on the basis of the Reactor Regulation Law together with the report to ensure that
operators implement safety measures in dismantling commercial power reactor facilities.
In these regulations operators are required to notify the regulatory body of method and process of
dismantling and method of management of nuclear fuel materials and objects contaminated by them,and to submit to the regulatory body for approval the Safety Preservation Rules which include method of
and organization for facility maintenance, radiation control, waste management, etc.
In order to make long-term regulation on decommissioning more effective, the regulatory body allows
operators to submit, at first, summary of long-term decommissioning plan and details of initialshort-term work process, leaving details of later work processes to later submissions as
decommissioning work progresses. Also, the regulatory body requests operators to apply for the Changeof the Safety Preservation Rules as decommissioning work progresses.
Also, operators of other nuclear facilities such as research reactor facilities, enrichment and/or fuelmanufacturing facilities, spent fuel storage facilities and reprocessing facilities are required to submit
the Notification of Dismantling in accordance with the Reactor Regulation Law and relevant regulations.
Operators of fuel material use facility, when terminating their businesses, are required to makedecontamination and take other measures within 30 days of the closure.
F.6.1
(1)

Human and Financial Resources
Human Resources

Operators clarify, in the Safety Preservation Rules, organizations responsible for ensuring safety indecommissioning processes, and planning and implementation of relevant safety education programs

85

for management and workers including subcontractors. The regulatory body conducts the Nuclear
Safety Inspection four times a year to supervise operators’ compliance with the rules.
(2)

Financial Resources

Electric utilities have deposited funds for decommissioning of commercial power reactor facilities
using the Dismantling Reserve Funds.
NISA requires electric utilities to clarify financial resources in the Notification of Dismantling, andconfirms it.
F.6.2

Radiation Protection at the Decommissioning Stage

The regulations on radiation protection applied to nuclear facilities in operation, which is described at
Article 24 (Section F.4), are also applicable to nuclear facilities in the process of being decommissioned.
F.6.3

Emergency Preparedness

The regulations on emergency preparedness applied to nuclear facilities in operation, which is describedat Article 25 (Section F.5), are also applicable to nuclear facilities in the process of being
decommissioned.
F.6.4

Keeping Records of Information Important to Decommissioning

The Reactor Regulation Law requests operators to keep important records such as inspection records,
radiation control records, etc. at decommissioning stage in the same way as at operating stage, and otherrecords specific to decommissioning such as each equipment or system being dismantled, time period
and method for dismantling it, etc. at the end of each dismantling process, thus allowing the regulatory
body to confirm that decommissioning has been completed ensuring safety and in compliance with theapproved Notification of Dismantling of that facility.

86

G. Safety of Spent Fuel management

87Blank Page

88

Section G. Safety of Spent Fuel Management
The safety of spent fuel management is ensured in accordance with the regulatory framework for thesafety of spent fuel management set forth in Section E.2.3. In other words, the safety management ofspent fuel on a reactor facility site or a reprocessing plant site is regulated by the provisions of theReactor Regulation Law concerning the establishment and operation of nuclear reactors or a
reprocessing facilities. More specifically, spent fuel management facilities are regulated as associatedfacilities operated in the respective reactors or facilities. On the other hand, the safety management ofspent fuel stored outside a reactor or a reprocessing plant site is regulated in accordance with theprovisions for storage business in the Reactor Regulation Law, as specialized facilities concerning
licensing, permission, approval and inspections. At present, there is no storage facility which is inoperation, under construction or for which an application for permission of construction has been filed.
Fig. G.1 outlines a flow of regulations concerning spent fuel storage facilities in relation to the terms
used in the joint convention. A flow of regulations begins with an application for a business license.
The regulatory body grants a business operator license to conduct a business after safety examination.
Prior to construction of an installation, the regulatory body examines a design and a construction plan
and approves them if they are deemed acceptable. When the construction of a facility requiresprescribed welding operations, the regulatory body checks the validity of welding through welding
inspections or welding safety management inspections. Moreover, the regulatory body conducts
pre-service inspections to make sure that the construction works are being carried out in accordance withthe approved design and construction plan. The regulatory body requires a business operator to specify
safety precautions in Safety Preservation Rules and approves the Safety Preservation Rules. And whenan operator has notified the regulatory body of the commencement of business operations (excluding
reactor facilities), they are allowed to put nuclear facilities into active service.
After the facility went into service, the regulatory body conducts periodical inspections and checks
safety at the facility in order to ascertain the integrity of the facility and the operator’s compliance with
the Safety Preservation Rules.
As for decommissioning, the operator files notification of dismantling with the regulatory body andenters into decommissioning of a nuclear facility. After the nuclear facility was dismantled andremoved, the operator files notification of closure with the regulatory body and the decommissioning
comes to an end.

89

Welding inspections, etc.

Pre-service inspections

*

*

*

*

*

Notification of thecommencement ofbusiness operations

Safety inspections (four times a year) and periodical facility
inspections, etc.

Fig. G.1 A Flow of Regulations Concerning Spent Fuel Storage Facilities

90

Decommissioning

Notification of closure*

Appointment of a chief nuclear fuel engineer*

Approval for the safety preservation rules*
Approval for a construction plan, etc.

Granting a license to conduct a business

Safety examination*

Application for a business license

90

Law for the
Regulations of
Nuclear Source
Material, Nuclear
Fuel Material andReactors and theRegulations Basedon the Law*

Operation

Notification of dismantling

Commencementof Operation

Siting, Design and Construction

G.1

General Safety Requirements (Article 4)
Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that at allstages of spent fuel management, individuals, society and the environment are
adequately protected against radiological hazards.
In so doing, each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to:(i)ensure that criticality and removal of residual heat generated during spent fuelmanagement are adequately addressed;(ii)

ensure that the generation of radioactive waste associated with spent fuelmanagement is kept to the minimum practicable, consistent with the type offuel cycle policy adopted;(iii) take into account interdependencies among the different steps in spent
fuel management;(iv)

provide for effective protection of individuals, society and the environment, byapplying at the national level suitable protective methods as approved by theregulatory body, in the framework of its national legislation which has due
regard to internationally endorsed criteria and standards;(v)take into account the biological, chemical and other hazards that may be
associated with spent fuel management;(vi)

strive to avoid actions that impose reasonably predictable impacts on future
generations greater than those permitted for the current generation;(vii) aim to avoid imposing undue burdens on future generations.
G.1.1

Criticality and Removal of Residual Heat

In accordance with the Reactor Regulation Law, the regulations concerning the storage of spent fuelrequire operators of facilities to take steps necessary for the cooling of spent fuel and take theappropriate steps to prevent spent fuel from attaining criticality in any circumstances at spent fuelmanagement facilities that use either the water pool storage method or the metal dry cask storage
method.
Furthermore, the guidelines enacted by the NSC require the operators of spent fuel storage and handlingfacilities to take the appropriate steps to prevent spent fuel from reaching criticality. Table G.1-1 shows
specific safety requirements that must be met at commercial power reactors.
Operators of the facilities are required by regulations and guidelines based on the Reactor Regulation
Law, to install cooling equipment capable of cooling pool water and adequately removing decay heatgenerated by spent fuel stored at facilities using the water pool storage method. In the case of using themetal dry cast storage method, operators of the facilities are obligated to install a facility of such
construction as being capable of cooling metal dry casks through natural air-cooling and adequately
removing decay heat generated by spent fuel stored. In addition, this facility must be constructed so that
stored spent fuel casks are well spaced out and, even if spent fuel is stored at full capacity, spent fuelremains sub-critical.
G.1.2

Minimization of the Generation of Radioactive Waste in Spent Fuel Management

Minimization of radioactive waste generation is described in Section H.1.2.

91

G.1.3

Interdependencies Among Different Steps in Spent Fuel Management

As mentioned in Section E.1.6, operators performing facility operations at each step of spent fuelgeneration, storage and reprocessing are required to obtain licenses for business operation
corresponding to each step in accordance with the Reactor Regulation Law. The details of regulations
for reactor, spent fuel storage and reprocessing facility operation are prescribed by the regulations andstandards under the Reactor Regulation Law.
The operators are responsible for storing spent fuel, which has been removed from a nuclear reactor after
being used for a given period, in a spent fuel storage pool at a reactor facility for a proper period of timein order to allow radioactivity to decay and to attenuate residual heat, and then shipping it to a
reprocessing facility. During spent fuel storage, operators are required to maintain, manage and monitor
a storage conditions by installing pool water clean-up equipment at a storage facility if the water poolstorage method is used, or providing inert gas-filled storage containers at a storage facility if the dry
storage method is used. Moreover, when spent fuel is carried out, operators are required to check tomake sure that spent fuel to be carried out meets the specifications for acceptance at reprocessing
facilities.
G.1.4

Regulations for Radiation Protection

Radiation protection concerning the safety of spent fuel management is described in Section F.4.
G.1.5

Taking into Account Biological, Chemical and Other Hazards

The regulatory body, when issuing a license to a major nuclear facility in accordance with the Reactor
Regulation Law, conducts safety examination to ensure that the location, structure and equipment of the
facility are adequate to prevent hazards due to nuclear fuel material or materials contaminated with it.
G.1.6

Taking into Account Impacts on Future Generations

As mentioned in Section B, the Government of Japan makes it a basis of its nuclear energy policy todomestically establish a nuclear fuel cycle in which spent fuel is reprocessed in order to make effective
use of uranium resources. Spent fuel generated by nuclear power plant is considered as a usefulrecyclable fuel resource, so that it will be stored and managed safely until it is reprocessed.
G.1.7

Taking into Account Burdens on Future Generations

The competent minister is required by the law to examine an application for a license for a major nuclear
facility to ensure that issuing the license does not pose any impediment to the development and planned
utilization of nuclear energy and that an applicant has a financial basis necessary for adequate business
operations.
In accordance with the ministerial ordinance concerning reserves for reprocessing of spent nuclear fuelunder the Electric Utilities Industry Law, electric utilities are required to set up reserves for reprocessingof spent fuel every business year to meet expenses entailed in reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel.

92

Table G.1-1

Requirements for the Design of Spent Fuel Management Facilities under
Examination Guide for Safety Design of Light Water Nuclear Power Reactor
Facilities
Items

Spent fuel storage andhandling system

Requirements-

Appropriate periodical testing and inspection of structures, systems
and components with safety functions shall be possible
Storage system shall have appropriate containment and air
purification system.
Storage system shall have appropriate storage capacity.
Handling system shall have capability to prevent the dropping offuel assemblies during transfer.
Proper shielding for radiation protection shall be available.
Storage system shall have the system capable of fully removing
decay heat and transporting it to an ultimate heat sink with associatedpurification system.
Prevention of excessive decrease of cooling water inventory in thestorage systems and proper leakage detection shall be possible.
Storage systems shall not lose their safety functions even in case of
postulated dropping of fuel assemblies during handling.
Prevention of fuel criticality Fuel storage and handling systems shall be so designed that criticality canbe prevented in any postulated case by use of geometrical safety layout orother appropriate means.
Fuel handling area shall be so designed that the situation leading to the loss
Monitoring of a fuelof decay heat removal capability and excessive radiation levels can behandling placedetected and that such situation can be properly communicated to thepersonnel or corrective measures can be automatically taken against suchsituation.

93

G.2

Existing Facilities (Article 5)

Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to review the safety of any
spent fuel management facility existing at the time the Convention enters into force for thatContracting Party and to ensure that, if necessary, all reasonably practicable improvements
are made to upgrade the safety of such a facility.
G.2.1

Existing Spent Fuel Management Facilities

The regulatory body conducts following inspections on spent fuel management facilities associated tomajor nuclear facilities. On the basis of inspections conducted to this day, none of spent fuelmanagement facilities were found to require significant corrective actions to continue operation.
(1) Periodical Inspections of Facility
The regulatory body conducts periodical inspections of facility once a year (once every 13 months in
the case of commercial power reactor facilities) to confirm if the performance of the facilities andequipment complies with the technical standards prescribed by laws and ordinances.
(2) Nuclear Safety Inspections
The regulatory body conducts nuclear safety inspections by resident Nuclear Safety Inspectors fourtimes a year to check for nuclear business operators’ compliance with the Safety Preservation Rules.

94

G.3

Siting of Proposed Facilities (Article 6)

Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that procedures are
established and implemented for a proposed spent fuel management facility:(i)

to evaluate all relevant site-related factors likely to affect the safety of such afacility during its operating lifetime;(ii)

to evaluate the likely safety impact of such a facility on individuals, society andthe environment;(iii)

to make information on the safety of such a facility available to members of the
public;(iv)

to consult Contracting Parties in the vicinity of such a facility, insofar as they
are likely to be affected by that facility, and provide them, upon their request,
with general data relating to the facility to enable them to evaluate the likely
safety impact of the facility upon their territory.
In so doing, each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that such
facilities shall not have unacceptable effects on other Contracting Parties by being sited inaccordance with the general safety requirements of Article 4.
G.3.1

Evaluation of Site-Related Factors and Impact of Proposed Facilities

The regulatory body, when issuing a license to operate a nuclear facility in accordance with the Reactor
Regulation Law, conducts safety examination to ensure that siting and the basic design of facility,
equipments and components of a major nuclear facility are adequate to prevent hazards due to nuclear
fuel material or materials contaminated with it. The regulatory body also uses examination guide insafety examination.
The Basic Guides for Safety Examination of Nuclear Fuel Facilities, one of the safety examination
guides, provide that a site shall satisfy the following conditions:- Basic conditions: No event liable to induce large accident is likely to occur at and near a
proposed site for a nuclear fuel facility and there have also been very few events deemed liable
to propagate disaster.
- Condition during normal operations: Radiation dose to which members of the public may be
exposed during normal operations of a proposed nuclear fuel facility are kept ALARA.
- Condition at an accident: The maximum postulated accident at the proposed nuclear fuelfacility should not cause excessive exposure to the public.
As for the basic conditions, the guides governing each types of facilities provide that operators must take
into account the possible impacts from the natural environment such as earthquake, tidal wave, flood,
typhoon, snowfall and other natural phenomena, as well as the possible impacts on the social
environment of a fire and explosion at nearby factories, a falling object from an aircraft accident, andother similar events.
Details of public exposure during normal operations, and in accidents, of nuclear facilities, are given in
Section F.4. and in Section G.5.1., respectively.
Siting of a spent fuel management facility attached to a reactor facility is examined in accordance with
the Examination Guide for Nuclear Reactor Siting Evaluation and Application Criteria as part ofexaminations of a whole reactor facility.

95G.3.2

Information Disclosure

Information on the safety of nuclear facilities, including application documents, is made available tomembers of the public as part of administrative services. Moreover, government documents are madeavailable to the general public upon request made in accordance with the Law on the Disclosure ofInformation Held by Administrative Agencies, which came into force on April 1, 2001, unless reasonsfor non-disclosure apply.
Furthermore, application documents submitted by operators for licenses to conduct business operations
or construct nuclear facilities are made available for public at the National Diet Library and otherinstitutions.
G.3.3

Relationship with Neighboring Countries

Being an insular country, Japan is located at a considerable distance from its neighboring countries.
Therefore, as long as the safety of nuclear facilities is properly secured within Japan, nuclear facilities in
the country are highly unlikely to have safety impacts on the neighboring countries. The Japanese
government does not have it a rule to consult the neighboring countries about siting of nuclear facilities.
The Japanese government provides neighboring countries with information on nuclear energy in the
country through bilateral consultation, etc.

96

G.4

Design and Construction of Facilities (Article 7)
Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that:(i)the design and construction of a spent fuel management facility provide for suitablemeasures to limit possible radiological impacts on individuals, society and theenvironment, including those from discharges or uncontrolled releases;(ii)

at the design stage, conceptual plans and, as necessary, technical provisions for thedecommissioning of a spent fuel management facility are taken into account;(iii)

the technologies incorporated in the design and construction of a spent fuelmanagement facility are supported by experience, testing or analysis.

G.4.1

Limitation of Radiological Impacts on Individuals, Society and the Environment

The regulations under the Reactor Regulation Law provide that an applicant for a license for a nuclear
facility should attach to application documents explaining: (i) meteorological conditions, the groundconditions, hydrological conditions, a social environment, and others at the site; (ii) safety design of the
facility; (iii) radiation protection from nuclear fuel material (including spent fuel) and matters
contaminated by it, and radioactive waste management; (iv) types, extent and possible consequences of
postulated accidents at the facility initiated by operational error, equipment or system failure, earthquake,or a fire.
The regulatory body examines application and attached documents to confirm that appropriate measures
are taken in the design to satisfy basic conditions, conditions during normal operations and conditions inan accident as mentioned in Section G.3.1.
The Reactor Regulation Law and its regulations require operators to take appropriate measures in thedesign to limit radiation hazards on individuals, society and the environment to ensure that:(1) nuclear facility is capable of confining radioactive material to a limited section;(2) proper radiation shield is provided to hold public exposure to direct radiation and skyshine rays
sufficiently low.
(3) adequate radiation shield is provided for personnel engaged in radiation work considering theworking conditions;(4) appropriate measures are taken to oversee and manage the working environment for personnel
engaged in radiation work;(5) the concentration of radioactive material releases to the environment is kept ALARA by, forexample, properly processing radioactive waste produced from storage facility;(6) appropriate measures are taken to properly monitor the concentration of radioactive material ata radioactive waste release pathway; and(7) appropriate safety precautions to cope with an accident, such as an emergency alarm system, acommunication channel, and measures for evacuation of personnel engaged in radiation work,
are taken.
The details about safety evaluation during an accident are described in Section G. 5.1.
The operators are required to prepare construction plan, to obtain the approval by the competent minister,and to go through welding inspections during the construction of a nuclear facility at an eachconstruction process, when related work is completed. The regulatory body confirms that theconstruction work has been carried out as approved and is consistent with the technical standards.
Pre-service inspections include various inspections and tests ranging from the components structure,strength or leakage inspections to the functions and performance tests of a nuclear facility as a whole.

97

G.4.2Conceptual Plans and Technical Provisions for Decommissioning

The Reactor Regulation Law provides that operators shall, when dismantling a nuclear facility, submit
to the competent minister in advance a notification setting forth a method of dismantling and a methodof disposing of nuclear fuel material and materials contaminated with it.
With respect to the development of technologies for dismantling commercial power reactors, actual
dismantling of the JPDR and dismantling technologies usable in the decommissioning of commercial
power reactors were developed under the long-term program formulated by the AEC. The JPDR was
dismantled in accordance with the Decision by NSC named “Basic Concept of Securing the Safety of
the Dismantling of Reactor Facilities: Dismantling JPDR.”* The NSC decided that basic concept toensure the safety of future dismantling of nuclear facilities should be formulated on the basis ofexperience in the dismantling of the JPDR, the progress of dismantling technology, and international
trends.
* : In August 2001, the name of this decision was changed as "Basic Policy of Securing the Safety of theDismantling of Reactor Facilities", and the content was revised partly.

The Advisory Committee on Decommissioning, an advisory body to the then Ministry of International
Trade and Industry, in January 1997, summarized tasks that should be addressed on decommissioning
technology, safety measures and procedures, and the processing and disposal of waste. Moreover, basedon data obtained from the dismantling of the JPDR, the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Subcommittee’s
Decommissioning Safety Subcommittee at the Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy
published a report in August 2001. In this report, the subcommittee spelled out concrete steps onplanning for ensuring safety of decommissioning, on safety management, on decommissioning activity,
on considerations in ensuring safety, and on a safety regulation policy. Nuclear business operators
decommission nuclear facilities in accordance with these policies.
G.4.3

Steps to Support the Reliability of Technologies

Operators incorporate sufficiently time-tested domestic and foreign technologies in the design andconstruction of nuclear facilities.
Since 1976 the NSC has been promoting research on the safety of environmental radioactivity andradioactive waste at major nuclear facilities. Researches have been conducted on the safety of major
nuclear facilities with the aim of meeting the possible expansion and diversification of nuclear power
development and utilization, as well as contributing to form a national consensus on the safety of major
nuclear facilities. Specifically, the JAERI and other institutions are carrying out research projects aimed
at developing safety standards, guidelines and acceptance criteria in safety examination, as well as
improving safety.
The regulatory body, in a safety examination of nuclear facilities, conducts a cross-check and analysis asnecessary to validate the results of safety analyses made by an applicant.

98

G.5

Assessment of Safety of Facilities (Article 8)
Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that:(i)before construction of a spent fuel management facility, a systematic safetyassessment and an environmental assessment appropriate to the hazard presented
by the facility and covering its operating lifetime shall be carried out;(ii)

before the operation of a spent fuel management facility, updated and detailed
versions of the safety assessment and of the environmental assessment shall be
prepared when deemed necessary to complement the assessments referred to inparagraph (i).

G.5.1

Systematic Safety Assessment and Environmental Assessment

The competent minister, when issuing a license for a nuclear facility on the basis of the Reactor
Regulation Law, requires the applicant to explain meteorology, geology, hydrology and social
environment of the site, and safety design of the facility, and examine them.
The safety examination guides, used to examine an application documents, require the applicant toperform safety assessment on the maximum postulated accidents in each nuclear facilities prescribed in
the guides, and confirm that these accidents do not cause excessive public exposure of radiation
The safety examination guides require operators of reactor facilities and reprocessing facilities, whichcontain quantities of radioactive material, to perform both safety design assessment to confirm theadequacy of safety design of the facility and siting assessment to assess the isolation between the facility
and the public from the point of view of radiation safety. Moreover, in a series of safety assessments, thesafety assessment guides require that postulated drop of a fuel assembly does not cause excessive publicradiation exposure for a water pool type spent fuel management facility, that is attached to a powerreactor facility.
G.5.2

Updating of Assessments Before Operation of Facilities

The Reactor Regulation Law provides that nuclear business operators shall apply for alteration oflicense application of safety examination, when change of license is necessary to incorporate the latest
technical knowledge, and that he shall apply for change to the Construction Plan, when major change indetailed design is necessary.

99

G.6

Operation of Facilities (Article 9)

Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that:(i)the licence to operate a spent fuel management facility is based upon appropriate
assessments as specified in Article 8 and is conditional on the completion of acommissioning programme demonstrating that the facility, as constructed, isconsistent with design and safety requirements;(ii)

operational limits and conditions derived from tests, operational experience and theassessments, as specified in Article 8, are defined and revised as necessary;(iii)

operation, maintenance, monitoring, inspection and testing of a spent fuelmanagement facility are conducted in accordance with established procedures;(iv)

engineering and technical support in all safety-related fields are available
throughout the operating lifetime of a spent fuel management facility;(v)

incidents significant to safety are reported in a timely manner by the holder of thelicence to the regulatory body;(vi)

programmes to collect and analyse relevant operating experience are establishedand that the results are acted upon, where appropriate;(vii) decommissioning plans for a spent fuel management facility are prepared andupdated, as necessary, using information obtained during the operating lifetime ofthat facility, and are reviewed by the regulatory body.
G.6.1

Verification through Pre-service Inspection

An operator, in accordance with the Reactor Regulation Law or the Electric Utilities Industry Law,
prepares Construction Plan and submits it to the regulatory body for approval. Also, the operator
undergoes the regulatory body’s pre-service inspection at each construction process and at the end of all
construction works, to verify that the construction is completed as approved and is consistent with thetechnical standards. Passing Pre-service inspections, the nuclear business operator is allowed tocommence operation of the facility.
G.6.2

Operational Requirements and Conditions

Before the operation of a nuclear facility, an operator subject to the Reactor Regulation Law notifies theregulatory body of an Operational Plan and prepares Safety Preservation Rules specifying methods ofoperation, inspection and radiation monitoring and submit it to the regulatory body for approval. The
Safety Preservation Rules shall specify operational limits, and the facility shall be operated andmaintained in compliance with the rules. Table G.6-1 shows the contents of the Safety Preservation
Rules of a commercial power reactor facility. The competent minister, finding noncompliance with theoperational requirements, orders the operator to take corrective measures.
Operator assigns, a Chief Engineer of Reactor, a Supervisor of Nuclear Fuel Material, or a Supervisor of
Spent Fuel, who has passed national examinations, and is put in charge of overseeing safety in theoperation of a nuclear facility.
G.6.3

Procedures and Conduct of Maintenance, Operation, Inspection, Etc.

100

In accordance with the Reactor Regulation Law or the Electric Utilities Industry Law, operators, after
commencement of the operation of nuclear facilities, are required to undergo periodical facility
inspections and safety inspections of the facilities.
(1) Periodical Inspections of Facilities
The regulatory body conducts Periodical Facility Inspections once a year (once every 13 months in
the case of commercial power reactor facilities) to see if the performance of the facilities andequipment complies with the technical standards prescribed by laws and ordinances.
(2) Nuclear Safety Inspections
The regulatory body posts Nuclear Safety Inspector to each nuclear facility to conduct the Nuclear
Safety Inspection four times a year to supervise the compliance with the Safety Preservation Rules
and release the results to the public the results.
G.6.4

Technical Support throughout the Operation Lifetime

Throughout the operation lifetime of a nuclear facility, the regulatory body obtains engineering andtechnical advice from a committee, which is composed of experts on operational management,
inspection and radiation control, and reflects it in the operation, maintenance and safety regulations asnecessary.
METI is promoting demonstration of the reliability of main facilities and equipment, as well as various
safety research projects, in order to enhance safety. MEXT is carrying out a safety research project aspart of nuclear science research.
Meanwhile, nuclear business operators are collecting information about operating experience both athome and abroad, and accumulating the up-to-date technical information through the self-financed
development of technologies and repair work.
Private-sector organizations are providing various forms of support.
G.6.5

Reporting of Incidents and Failures

The Reactor Regulation Law or the Electric Utilities Industry Law require operators to report to theregulatory body about the situation and the measures taken to incidents or failures at major nuclear
facilities. The reporting criteria prescribed in these laws for commercial power reactor facilities wheremost of the spent fuel is stored are shown in Table G.6-2. Furthermore some minor failures below thecriteria are also to be reported under a ministerial notification of METI. The regulatory body is further
encouraging operators to feedback the measures to prevent a recurrence to other nuclear facilities as
well.
G.6.6

Reflecting Operating Experience

Upon receipt of a report on an incident or a failure at a nuclear facility, the regulatory body immediately
make it public and, when the cause has been cleared up and the measures to prevent a recurrence havebeen decided, makes them known to the public. Moreover, the regulatory body assesses each incidents
or failures in detail to get the lessons learned with respect to safety, being advised by committee
composed of experts on operation management, inspection and radiation control, and reflects them in101

the operation, maintenance and safety regulations as necessary.
Furthermore, an agency established by a supporting organization at the behest of the regulatory body iscollecting and analyzing information about operating experience both at domestic and overseas nuclear
facilities, and providing information to related organizations. A mechanism is established to exchange
information about incidents and failures at nuclear facilities with overseas institutions and internationalorganizations, such as the IAEA and the OECD/NEA, as well as under bilateral cooperation agreements.
Meanwhile, electric utilities and the Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI), an
institution financed by electric utilities, are collecting and analyzing information about operating
experience both domestic and abroad. Japanese electric utilities are exchanging information about
operating experience with overseas entities through the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO)
and the World Association of Nuclear Operators’ (WANO) Tokyo Center. Moreover, each individual
electric utility is collecting information under information exchange agreements it has entered into withelectric utilities and reactor manufacturers in France, Germany, the United States and other countries.
Recognizing the importance of safety information sharing and safety culture throughout the nuclear
power industry, related organizations jointly established a private institution NS Net in December 1999.
The NS Net is carrying out peer reviews and other routine activities.
G.6.7

Decommissioning Plans and Updating of Information

As described in Section G.4.2, operators intending to dismantle a nuclear facility are obligated to submit
to the competent minister in advance a notification setting forth a dismantling method and a method of
disposing of nuclear fuel material and articles contaminated by nuclear fuel material.

102

Table G.6-1 Examples of the Contents of the Safety Preservation Rules for Commercial Power Reactor
Facilities
1. The duties of personnel engaged in the operation and management of commercial power reactor,
and organization
2. The following items with respect to the safety preservation education for personnel engaged in
the operation and management of commercial power reactor(1) Policy for the safety preservation education(including preparation of education program)(2) The contents of the safety preservation education as follows
1) Relevant laws and the Safety Preservation Rules
2) Constitution, performance and operation of commercial power reactor
3) Radiation management4) Handling of nuclear fuel materials and objects contaminated by them5) Measures to be taken in emergencies(3) Other necessary items for the safety preservation education of commercial power reactor
3. Operation of commercial power reactor
4. Safety examination on the operation of commercial power reactor
5. Designation of controlled areas, conservation areas and environment monitoring areas, andrestriction of access to these areas
6. Ventilation and discharge monitoring equipment
7. Monitoring of the dose, the dose equivalent, the concentration of radioactive materials and thedensity of radioactive materials on the surface of objects contaminated by radioactive materials,
and the decontamination
8. Management of radiation measuring instruments
9. Patrols and checks of commercial power reactor and their associated measures
10. Voluntary periodical inspections of commercial power reactor
11. Receipt, delivery, transport, storage and other handling of nuclear fuel materials
12. Disposal of radioactive waste
13. Measures to be taken in emergency
14. Records on safety preservation of commercial power reactor (including observance status)

103

Table G.6-2 Incident and Failure Reporting Standards at Commercial Power Reactor Facilities
Upon the occurrence of any one of the following events, nuclear business operators shallimmediately give notice to that effect to the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, and shallreport to the minister about the situation of the event and corrective actions taken within ten days ofthe event:(1) Nuclear fuel material is stolen or its whereabouts is unknown;(2) A reactor has shut down or the necessity has arisen to shut down a reactor due to a failurein the reactor facility;(3) A failure of reactor facility is found during its outage, that is likely to affect the operationof a reactor;(4) The concentration of radioactive material in the air outside a peripheral monitoring area
has exceeded the concentration limits due to the gaseous radioactive waste releasethrough ventilation equipment;(5) Gaseous nuclear fuel material or an article contaminated by nuclear fuel material has
leaked outside the controlled area;(6) The concentration of radioactive material in water on the boundary outside a peripheral
monitoring area has exceeded the concentration limits due to the liquid radioactive waste
release through discharge facilities;(7) Liquid nuclear fuel material or an article contaminated by nuclear fuel material has
leaked outside the controlled area;(8) Nuclear fuel material or an article contaminated by nuclear fuel material has leaked
inside a controlled area, and remedial measures, such as declaration of off-limits andcontrol of keys, have been newly taken at a place where leakage has occurred, or the leakhas spread to outside of the controlled area;(9) Personnel engaged in radiation work have been exposed to radiation that exceeds or is
likely to exceed the dose limits; or(10) A hazard to personnel (excluding minor hazards other than radiation hazards) has
occurred or is likely to occur at a reactor facility.
Source: Rules for the Installation, Operation, Etc. of Commercial Power Reactors

104

H. Safety of Radioactive Waste Management

105Blank Page

106

Section H. Safety of Radioactive Waste Management
The safety of radioactive waste management is ensured within the regulatory framework described in
Section E.2.4. The safety of management of radioactive waste generated, processed and stored atenrichment and/or fuel manufacturing facilities, reactor facilities, spent fuel storage facilities,
reprocessing facilities or fuel material use facilities are regulated by the respective provisions of theReactor Regulation Law. Moreover, radioactive waste management facilities are regulated as facilities
attached to the main facilities. The safety management of radioactive waste that generated atradioisotope use facilities, etc. is regulated by the Radiation Hazards Prevention Law, as described in
Section E.2.4.
The safety management of radioactive waste that is to be disposed of, or radioactive waste that is to beprocessed or stored by independent businesses, is regulated by the provisions of the Reactor Regulation
Law on the waste disposal business and other independent waste management business, and facilities
are regulated as independent facilities with respect to licensing, permission, approval and inspection.
As mentioned in Section B, HLW and uranium waste produced domestically is stored in storage
facilities where it is generated. HLW produced by the overseas reprocessing contract of spent fuel isreturned to the Japanese utilities in stable vitrified waste packages, which are stored at JNFL’s facilities
before disposal. At present, high-level radioactive waste is not yet disposed of, and the regulatory bodies
are preparing related regulations. Therefore, this section describes regulations on LLW, the disposal ofwhich has already started.
Fig. H.1 outlines the flow of regulations on LLW disposal. Flow of regulations begins with application
for license. The regulatory body issues license after safety examination. At a prescribed construction
process, the regulatory body conducts the Safety Verification of Disposal Facility. The operator starts
operation after they notify the regulatory body of it. After start of operation, the regulatory body
conducts Safety Preservation Inspections four times a year, and conducts Safety Verification ofRadioactive Waste Packages at emplacement of each waste package. The regulatory body conducts
Safety Verification of Disposal Facility, again, at the closure of the disposal facility.
As the institutional control of the closed disposal facility, operator implements Step-wise Control taking
account of types and levels of radioactive waste. Radiation monitoring is carried out at the first andsecond stages, or at the disposal stage.

107

Closure

Preservation of Disposal Facility

Safety Inspections (four times a year)(Patrol and Inspection)

108
A disposal facility withengineered barrier

Guides for Safety
Examination ofRadioactive Waste
Disposal Facility(Applicable to low-level
radioactive waste
produced by theoperation of reactor
facilities, etc.)

Emplacement of solidified
radioactive waste package in a nearsurface disposal facility withengineered barrier

Step-wise Control

First Stage
Monitoring and prevention ofleakage from engineered
barriers

Second Stage
Monitoring of leakage and migrationfrom engineered barriers, andretardation of migration form naturaland engineered barriers

Third Stage

Retardation of migration from naturalbarriers, and prohibition or restriction of
specific activities

300 ~ 400year
A disposal facility without
engineered barrier
Emplacement of loose concrete
scraps in a near surface disposal
facility without engineered barrier

Disposal Stage

Preservation Stage

Retardation and monitoring of
migration into the living
environment

Retardation of migration into the living environment, and prohibition or restrictionof specific activities

50year

Fig.H-1 A Flow of Regulations on LLW Disposal Facility
108

Notification of Termination of Businesscovered with soil)

Appointment of Chief Engineer*(When the repository is

Approval of Safety Preservation Rules

Institutional Control*
Safety Verification of

Safety Verification of Disposal Facility

Safety Verification ofIssue of License* *Radioactive Waste Package*

Operation

Disposal facility

Start of Operation*

Notification of
the Start of Business*of Radioactive Waste*

Safety Examination

The Reactor Regulation
Law, and the Rules forRadioactive Waste
Disposal*Application for License

Siting, Design and Construction

H.1

General Safety Requirements (Article 11)
Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that at all stages ofradioactive waste management individuals, society and the environment are
adequately protected against radiological and other hazards. In so doing, eachContracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to:(i)ensure that criticality and removal of residual heat generated during
radioactive waste management are adequately addressed;(ii)

ensure that the generation of radioactive waste is kept to the minimum
practicable;(iii)

take into account interdependencies among the different steps in radioactive
waste management;(iv)

provide for effective protection of individuals, society and the environment, byapplying at the national level suitable protective methods as approved by theregulatory body, in the framework of its national legislation which has due
regard to internationally endorsed criteria and standards;(v)take into account the biological, chemical and other hazards that may be
associated with radioactive waste management;(vi)

strive to avoid actions that impose reasonably predictable impacts on future
generations greater than those permitted for the current generation;(vii) aim to avoid imposing undue burdens on future generations.

H.1.1

Criticality and Removal of Residual Heat

The regulatory body, when issuing a license to operate a nuclear facility in accordance with the Reactor
Regulation Law, conducts safety examination to ensure that the location, structure and equipment of a
nuclear facility are adequate to prevent disasters caused by nuclear fuel material or matters
contaminated by it.
In the safety examination of a radioactive waste management facility, the regulatory body confirms thatthe appropriate measures are taken to prevent criticality and remove residual heat.
Furthermore, the Ordinance for the Reactor Regulation Law specifies upper boundary of radionuclide
concentration that should not be exceeded when radioactive waste is emplaced for disposal.
The regulatory body conducts inspections, as described in Section E.1.2(1), to confirm that theconditions on which the license has been issued are satisfied at the design and facility operation.
Facilities licensed under the Radiation Hazards Prevention Law do not necessitate any consideration ofcriticality or removal of residual heat.
H.1.2

Minimization in the Generation of Radioactive Waste

As mentioned in Section B.3, activities are implemented to minimize the generation of radioactive waste
at nuclear facilities.

109

The Examination Guide for Safety Design of Light Water Nuclear Power Reactor Facilities and the
Guidelines for Examination of the Safety of Nuclear Fuel Facilities, request operators to keep publicradiation exposure ALARA. Operators of nuclear facilities keep discharge of radioactive gaseous andliquid waste ALARA. Discharge of radionuclides in gaseous waste is reduced by removing radioactive
materials through filtration or absorption, and by decay in storage tanks. Discharge of radionuclides inliquid waste are reduced by removing radioactive materials through filtration, ion exchange, or
distillation. Solid waste is packed in metal drums, which are stored in dedicated storage pits. Before
storing, solid waste is sorted into several categories according to properties of waste, substances that arelikely to harm the integrity of waste packages are removed, and the volume of solid waste is reduced
through incineration and compaction.
The annual discharge of gaseous and liquid waste, the production of solid waste, the volume reduction,and the inventory of waste are reported to the regulatory body in fiscal year, which reports them to the
NSC and disclose them to the public.
Operators of radioisotope waste management facilities licensed under the Radiation Hazards Prevention
Law report to the regulatory body amount of annual collection and inventory of liquid and solid waste in
the fiscal year.
Furthermore, the development of technologies are carried out to minimize generation of radioactive
waste, such as decontamination technology, metal melting technology, and recycling technology ofconcrete scraps.
The NSC, as mentioned in Section B, has published clearance levels and its verification methods forconcrete and metal scraps, which account for a greater portion of waste produced by nuclear facility. The
regulatory body is in the process of establishing relevant regulations. Waste below a clearance levelneeds not be dealt with as radioactive material and can be handled in the same manner as
non-radioactive waste. The AEC encourages to recycle this type of waste as far as reasonably
achievable.
H.1.3

Interdependencies among the Different Steps in Waste Management

As described in Section E.1.6, operators are required to take appropriate steps to properly manage
radioactive waste at processing and storage stages at nuclear facilities (excluding disposal facility), andat disposal stage at disposal facility, in order to appropriately protect individuals, society and theenvironment against radiation hazards.
Radioactive waste is classified into two categories, HLW (liquid waste generated from spent fuelreprocessing and its vitrified package) and other LLW. The LLW is sub-classified according to origin of
waste (difference in composite radioactive nuclides) and level of radioactivity, in order to ensure thatthese wastes are properly processed, stored and disposed of. Establishment of regulations at the disposal
stage (see Table B.4-2) is under way in consistency with the classification of radioactive waste (seeTable B.4-1).
H.1.4

Regulations for Radiation Protection

Radiation protection in radioactive waste management is described in Section F.4. One of the criteria
specific to waste disposal facility is an application dose criteria at the end of institutional control of adisposal facility. The Guides for Safety Examination of Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility provide that “the110

institutional control should be completed within a reasonable time period, after which public exposure should
be kept at such a low level as does not need any management for radiation control.”
H.1.5

Taking into Account the Biological, Chemical and Other Hazards

The regulatory body, when issuing a license for a major nuclear facility in accordance with the Reactor
Regulation Law, conducts safety examination to ensure that the location, structure and equipment of the
facility are adequate to prevent hazards due to nuclear fuel material or matters contaminated with it.
The provisions on the Safety Verification of Disposal Facility stipulates that explosive materials,
corrosive materials and other hazardous materials shall not be put at disposal facility, and that effective
anti-corrosion measures should be taken giving due consideration to the properties of surface water,
groundwater and soil.
In addition, the provisions on the Safety Verification of Radioactive Waste Package stipulates that waste
package shall not contain the following materials which are likely to harm the integrity of waste
package:(1) explosive material or material that explosively reacts with water;(2) volatile material;(3) pyrophoric material;(4) corrosive material; and(5) gas emitting material.
Also, the regulatory body, when issuing a license for radioisotope waste management business inaccordance with the Radiation Hazards Prevention Law, conducts safety examination to ensure that
there should be no radiation hazards caused by radioisotopes or objects contaminated by them.
H.1.6

Taking into Account Impacts on Future Generations

As mentioned in Section B, the policy is stated that the present generation, who enjoy the benefits ofnuclear energy, has the obligation to do its utmost for the safe disposal of radioactive waste generated in
the research, development and utilization of nuclear energy, and should pay continued efforts to that
direction.
In accordance with this policy, radioactive waste produced by nuclear facilities has been, is, will betransported to and disposed of at waste disposal facilities. In issuing license to disposal facility, safety
examinations are conducted in accordance with the Guides for Safety Examination of Radioactive Waste
Disposal Facility to avoid imposing excessive impacts on future generations.
H.1.7

Taking into Account Burdens on Future Generations

The regulatory body examines an application for a license for a major nuclear facility, to ensure thatissuing the license does not pose any impediment to the development and planned utilization of nuclear
energy, and that the applicant has capacities necessary for adequate business operation.
Also, as mentioned in Section B, in accordance with the Law on Final Disposal of DesignatedRadioactive Waste enacted in May 2002, operators of commercial power reactor facility have depositedfunds for disposal to the Nuclear Waste Management Organization of Japan (NUMO), an implementing
body responsible for disposal, who entrusts the Radioactive Waste Management Funding and ResearchCenter with management of the fund.

111

H.2

Existing Facilities and Past Practices (Article 12)

Each Contracting Party shall in due course take the appropriate steps to review:
(i)

(ii)

H.2.1

the safety of any radioactive waste management facility existing at thetime the Convention enters into force for that Contracting Party and toensure that, if necessary, all reasonably practicable improvements are
made to upgrade the safety of such a facility;
the results of past practices in order to determine whether any
intervention is needed for reasons of radiation protection bearing in
mind that the reduction in detriment resulting from the reduction indose should be sufficient to justify the harm and the costs, including thesocial costs, of the intervention.

Existing Radioactive Waste Management Facilities

The regulatory body conducts following inspections on radioactive waste management facilities. On thebasis of the results of the Periodical Facility Inspections, the Nuclear Safety Inspections or On-the-Spot
Inspections conducted to this day, none of major radioactive waste management facilities were found torequire significant corrective action to continue operation.
(1) Major Nuclear Facilities licensed under the Reactor Regulation Law
1)Periodical Inspections of Facilities
The regulatory body conducts periodical inspections of major nuclear facilities (excluding
disposal facilities) once a year (once every 13 months in the case of commercial power reactor
facilities) to confirm if performance of the facilities and equipment complies with the technicalstandards prescribed by laws and ordinances.

2)

Nuclear Safety Inspections
The regulatory body conducts the Nuclear Safety Inspections by resident Nuclear Safety
Inspectors four times a year to confirm for operators’ compliance with the Safety Preservation
Rules.

(2)

1)

Radioisotope Waste Management Facilities licensed under the Radiation Hazards Prevention
Law
Periodical Inspections
The regulatory body conducts the periodical inspections of nuclear facilities once within three
years to confirm if the performance of the facilities and equipment complies with the technicalstandards prescribed by laws and ordinances.

2)

On-the-Spot Inspections
The regulatory body dispatches the radiation inspectors to conduct On-the-Spot Inspections if
necessary.

112

H.2.2

Examination of the Results of Past Practices

As results of review of the past practices, there are neither radioactive waste nor nuclear facilities that
require any intervention for reasons of radiation protection.

113

H.3

Siting of Proposed Facilities (Article 13)

Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that procedures are
established and implemented for a proposed radioactive waste management facility:(i)

to evaluate all relevant site-related factors likely to affect the safety of such afacility during its operating lifetime as well as that of a disposal facility after
closure;(ii)

to evaluate the likely safety impact of such a facility on individuals, society andthe environment, taking into account possible evolution of the site conditions ofdisposal facilities after closure;(iii)

to make information on the safety of such a facility available to general public;(iv)

to consult Contracting Parties in the vicinity of such a facility, insofar as they
are likely to be affected by that facility, and provide them, upon their request,
with general data relating to the facility to enable them to evaluate the likely
safety impact of the facility upon their territory.
In so doing, each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that such
facilities shall not have unacceptable effects on other Contracting Parties by being sited inaccordance with the general safety requirements of ARTICLE 11.
H.3.1

Evaluation of Site-related Factors and Impact of Proposed Facilities

The regulatory body, when issuing license to operate a nuclear facility in accordance with the Reactor
Regulation Law, conducts safety examination to ensure that siting and the basic design of facility,
equipments and components of a major nuclear facility are adequate to prevent hazards due to nuclear
fuel material or materials contaminated with it. The regulatory body uses examination guides in safety
examination.
The Basic Guides for Safety Examination of Nuclear Fuel Facilities, one of the safety examination
guides, provide that a site shall satisfy the following conditions:- Basic conditions: No event liable to induce large accident is likely to occur at and near a
proposed site of the nuclear fuel facility and there have also been very few events deemed
liable to propagate disaster.
- Condition during normal operation: Radiation dose to which members of the public may be
exposed during normal operations of a proposed nuclear fuel facility are kept ALARA.
- Condition at an accident: The maximum postulated accidents at the proposed nuclear fuelfacility should not cause excessive exposure to the public.
These requirements are the same as those provided in the Guides for Safety Examination of Radioactive
Waste Disposal Facility.
As for the basic conditions, the guides governing each type of facilities provide that operators must take
into account the possible impacts from the natural environment such as earthquake, tidal wave, flood,
typhoon, snowfall and other natural phenomena, as well as the possible impacts from the social
environment of a fire and explosion at nearby factories, a falling object from an aircraft accident, etc.
Details of public exposure during normal operations, and in accidents, of nuclear facilities, are given in
Section F.4. and in Section H.5.1., respectively.

114

Siting of a radioactive waste management facility attached to a reactor facility is examined inaccordance with the Examination Guide for Nuclear Reactor Siting Evaluation and Application Criteria
as part of examinations of the reactor facility.
The regulatory body, when issuing a license for operation of a radioisotope waste management facility
in accordance with the Radiation Hazards Prevention Law, conducts safety examination using
regulations and standards on the basis of the law, which provide that facilities should be located at a sitewhere landslide or inundation is unlikely to occur, that main structures should be fireproof or
fire-resistant, and that facility should be equipped with shielding walls for radiation protection.
Evaluation of disposal facilities after closure is described in the ensuing Section H.3.2.
H.3.2

Evaluation of Site-related Factors and Impact of Disposal Facilities

Evaluation of disposal facilities after closure is described in Section H.5.2. It should be noted thatappropriate measures are to be taken when the siting conditions would have changed during institutional
control after closure.
H.3.3

Information Disclosure

Information on the safety of nuclear facilities, including application documents, is made available to the
public as part of administrative services. Moreover, government documents are made available to the
public upon request made in accordance with the Law on the Disclosure of Information held byAdministrative Agency, which came into force on April 1, 2001, unless reasons for non-disclosure
apply.
Furthermore, application documents submitted by operators for licenses and other documents areavailable for public at the National Diet Library and other institutions.
Government documents containing information about the safety of radioisotope waste management
facilities licensed under the Radiation Hazards Prevention Law are also available to the public uponrequest in accordance with the Law on the Disclosure of Information held by Administrative Agency,
unless reasons for non-disclosure apply.
H.3.4

Relationship with Neighboring Countries

Being an insular country, Japan is located at a considerable distance from its neighboring countries.
Therefore, as long as the safety of nuclear facilities is properly secured within Japan, nuclear facilities in
the country are highly unlikely to have safety impacts on the neighboring countries. The Japanese
government does not have it a rule to consult the neighboring countries about siting of nuclear facilities.
The Japanese government provides neighboring countries with information on nuclear energy in the
country through bilateral consultation, etc.

115

H.4

Design and Construction of Facilities (Article 14)
Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that:(i)the design and construction of a radioactive waste management facility provide forsuitable measures to limit possible radiological impacts on individuals, society andthe environment, including those from discharges or uncontrolled releases;(ii)

at the design stage, conceptual plans and, as necessary, technical provisions for thedecommissioning of a radioactive waste management facility other than a disposal
facility are taken into account;(iii)

at the design stage, technical provisions for the closure of a disposal facility areprepared;(iv)

the technologies incorporated in the design and construction of a radioactive waste
management facility are supported by experience, testing or analysis.

H.4.1

Limitation of Radiological Impacts on Individuals, Society and the Environment

The regulations under the Reactor Regulation Law provide that an applicant for a license for a nuclear
facility should submit documents explaining: (i) meteorological conditions, the ground conditions,hydrological conditions, a social environment, and others at the site; (ii) safety design of the facility; (iii)
radiation protection from nuclear fuel material (including spent fuel) and objects contaminated by it, andradioactive waste management; (iv) types, extent and possible consequences of postulated accidents at
the facility initiated by operational error, equipment or system failure, earthquake, or a fire.
The regulatory body examines application and attached documents to confirm that appropriate measures
are taken in the design to satisfy basic conditions, conditions during normal operations and conditions inan accident as mentioned in Section H.3.1.
The Reactor Regulation Law and its regulations require operators to take appropriate measures in thedesign to limit radiation hazards on individuals, society and the environment to ensure that:(1) nuclear facility is capable of confining radioactive material to a limited section;(2) proper radiation shield is provided to hold public exposure to direct radiation and skyshine rays
sufficiently low.
(3) adequate radiation shield is provided for personnel engaged in radiation work considering theworking conditions;(4) appropriate measures are taken to oversee and manage the working environment for personnel
engaged in radiation work;(5) the concentration of radioactive material releases to the environment is kept ALARA by, forexample, properly processing radioactive waste produced from storage facility;(6) appropriate measures are taken to properly monitor the concentration of radioactive material ata radioactive waste discharge pathway; and(7) appropriate safety precautions to cope with an accident, such as an emergency alarm system, acommunication channel, and measures for evacuation of personnel engaged in radiation work,
are taken.
The details about safety evaluation of an accident are described in Section H. 5.1.
Operators of major nuclear facilities, other than fuel material use facilities or disposal facilities, arerequired to submit a construction plan to the competent minister for approval, and undergo welding

116

inspections and pre-service inspections. The regulatory body confirms that the construction work has
been carried out as approved and consistent with the technical standards. Pre-service inspections include
various inspections and tests ranging from the components structure, strength or leakage inspections to
the functions and performance tests of a nuclear facility as a whole.
Operator of fuel material use facility undergoes welding inspections, when necessary, and undergoes
facility inspection by the regulatory body at each construction process and when all work is completed.
The regulatory body confirms that the construction work has been carried out consistent with thetechnical standards.
Operator of disposal facility undergoes the Safety Verification of Disposal Facility by the regulatory
body at a prescribed construction process.
Those intending to gain a license to conduct a radioisotope waste management business pursuant to theRadiation Hazards Prevention Law are obligated to submit a license application to the competent
minister. The application must be accompanied by an explanatory statement setting forth the method ofwaste management and the locations, structure and equipment of waste refilling facilities and waste
storage facilities and waste management facilities. The provisions concerning the location, structure andequipment of each facility require the applicant to take the appropriate steps to restrain possible
radiological impacts to ensure that shielding walls, other shields, ventilation equipment, and effluent
equipment are consistent with the following technical standards prescribed by laws and ordinances:(1) shielding walls and other shields are capable of preventing the radiation exposure doses ofoccupational personnel engaged in radiation work, and on-site and off-site personnel fromexceeding the respective dose limit;(2) ventilation equipment is capable of holding the concentration of radioisotopes in the air at
frequently entered places in working rooms and at the exhaust outlets down below therespective specified concentration limits;(3) effluent equipment are capable of holding the concentration of radioisotopes in draining wateror effluent down below the specified concentration limit; and(4) the surface concentration of materials contaminated with radioisotopes in a working room is tobe held down below the surface concentration limit.
Moreover, a license holder of radioisotope waste management business is obligated to undergo theregulatory body's Pre-Service Facility Inspections and obtain its validation that facilities comply withthe technical standards.
H.4.2

Conceptual Plans and Technical Provisions for Decommissioning

The Reactor Regulation Law provides that operators other than operators of nuclear fuel material use
facility and disposal facility shall, when dismantling a nuclear facility, submit to the competent ministerin advance a notification providing a method of dismantling and a method of disposing of nuclear fuelmaterial and materials contaminated with it.
Moreover, an operator of any kind of facilities shall, when terminating its business, notify the competent
minister of that effect in accordance with the Reactor Regulation Law. The operator shall take measures
to transfer or dispose of nuclear fuel material, and to decontaminate materials contaminated with itwithin 30 days. If necessary, the competent minister shall order the operator to implement measures toprevent hazards.
Under the Long-Term Program formulated by the AEC, dismantling technologies applicable to thedecommissioning of commercial power reactors were developed by field tests conducted at dismantling117

of the JPDR. The JPDR was dismantled in accordance with a NSC’s decision, “Basic Concept of
Securing the Safety of the Dismantling of Reactor Facilities: the Dismantling of the JPDR”*. The
decision provided that a basic concept of ensuring safety of dismantling nuclear facilities should bebased on experience of the JPDR and progress of dismantling technology in this country and in theforeign countries.
The Advisory Committee on Decommissioning, an advisory body to the then Ministry of International
Trade and Industry (MITI), in January 1997, summarized tasks that should be addressed on
decommissioning technology, safety measures and procedures, and the processing and disposal of waste.
Moreover, based on data obtained from the dismantling of the JPDR, the Nuclear and Industrial Safety
Subcommittee’s Decommissioning Safety Subcommittee at the Advisory Committee for Natural
Resources and Energy published a report in August 2001. In this report, the subcommittee spelled out
concrete steps on planning for ensuring safety of decommissioning, on safety management, on
decommissioning activity, on considerations in ensuring safety, and on a safety regulation. Nuclear
business operators decommission nuclear facilities in accordance with the report.
Operator of a radioisotope waste management facility licensed under the Radiation Hazards Prevention
Law shall, when terminating its business, give notice to that effect to the competent minister inaccordance with the law and related regulations. The operator shall take measures to transfer or disposeof radioactive waste, and to decontaminate materials contaminated by radioisotopes within 30 days. If
necessary, the competent minister shall order the operator to implement measures to prevent radiation
hazards* : In August 2001, the name of this decision was changed as "Basic Concept of Securing the Safety of
the Dismantling of Reactor Facilities", and the content was revised partly.
H.4.3

Technical Provisions for the Closure of a Disposal Facility

Technical requirements for the closure of a disposal facility are prescribed by the Rules for Waste
Disposal Facility for Nuclear Fuel Materials or Materials Contaminated with Nuclear Materials (Rules
for Waste Disposal Facility). Table H.4-1 shows the technical requirements for waste disposal facility.
H.4.4

Steps to Support the Reliability of Technologies

Operators incorporate sufficiently time-tested domestic and foreign technologies in the design andconstruction of nuclear facilities.
Since 1976, the NSC has been promoting research on the safety of nuclear facilities, environmental
radioactivity and radioactive waste. To respond to the possible expansion and diversification of nuclear
power development and utilization, has the NSC utilized the results of safety research in theestablishment of safety policy, basic principles, and various standards and guidelines.
From fiscal year 2001 onward, the relevant organizations have planned to implement research projects
in the areas of near surface disposal, geological disposal, and clearance level, contributing to theestablishment of standards on the disposal of radioactive waste (see Table B.4-2). Subjects of research
include, in the area of near surface disposal, research on migration of radionuclides and safety analysis
of disposal of radioactive waste from medical, industrial and research facilities, and, in the area of
geological disposal, research on stability of geological environment and long-term behavior ofengineered barriers and rock bed, and, in the area of clearance level, research on verification methods ofclearance level of dismantled waste.

118

Table H.4-1 The Technical Requirements for Waste Disposal Facilities(1) The cumulative amount of each radionuclides contained in all of radioactive waste
packages emplaced in the disposal facility shall not exceed the amount of radioactivity ofeach radionuclide permitted for the disposal facility;(2) Disposal facility shall be well drained off before start of emplacement, and rainwatershall be prevented to leak into the disposal facility after the start of emplacement;(3) Off-site dispersion of radioactive material shall be prevented when non-solidified
concrete scraps and other loose solids are emplaced;(4) Disposal facility shall be tightly filled in with soil leaving no gaps beneath whenemplacement is completed;(5) Explosives, corrosives, and other hazardous materials shall not be emplaced at disposal
facility;(6) Surface of disposal facility, after emplacement is completed, shall be covered with soil
less permeable to water than soil surrounding disposal facility; so that the equipments
placed to the disposal facility will not be uncovered easily, and(7) Engineered barrier, if any, shall meet following requirements:- Engineered barrier structures shall be structurally strong enough to withstand self
weight, soil pressure, and seismic force;- Anti-corrosion steps shall be taken against surface water, groundwater and soil; and- Appropriate measures shall be taken against destruction of equipment or leakage ofradioactive material, if necessary.
Source: Article 6 of the Rules for Waste Disposal Facility

119

H.5

Assessment of Safety of Facilities (Article 15)
Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that:(i)before construction of a radioactive waste management facility, a systematic safetyassessment and an environmental assessment appropriate to the hazard presented
by the facility and covering its operating lifetime shall be carried out;(ii)

in addition, before construction of a disposal facility, a systematic safety assessment
and an environmental assessment for the period following closure shall be carriedout and the results evaluated against the criteria established by the regulatory body;(iii)

before the operation of a radioactive waste management facility, updated anddetailed versions of the safety assessment and of the environmental assessment shallbe prepared when deemed necessary to complement the assessments referred to inparagraph (i).

H.5.1

Systematic Safety Assessment and Environmental Assessment

The competent minister, when issuing a license for a nuclear facility on the basis of the Reactor
Regulation Law, requires the applicant to submit documents explaining meteorology, geology,hydrology and social environment of the site, and safety design of the facility, and examine them.
The safety examination guides, used to examine an application documents, require the applicant toperform safety assessment on the maximum postulated accidents in each nuclear facility prescribed in
the guides, and confirm that these accidents do not cause excessive public exposure of radiation.
The safety examination guides require operators of reactor facilities and reprocessing facilities, whichcontain quantities of radioactive material, to perform both safety design assessment to confirm theadequacy of safety design of the facility and siting assessment to assess the isolation between the facility
and the public from the point of view of radiation safety. Moreover, in a series of safety assessments, theguides require that postulated damage to radioactive waste management equipment does not cause
excessive public exposure of radiation.
The competent minister, when issuing a license for a radioisotope waste management facility on thebasis of the Radiation Hazards Prevention Law, requires the applicant to assess the shielding design andthe radionuclide concentration at the exhaust of the ventilation equipment and at the site exit of drainage
equipment, and confirms that the concentration limit specified in the regulations should not be
exceeded.
H.5.2

Assessment for the Period following Closure of a Disposal Facility

The basic site conditions prescribed by the Guides for Safety Examination of Radioactive Waste
Disposal Facility are that no event liable to induce large accident is likely to occur at and near the site fora waste disposal facility and there have also been very few events deemed liable to propagate disaster.
The regulatory body, when issuing license for waste disposal facility, confirms these conditions willremain valid during step-wise control (institutional control) following closure. Period of Step-wise
control is supposed to be 300 to 400 years for disposal facilities with engineered barrier, and 50 years for
disposal facilities without engineered barrier.

120

The details of institutional control are described in Section H.7.2.
H.5.3

Updating of Assessments Before Operation of Facilities

The Reactor Regulation Law provides that operators shall apply for alteration of license application ofsafety examination, when alteration of license is necessary to incorporate the latest technical knowledge,
and that they shall apply for alteration to the Construction Plan, when major change in detailed design isnecessary.
The Radiation Hazards Prevention Law also requires operators to apply for alteration to the license
application of safety examination, when necessary.

121

H.6

Operation of Facilities (Article 16)
Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that:(i)the licence to operate a radioactive waste management facility is based upon
appropriate assessments as specified in Article 15 and is conditional on thecompletion of a commissioning programme demonstrating that the facility, as
constructed, is consistent with design and safety requirements;(ii)

operational limits and conditions, derived from tests, operational experience andthe assessments as specified in Article 15 are defined and revised as necessary;(iii)

operation, maintenance, monitoring, inspection and testing of a radioactive waste
management facility are conducted in accordance with established procedures. Fora disposal facility the results thus obtained shall be used to verify and to review thevalidity of assumptions made and to update the assessments as specified in Article
15 for the period after closure;(iv)

engineering and technical support in all safety-related fields are available
throughout the operating lifetime of a radioactive waste management facility;(v)

procedures for characterization and segregation of radioactive waste are applied;(vi)

incidents significant to safety are reported in a timely manner by the holder of thelicence to the regulatory body;(vii) programmes to collect and analyse relevant operating experience are establishedand that the results are acted upon, where appropriate;(viii) decommissioning plans for a radioactive waste management facility other than adisposal facility are prepared and updated, as necessary, using information obtained
during the operating lifetime of that facility, and are reviewed by the regulatory
body;(ix) plans for the closure of a disposal facility are prepared and updated, as necessary,
using information obtained during the operating lifetime of that facility and arereviewed by the regulatory body.
H.6.1

Verification through Pre-service Inspection

A operator (excluding operator of waste disposal facility), in accordance with the Reactor Regulation
Law or the Electric Utilities Industry Law, prepares Construction Plan and submits it to the regulatory
body for approval. Also, the operator undergoes the regulatory body’s pre-service inspection at eachconstruction process and at the end of all construction works, to verify that the construction is completed
as approved and is consistent with the technical requirements. Passing Pre-service inspections, theoperator is allowed to commence operation of the facility.
Operator of a waste disposal facility, in accordance with the Rules for Waste Disposal Facility,
undergoes the Safety Verification of Disposal Facility by the regulatory body at a prescribed
construction process.
Operator of a radioisotope waste management facility licensed under the Radiation Hazards Prevention
Law undergoes the Facility Inspections by the regulatory body. Passing the inspection, the operator isallowed to commence operation of the facility.

122H.6.2

Operational Requirements and Conditions

Operator licensed under the Reactor Regulation Law, before the start of operation, notifies theregulatory body of the Operational Plan and prepares the Safety Preservation Rules specifying methodsof operation, inspection and radiation monitoring and submit it to the regulatory body for approval. The
Safety Preservation Rules shall specify operational limits, and the facility shall be operated andmaintained in compliance with the rules. Table H.6-1 shows the contents of the Safety Preservation
Rules of a waste disposal facility. The regulatory body, finding noncompliance with the operational
requirements, orders the operator to take corrective measures.
Operator assigns, a Chief Engineer of Reactor, a Supervisor of Nuclear Fuel Material, a Supervisor of
Spent Fuel or a Supervisor of Radioactive Waste, who has passed national examinations, and is put incharge of overseeing safety in the operation of a nuclear facility.
Operator licensed under the Radiation Hazards Prevention Law, before the start of operation, prepares
the Internal Rules for Prevention of Radiation Hazards specifying inspections, radiation monitoring andradioactive waste processing, and notifies it to the regulatory body. The Internal Rules shall specify
operational requirements, and the facility shall be operated and maintained in compliance with the rules.
Table H.6-2 shows the details of the Internal Rules. Also, operator assigns, from among qualified
persons, a Supervisor of Radiation Protection who is put in charge of overseeing prevention of radiation
hazards in operation of facility.
H.6.3

Procedures of Operation and Updating of Assessment of a Disposal Facility

In accordance with the Reactor Regulation Law, the Electric Utilities Industry Law, or the Radiation
Hazards Prevention Law, operator of a nuclear facility, during the operation of nuclear facilities, isrequired to undergo the following inspections.
(1) Nuclear Facilities Subject to the Reactor Regulations Law
1)Periodical Facility Inspection
The regulatory body conducts Periodical Facility Inspections (excluding disposal facilities) oncea year (once every 13 months in the case of commercial power reactor facilities) to see if theperformance of the facilities and equipment complies with the technical standards.

2)

Nuclear Safety Inspection
The regulatory body posts Nuclear Safety Inspector to each nuclear facility to conduct the
Nuclear Safety Inspection four times a year to supervise the compliance with the Safety
Preservation Rules and release the results to the public the results.

3)

Safety Verification of Radioactive Waste Packages
The regulatory body, or a body designated by it, conducts Safety Verification of Radioactive
Waste Packages each time when waste packages are emplaced in disposal facilities. Table H.6-3
shows the technical standards used in Safety Verification of Radioactive Waste Packages.

For the purpose of updating assessment of a disposal facility, the regulatory body, in accordance with
the Rules for Waste Disposal Facility, conducts the Safety Verification of Disposal Facility once again
when the facility is covered with soil and closed, and confirms compliance with the technical123standards, one of which prescribes that the cumulative amount of radioactivity of each radionuclide
contained in all of radioactive waste packages emplaced in the disposal facility shall not exceed theamount of radioactivity of each radionuclide permitted for the disposal facility. The operator, in
accordance with the Rules for Waste Disposal Facility Business, keeps records of disposal, including
the results of the Safety Verification of Disposal Facility, until the waste disposal business is
terminated.
(2) Radioisotope Waste Management Business Facilities Subject to the Radiation Hazards Prevention
Law
1)

Periodical Inspection
The regulatory body conducts Periodical Facility Inspections once every three years to see if theperformance of the facilities and equipment complies with the technical standards.

2)

On-the-Spot Inspection
The regulatory body sends Radiation Inspector to the facility to conduct On-the-Spot
Inspections as necessity arises.

H.6.4

Technical Support throughout the Operating Lifetime

Throughout the operating lifetime of a nuclear facility, the regulatory body obtains engineering andtechnical advice from advisory committees, which are composed of experts on operational management,
inspection and radiation control, and makes the advice reflected in the operation, maintenance andsafety regulation as necessary.
The NSC, as described in Section H.4.4, has been promoting research project on safety of radioactive
waste disposal and other research projects, which have been implemented by JAERI, JNC and otherinstitutes.
Meanwhile, nuclear business operators are collecting information on operating experience both
domestic and abroad, and accumulating the up-to-date technological knowledge through theself-financed development project or their own maintenance activities
H.6.5

Characterization and Segregation of Radioactive Waste

The Reactor Regulation Law provides that radioactive waste shall be discharged, processed, stored or
disposed of by any of the following methods according to types of radioactive wastes:
(1)
1)
2)

Gaseous radioactive waste:
Gaseous radioactive waste shall be discharged through ventilation facilities; orGaseous radioactive waste shall be stored in tanks capable of preventing radiation hazards.

(2)
1)

Liquid radioactive waste:
Liquid radioactive waste shall be discharged through discharge facilities (including discharge
into ocean);Liquid radioactive waste shall be stored in liquid waste storage tanks capable of preventing
radiation hazards;
Liquid radioactive waste shall be packaged or solidified in a container, which shall be stored in a

2)
3)

124

4)
5)

(3)
1)
2)
3)
4)

storage facility capable of preventing radiation hazards;
Liquid radioactive waste shall be incinerated in an incinerator capable of preventing radiation
hazards; orLiquid radioactive waste shall be solidified in a solidification facility capable of preventing
radiation hazards.
Solid Radioactive Waste:
Solid radioactive waste shall be incinerated in an incinerator capable of preventing radiation
hazards;
Solid (loose) radioactive waste shall be sealed or solidified in a container, which shall be stored
in a storage facility capable of preventing radiation hazards;
Radioactive wastes such as large machines or radioactive wastes waiting for decay ofradioactivity shall be stored in a storage facility capable of preventing radiation hazards; orSolid radioactive waste shall be emplaced in a disposal facility in accordance with the technicalstandards on waste disposal facilities and waste packages.

The Ordinance of the Reactor Regulation Law classifies radioactive waste to be disposed of into fivecategories as is shown in Table H.6-4, and prescribes upper bounds of radioactivity of each radionuclide
for each category.
The Radiation Hazards Prevention Law provides that radioactive waste shall be discharged, processedor stored by any of the following methods according to types of radioactive wastes:(1)1)

Gaseous Radioactive Waste:
Gaseous radioactive waste shall be cleansed or discharged through ventilation equipment.

(2)
1)
2)

Liquid Radioactive Waste:
Liquid radioactive waste shall be cleansed or discharged through discharge facilities;
Liquid radioactive waste shall be packaged in a container or solidified with concrete or othersolidifying material in a container at a solidification facility, and the container shall be stored ina storage facility;
Liquid radioactive waste shall be incinerated in an incinerator; orLiquid radioactive waste shall be solidified with concrete or other solidifying material in asolidification facility.

3)
4)

(3)
1)
2)

3)

H.6.6

Solid Radioactive Waste:
Solid radioactive waste shall be incinerated in an incinerator;
Solid radioactive waste shall be packaged in a container or solidified with concrete or othersolidifying material in a container at a solidification facility, and the container shall be stored ina storage facility; orRadioactive wastes of large machines, which are hard to be packaged in a container, shall be
stored in a storage facility with special measures preventing spread of contamination.
Reporting of Incidents and Failures

The Reactor Regulation Law or the Electric Utilities Industry Law require operators to report to theregulatory body about the situation and the measures taken to incidents or failures at major nuclear
facilities. The reporting criteria prescribed in these laws for waste disposal facility are shown in Table
H.6-5. Furthermore some minor failures below the criteria are also to be reported under a ministerial
notification of METI. The regulatory body is further encouraging operators to feedback the measures toprevent a recurrence to other nuclear facilities as well.

125

Operators of radioisotope waste management facilities subject to the Radiation Hazards Prevention Law,in accordance with the law, also report to the regulatory body on the details of major incidents occurredat the facilities and corrective measures taken. Table H.6-6 shows the reporting standards under the
Radiation Hazards Prevention Law.
H.6.7

Reflecting Operating Experience

Upon receipt of a report on an incident at a major nuclear facility, as noted in the preceding section, theregulatory body publishes to the public immediately of the incident and also publishes the cause andmeasures to prevent similar incidents when they become available. Moreover, the regulatory bodyscrutinizes the cause of each of the incidents at nuclear facilities soliciting advice from committeescomposed of experts on operational management, inspection and radiation control, draws lessons fromincidents, and requires lessons learned should be implemented upon in the operation, maintenance orsafety regulations where appropriate.
Furthermore, the regulatory body entrusts its supporting organization to collect and analyze information
about operating experience both at domestic and overseas nuclear facilities, and to provide information
to relevant organizations. The regulatory body has international mechanism to share information on
incidents and accidents through international organizations, such as the IAEA and the OECD/NEA, as
well as under bilateral cooperation agreements.
Meanwhile, electric utilities are collecting and analyzing information about operating experience, both
domestic and abroad, within themselves and at CRIEPI. Also they have international mechanism toexchange information through INPO and WANO Tokyo Center. Moreover, some of electric utilities
have information exchange agreements electric utilities or reactor manufacturers in France, Germany,
the United States and other countries. Recognizing the importance of sharing safety information andnurturing safety culture throughout the nuclear industry, related organizations jointly established aprivate institute “NS Net” in December 1999. The NS Net performs peer reviews and other routine
activities.
H.6.8

Preparation of Plans for Decommissioning of Nuclear facilities

An operator with a license issued under the Reactor Regulation Law, in order to terminate the business,shall take measures to transfer nuclear fuel material in its possession and decontaminate materials
contaminated by nuclear fuel material, and report to the regulatory body about the measures taken.
Moreover, as mentioned in Section H.4.2, operators other than operators of fuel material use facility anddisposal facility, when dismantling a nuclear facility, submit to the regulatory body, in advance, anotification providing method of dismantling and method of disposing of nuclear fuel material andmaterials contaminated with it.
Operator of a radioisotope waste management facility licensed under the Radiation Hazards Prevention
Law, in order to terminate the business, shall take measures to transfer radioisotopes in its possession,
decontaminate materials contaminated by radioisotopes, and transfer contaminated materials, and reportto the regulatory body about the measures taken.
H.6.9

Preparation of Plans for the Closure of Disposal Facilities

Operator of a waste disposal facility, when applying for a license, is required to submit a plan for closure126

of the disposal facility and a plan after closure, and obtain approval of the regulatory body. Moreover,
the operator, when closing a disposal facility, shall undergo the Safety Verification of Disposal Facilityby the regulatory body, as mentioned in Section H.4.3.

127

Table H.6-1 Contents of the Safety Preservation Rules for Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility
1.

Duties and organization of personnel engaged in the management of radioactive waste
disposal facility

2.

Safety education for personnel engaged in radiation work at disposal facility concerning:(1) Safety education policy (including its implementation plan);(2) Details of safety education concerning:1)

related laws, regulations and Safety Preservation Rules;

2)

structure, performance and operation of disposal facility;

3)

radiation control;

4)handling of nuclear fuel material and materials contaminated by nuclear fuelmaterial; and5)emergency preparedness;(3) Other necessary matters concerning safety education;
3.

Steps to be taken for the safety preservation of disposal facility taking account of attenuationof radioactivity;

4.

Establishment of a controlled area, a peripheral monitoring area and preservation area of adisposal facility, and restriction of access to these areas;

5.

Gaseous and liquid discharge monitoring equipment;

6.

Monitoring of dose, dose equivalent, radioactive material concentration and surface
contamination by radioactive materials, and decontamination works;

7.

Management of radiation monitoring equipment and monitoring method;

8.

Patrol and inspection of disposal facility and measures to be taken after patrol and inspection;

9.

Receipt, transport, storage and handling of radioactive waste;

10. Emergency preparedness;
11. Records of the safety of disposal facility (including compliance with the Safety Preservation
Rules); and12. Other matters necessary for the safety preservation of disposal facility.

128

Table H.6-2 Examples of Details of the Internal Rules for the Prevention of Radiation Hazards

1.

Duties and an organization of personnel engaged in the handling of radioisotopes, etc.

2.

Duties and an organization of the Supervisor of Radiation Protection and personnel engaged
in the management of safety in the handling of radioisotopes, etc.

3.

Appointment of a person acting in place of a Supervisor of Radiation Protection

4.

Maintenance and management of radiation handling facilities

5.

Inspections of radiation handling facilities (or a controlled area)

6.

Use of radioisotopes, etc.

7.

Repacking, storage, transport or waste management of radioisotopes, etc.

8.

Measurement, recording and preservation of records of radiation doses and contamination
with radioisotopes

9.

Education and training necessary for the prevention of radiation hazards

10. Medical examinations
11. Measures needed for the health of persons who have suffered or are suspected to have sufferedfrom radiation hazards
12. Keeping and maintenance of books on the storage or disposal of radioisotopes, etc.
13. Emergency measures for dealing with an earthquake, a fire and other disaster (excluding thosemeasures mentioned in the ensuing 14)
14. Emergency measures in case of danger
15. Reporting on situation of radiation control
16. Other matters necessary for the prevention of radiation hazards

129

Table H.6-3 Technical Standards for Safety Verification of Radioactive Waste Packages
1. Standards Concerning Waste Packages(1) Waste packages shall be solidified in containers;(2) Radioactive concentration shall not exceed the maximum radioactive concentration as
applied.
(3) Surface concentration of radioactive material shall be in compliance with laws andregulations;(4) Waste packages shall not contain any material that impairs its integrity;(5) Waste packages shall have the strength to withstand a load at emplacement;(6) Waste packages shall be free from large damage; and(7) Waste packages shall have markers for collation.
2. Standards Concerning Large Metal Waste Packages(1) Radioactive concentration shall not exceed the maximum radioactive concentration as
applied;(2) Surface concentration of radioactive material shall be in compliance with laws andregulations;(3) Waste packages shall not contain any material that impairs its integrity;(4) Waste packages shall have the strength to withstand a load at emplacement;(5) Waste packages shall be free from remarkable damage;(6) Waste packages shall have markers for collation; and(7) Openings of large metal waste packages shall be sealed or otherwise processed.
3. Standards Concerning Concrete Scraps and Other Non-Solidified Waste Packages(1) Radioactive concentration shall not exceed the maximum radioactive concentration as
applied;(2) Waste packages shall not contain explosive material; and(3) Waste packages shall be designed to allow collation.
Source: Article 8 of the Regulations Concerning Waste Disposal Business of Nuclear Fuel Material orMaterials Contaminated by Nuclear Fuel Material

130

Table H.6-4 Classification of Radioactive Wastes from Reactor Facilities
and the Concept of Disposal
1.

Radioactive wastes generated at reactor facilities, to be disposed of at near surface
disposal facility with engineered barrier:(1) Radioactive wastes solidified in containers, and(2) Metal radioactive wastes whose openings are sealed or otherwise processed.

2.

Radioactive wastes from dismantling of reactor facilities including concrete scrap,
reinforcing bars and other materials solidified in containers, to be disposed of at nearsurface disposal facility with engineered barrier.

3.

Radioactive wastes generated at reactor facilities not solidified in containers, to bedisposed of at near surface disposal facility with concrete vault.

4.

Radioactive concrete scraps and other wastes from dismantling reactor facilities, to bedisposed of at near surface disposal facility without engineered barrier.

5.

Radioactive wastes generated at rector facilities, such as reactor internals, to be disposedof at sub surface disposal facility:(1) Wastes solidified in containers; and(2) Other solid wastes.

The regulations provide for the radioactive nuclide upper bounds for each category 1. through 5..
Source: Rewritten for simplification on the basis of Article 13-9 of the Ordinance for the Regulation of
Nuclear Source Material, Nuclear Fuel Material and Reactors

131

Table H.6-5 The Incidents Reporting Criteria at Disposal Facilities in Accordance with the Reactor
Regulation Law
Upon occurrence of any of the following incidents, operator of disposal facility shallimmediately give notice to that effect to the regulatory body, and report within ten days on thedetails of the event and corrective actions taken:
1.

Nuclear fuel material being stolen or missing;

2.

Failure of disposal facility (excluding minor failure);

3.

Atmospheric radiation monitoring outside peripheral monitoring area exceeding limit
because of gaseous waste discharge;

4.

Radiation monitoring of discharge at the outer boundary of peripheral monitoring area
exceeding limit because of liquid waste discharge;

5.

Leakage of nuclear fuel material, etc. inside controlled area and remedial activities, suchas access control, control of keys, etc., or leakage of nuclear fuel material, etc. outsidecontrolled area;

6.

Exposure of personnel engaged in radiation work to radiation exceeding or likely to
exceed dose limits; or

7.

Any other hazards to personnel occurring or likely to occur at the facility (excluding
minor non-radiation hazards).;

Source: Article 27-2 of the Regulations Concerning Waste Disposal Facilities of Nuclear Fuel Material
or Materials Contaminated by Nuclear Fuel Material132

Table H.6-6 The Accident and Failure Reporting Standards in accordance with the Radiation Hazards
Prevention Law
Upon the occurrence of any one of the following events, operators of nuclear business shallimmediately give notice on the effects to the Minister of MEXT and report to the minister about thesituation of the event and appropriate action taken within ten days of the event:
1. Theft or missing of radioisotope has occurred;
2. Radioisotopes, etc. have abnormally leaked;
3. Occupational Personnel engaged in radioisotope handling have been exposed to radiation thathas exceeded or is likely to exceed the effective dose limits or the equivalent dose limits; or
4. In other cases, radiation hazards have occurred or are likely to occur.
Source: Article 39, Paragraph 1, of the Rules for the Enforcement of the Law Concerning Prevention of
the Radiation Hazards Due to Radioisotopes, etc.

133

H.7

Institutional Measures after Closure (Article 17)

Each Contracting Party shall take the appropriate steps to ensure that after closure ofa disposal facility:(i)

records of the location, design and inventory of that facility required by theregulatory body are preserved;(ii)

active or passive institutional controls such as monitoring or access restrictions arecarried out, if required; and(iii)

if, during any period of active institutional control, an unplanned release ofradioactive materials into the environment is detected, intervention measures are
implemented, if necessary.

H.7.1

Records Keeping of Waste Disposal Facilities

Operators shall keep and preserve records of the waste disposal facilities for a period of time asprescribed by laws and regulations. The operator shall keep records of:- radioactive waste packages emplaced in the disposal facility;- radiation control;- maintenance records;- incidents at the disposal facility;- rainfall;- groundwater level; and- safety education.
H.7.2

Implementation of Institutional Controls

The Guides for Safety Examination of Radioactive Waste Disposal Facilities, established by the NSC,
require that operators of disposal facilities should, in accordance with the ALARA principle, manage adisposal facility taking account of types and radioactivity levels of waste, until the radioactivity of waste
emplaced in a near surface disposal facility decays with the lapse of time to the level as low as it posesno safety hazards to the public (hereinafter referred to as Step-wise Control).
The regulatory body requests applicant for waste disposal business license to submit a Step-wiseControl plan and examines it to see if it meets the requirements specified in the Guides for Safety
Examination of Radioactive Waste Disposal Facilities, which is as follows.
(1) A disposal facility with engineered barrier (emplacement of waste package with container inconcrete vault):
1)

The First Stage:
A peripheral monitoring area where access is controlled, and a disposal facility preservation area
where patrol and inspection are conducted, are established. Leakage of radioactive materials outof engineered barrier is monitored, and if leakage occurs remedial measures are taken.
(Monitoring and prevention of leakage from engineered barriers)

2)

The Second Stage:134

A peripheral monitoring area where access is controlled, and a disposal facility preservation area
where patrol and inspection are conducted, are established. Leakage of radioactive materials outof engineered barrier through groundwater to the living environment is monitored. (Monitoringof leakage and migration from engineered barrier, and retardation of migration by natural andengineered barriers)
3)

The Third Stage:
A disposal facility preservation area where patrol and inspection are conducted is established.
Farming and other specific activities in this area are restricted or prohibited. (Retardation of
migration by natural barrier, and prohibition or restriction of specific activities)(2) A disposal facility without engineered barrier (emplacement of concrete scraps without container intrench)1)

The Disposal Stage:
A peripheral monitoring area where access is controlled, and a disposal facility preservation area
where patrol and inspection are conducted, are established. Leakage of radioactive materials outof disposal facility through groundwater to the living environment is monitored. (Retardationand monitoring of migration into the living environment)

2)

The Preservation Stage:
A disposal facility preservation area where patrol and inspection are conducted is established.
Farming and other specific activities in this area are restricted or prohibited (Retardation of
migration into the living environment, and prohibition or restriction of specific activities)

The control period is supposed to last 300 to 400 years for a disposal facility with engineered barrier, andthe end of control period for a disposal facility without engineered barrier is supposed to be 50 years
after covered soil is stabilized.
H.7.3

Intervention Measures if Necessary

When issuing a license, the regulatory body requests operator to take following steps during each stage.
In the First Stage, if a leakage of radioactive material from engineered barriers is detected, the operator
should immediately repair the disposal facility to prevent leakage. In the Second Stage, the operator
should monitor leakages from engineered barriers and, if necessary, implement steps to retardate
migration of radioactive material. At the same time, the operator should inspect the disposal facility and,if necessary, fix covered soil and others. In the Third Stage, the operator should conduct patrol andinspection to prevent any action specified in regulations, and, if necessary, fix covered soil, etc.

135

Blank Page

136

I. Transboundary Movement

137

Blank Page

138

Section I.

Transboundary Movement (Article 27)

1. Each Contracting Party involved in transboundary movement shall take theappropriate steps to ensure that such movement is undertaken in a manner consistent
with the provisions of this Convention and relevant binding international instruments.
In so doing:(i)a Contracting Party which is a State of origin shall take the appropriate steps toensure that transboundary movement is authorized and takes place only withthe prior notification and consent of the State of destination;(ii) transboundary movement through States of transit shall be subject to thoseinternational obligations which are relevant to the particular modes of transportutilized;(iii)

a Contracting Party which is a State of destination shall consent to atransboundary movement only if it has the administrative and technicalcapacity, as well as the regulatory structure, needed to manage the spent fuel or
the radioactive waste in a manner consistent with this Convention;(iv) a Contracting Party which is a State of origin shall authorize a transboundary
movement only if it can satisfy itself in accordance with the consent of the Stateof destination that the requirements of subparagraph (iii) are met prior totransboundary movement;(v)a Contracting Party which is a State of origin shall take the appropriate steps topermit re-entry into its territory, if a transboundary movement is not or cannot
be completed in conformity with this Article, unless an alternative safearrangement can be made.
2. A Contracting Party shall not licence the shipment of its spent fuel or radioactive waste
to a destination south of latitude 60 degrees South for storage or disposal.
3. Nothing in this Convention prejudices or affects:(i)the exercise, by ships and aircraft of all States, of maritime, river and air
navigation rights and freedoms, as provided for in international law;(ii)

rights of a Contracting Party to which radioactive waste is exported forprocessing to return, or provide for the return of, the radioactive waste andother products after treatment to the State of origin;(iii)

the right of a Contracting Party to export its spent fuel for reprocessing;(iv)

rights of a Contracting Party to which spent fuel is exported for reprocessing toreturn, or provide for the return of, radioactive waste and other products
resulting from reprocessing operations to the State of origin.

The electric utilities in Japan have concluded reprocessing contracts with British and French firms andhave exported 7,100 tons of spent fuel between 1969 and 2001.They, in return, receive new nuclear fuelmaterial recovered from the spent fuel and vitrified packages (HLW) generated in the reprocessing. Six
hundred and sixteen vitrified packages were sent back to Japan between 1995 and March 2003 and theremaining packages will be returned in the next ten-odd years. As they started constructing a
reprocessing plant at Rokkasho-Mura in Aomori Prefecture in 1993, there would be no plan to export
more spent fuel after 2002, with an exception of the US produced fuel for research reactor (which should
be returned under the bilateral agreement between Japan and the US.)

139

I. 1

Transboundary Movement

I. 1. 1

Steps to Ensure Prior Notification and Consent of the State of Destination

For the export of the spent fuel or the radioactive waste, the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade
Control Law provides that an applicant should apply for and obtain the Export Permit from the Ministerof METI. This Export Permit should be applied once it is confirmed that the authorities of the State ofdestination recognized the administrative and technical capacity of the importer.
I. 1. 2

Steps to Ensure Transboundary Movement Subject to International Obligations

Japanese domestic laws, such as the Ship Safety Law, etc, have incorporated obligations under the IAEA
Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Materials and relevant international conventions oneach mode of transport, such as International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), etc.
I. 1. 3

Consent as a State of Destination

After being notified by a State of origin of a transboundary movement to Japan of the spent fuel or theradioactive waste, the government of Japan decides whether it gives consent to the transport, andnotifies its decision to the State of origin.
Japan expressed that, upon notification from a State of origin, it would consent to the import of returned
radioactive waste as long as such transport would comply with the safety regulation of Japan.
I. 1. 4

Confirmation of the Capacity of a State of Destination

The Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Control Law provides that an exporter should apply for andobtain the Export Permit from the Minister of METI for the export of the spent fuel or the radioactive
waste. The Minister of METI issues the Export Permit after confirming the general conditions of safetyof the country of destination such as its regulatory structure, the membership in relevant international
agreements, and the administrative and technical capacity of the importing body. In other words, theexport shall be permitted only if it is confirmed that importing body has administrative and technicalcapacity of management of spent fuel and radioactive waste.
I. 1. 5

Steps to Permit Re-entry in case of Uncompleted Transboundary Movement

The Import Trade Control Order allows, as special exemption, re-entry of exported goods, in case of
uncompleted transboundary movement so long as original characteristics and configuration of exported
goods are preserved, and the other case of the exemption is a transport accident. Re-entry of exported
spent fuel and radioactive waste is allowed by that provision.
I. 2

Steps to Ban Shipment to a Destination South of Latitude 60˚ SouthThe Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Control Law provides that an applicant should apply for andobtain the Export Permit from the Minister of METI for the export of the spent fuel or the radioactive
waste. The Export Permit shall not be granted for the export of spent fuel or radioactive waste to a140

destination south of latitude 60 degrees south for storage or disposal.

141

Blank Page

142

J. Disused Sealed Sources143

Blank Page

144

Section J.

Disused Sealed Sources (Article 28)

1. Each Contracting Party shall, in the framework of its national law, take the appropriate
steps to ensure that the possession, remanufacturing or disposal of disused sealed sources
takes place in a safe manner.
2. A Contracting Party shall allow for reentry into its territory of disused sealed sources if, in
the framework of its national law, it has accepted that they be returned to a manufacturer
qualified to receive and possess the disused sealed sources.

J.1

Standards for the Storage of Disused Sealed Sources

In Japan, only business operators who are authorized in accordance with the Radiation Hazards
Prevention Law can handle sealed sources. Actually, disused sealed sources are transferred or taken overas sealed sources by such authorized business operators. The storage of sealed sources for possession or
renewing is subject to the following storage standards specified in above mentioned laws and relevant
regulations.
(1)
(2)
(3)

(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
(9)

J.2

Sealed sources shall be put in containers and stored in storage pits or bins.
Sealed sources shall not be stored in quantities exceeding storage capacity.
Appropriate steps, such as 1) installing a shield, 2) distancing personnel from sealed sources, and3) shortening the time during which personnel may be exposed to radiation, shall be taken in orderto prevent personnel engaged in handling of radioactive substances from being exposed toradiation exceeding the effective dose limit.
Appropriate steps, such as immobilizing storage bins, shall be taken in order to prevent containers
storing sealed sources from being carried from one place to another without permission.
Appropriate steps shall be taken in order to keep the air concentration of radioisotopes in storage
facilities from exceeding the concentration limit.
Personnel shall be prohibited from eating, drinking or smoking in a place where an oral intake
may occur.
Appropriate steps shall be taken to prevent surface contamination from exceeding the surface
contamination limit.
Radioactive contaminated substances whose surface concentration exceeds one-tenth of thesurface concentration limit shall not be transported from the controlled area without permission.
Appropriate steps shall be taken in order to prevent unauthorized persons from entering thecontrolled area.
Reentry of Returning Sealed Sources

As long as a manufacturer has permission and meets the standards specified in the Radiation Hazards
Prevention Law, reentry of approved type of sealed sources returning from abroad are allowed within
the permission of storage capacity. In this case, the manufacturer intending to possess or renew returned
sealed sources is required to store them in accordance with the above mentioned storage standards.

145

Blank Page

146

K. Planned Activities to Improve Safety

147Blank Page

148

Section K. Planned Activities to Improve Safety
Activities aimed at improving safety have already been described in the preceding sections. This section
summarizes planned activities for improving safety.
(1) Preparation of Laws and Ordinances
Table B.3-2 shows the status of activities concerning preparation of regulation on radioactive waste
disposal. These activities will continue.
(2) Safety of Existing Spent Fuel and Radioactive Management Facilities (G.2.1&H.2.1)
The regulatory body conducts periodical inspections and safety checks at spent fuel management
facilities and radioactive waste management facilities to confirm the safety of existing facilities. The
regulatory body will continue these activities. The NSC independently monitors and reviews thesituation and adequacy of regulatory activities. The NSC will intensively continue these activities.
(3) Quality Assurance (QA) Activities
Regulatory requirements on QA activities concerning spent fuel management and radioactive waste
management are to be intensified reflecting the lessons learned from the falsification on voluntary
inspection activities by Tokyo Electric Power Company. NISA is now establishing new regulatory
activities pertaining to QA and inspections.
(4) Emergency Drills and Exercises (F5.1.3)
The important objective of drills in emergency preparedness is to make sure that responsible agencies
and officials of the national and local governments, nuclear business operators, and members of the
public have a clear understanding measures for nuclear emergency and respond properly in an
emergency. These activities, including participation in international exercises, will continue.
(5) Steps to Support Reliability of Technology (G.4.3 & H.4.4)
Since fiscal year 1976, the NSC has been promoting research projects concerning the safety ofenvironmental radioactivity and radioactive waste at nuclear installations. The products of thesesafety research projects have been reflected in the formulation of various standards and guidelines,
including principles such as safety policy and basic ideas, standards on specific means of achieving
safety, and specific guidance.
From fiscal 2001 on, the commission plans to carry out research projects in the fields of near surface
disposal, geological disposal, and clearance, based on the formulation of standards on radioactive
waste disposal (see Table B.4-2).
These activities will continue.

149