Decommissioning theFukushima Daiichi Site:
Continued Progress
William D. Magwood, IV
Director-General
Nuclear Energy Agency
Third International Forum on theDecommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi NPS
August 5, 2018

© 2018 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

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NEA: Bringing Advanced Countries Together toAddress Global Challenges
The Role of the NEA is to:• Foster international co-operation
to develop policies, best safety
practices, and technologies
related to nuclear energy .
• Develop authoritative
assessments and forging
common understandings on key
issues as input to government
decisions on nuclear technology
policy• Conduct multinational research
into challenging scientific andtechnological issues.

NEA Countries Operate about 85%of the World's Installed Nuclear Capacity© 2018 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

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Seven Years Since 3/11
Encouraging Recovery Process ContinuesMany evacuation orders around 1F werelifted in 2017
Support from international entities
continues.
Significant progress has been made inbuilding new infrastructures, re-establishingagricultural markets, and helping toreconstruct the livelihoods of residents.
Risks have been greatly reduced at the 1F site
and work continues to ensure the safety andstability of the site.
© 2018 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

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Stabilization Achieved – Now Moving
Towards Decommissioning•Fukushima Daiichi has long achieved a stable configuration:––––

Temperatures within the reactor pressure vessels and primary containment vesselsof Units 1-3 are stable at between 15 to 30oC;
No significant changes in airborne radioactive materials released, i.e. qualifies as a‘comprehensive cold shutdown’ condition;

Ocean monitoring for radionuclide
concentrations indicate that levels are wellwithin international health standards.
All rice produced in Fukushima has conformed tothe regulatory limit since 2014.

The focus of work at the site must now
be shifted to the decommissioning of
the damaged reactors.
Peak levels of contamination from Fukushima in the northeast Pacific atstations P26 (offshore), P16 (intermediate) and P4 (coastal) since 2011
compared with Rossi model predictions© 2018 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development4

1F Decommissioning

A significant volume of damaged fuel wasgenerated, the melted-down reactors must
be managed; also remaining spent fuelassemblies and fuel debris must be removed.
The radioactivity of fuel debris has continued
to decrease, however, fuel debris retrieval iscrucial to reduce risks and to enable safe
waste management.

Defueling of the spent fuel pool at Unit 4

For longer term consideration, effective
methods to monitor and manage theenvironment are necessary in order tomanage uncertainties and to prevent
potential contamination
Fuel handling crane and machine© 2018 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

5Areas of NEA Support and Collaboration Related to1F Decommissioning and Fukushima RecoveryInternational workshops related to 1F waste
management, robotics, and other subjects.
Multinational research including projects tounderstand the behaviour of molten corematerial at 1F and anticipate its location andcomposition.
Workshops related to food safety anddevelopment of methodologies to assure foodsafety in a post-accident environment andfirst steps toward an international assurance
process.

© 2018 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

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Public Involvement in Nuclear Activities:An Ongoing Challenge for all Countries• In January 2017, NEA invited over 140 senior government officials from 26

countries to discuss how to involve public stakeholders in nuclear decisions ina 3 day workshop.
• The participants
represented every
aspect of civilian
nuclear technology.

• They engaged inintensive “roundtable”
dialogue sessions to
conduct in-depth
discussions of theissues and to compare
experiences.

© 2018 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

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Main Findings from theNEA 2017 Workshop• There is no one-approach-fits-all : The stakeholder
involvement process needs to be adapted to country-specificcontext.
• Officials must take the time to engage and debate.
• Time is not the enemy, but an ally to reach a solution that isstable over time and built on trust.
• Stakeholder involvement should start by listening to concerns,
then addressing these. Officials must use plain language.
• Younger generations must be included early in the process toensure a sustainable dialogue with the public.
• Stakeholder involvement is “not a vote”. One informed
comment weighs more than many uninformed comments.
© 2018 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

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Main Findings from theNEA 2017 Workshop• Stakeholder involvement is more than public information.
Must take all stakeholders into account before decisions aremade.
• Face-to-face/personal interaction/learning how to listen isuseful everywhere.
• Even if officials spend 80% of their time answering the samequestions from the same people - it’s still an opportunity to
explain their understanding of the situation.
Patience – Dialogue – Time:
Successful Engagement requires PEOPLE talking to PEOPLE© 2018 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

9A New Workshop is Planned• NEA Stakeholder Involvement Workshop on Risk
Communication – 24-26 September 2019 in Paris, France• Will take lessons from the public communications successes andchallenges in Fukushima Prefecture since 3/11.
• Will point toward effective practices that can be applied in Japanand other countries to promote more effective publiccommunications and involvement.
• We would be interested in inviting one or two Fukushima
citizens to share their experiences and thoughts with theinternational community.
• We will coordinate with appropriate government officials to seek
volunteer speakers from Japan.
© 2018 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

10Effective Public Communications
are Essential in Every Country• Effective communications are especially important in bothrecovery situations and conventional decommissioning activities.
• Successful decommissioning plans should reflect the needs andconcerns of host communities, with public health and welfare thehighest priority• Must communicate risks, waste management issues, andunknowns.
The ICRP Fukushima
Dialogues supported by theNEA point to an excellent
model for publiccommunications andengagement© 2018 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

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A Few Final Thoughts• Stakeholder involvement in nuclear decisions is difficult
everywhere. The situation in Fukushima Prefecture is unique,but the challenges in communication are not.
• Both sides must show patience. The more complex andimportant the issues, the more time needed to achieve goodunderstandings.
• People can build trust, not web sites and facelessorganizations.

• The global community continues to stand with the people ofFukushima – they are not forgotten and are not alone!

© 2018 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

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Thank you for your attention© 2018 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

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