Toward Post-Fukushima No. 2

2. Finding Hope in the Fukushima Accident Experience
Scott Newberry
Principal Nuclear Safety Consultant, AdSTM, Inc., USAI want to first express my sympathy to thebe. As a young engineer, I worked in one of thepeople of Japan for the events brought on by theNRC groups that could have prevented theearthquake and tsunami of last March.

accident by properly identifying the shortcomings
in the design and operation of emergency core

My name is Scott Newberry. I had only worked atthe USNRC about two years when the TMI

cooling systems and correcting problems that were
found to be precursors to the TMI accident.

accident occurred. I was a nuclear submarine
officer for about six years prior to joining the NRC

My basis for hope in this essay is that, from myin late 1976. While the events that make up mypersonal

experience prior to, during, and after TMI are

dedicated people who sincerely participated ininsignificant compared to what many in Japan aresome way in the TMI accident experience havegoing through, they provide us with reason forgone on to improve the safety and availability ofhope going forward after Fukushima.

the nuclear generation option in the United States

experience,thehardworking

andand around the world. They include those that
I have worked in the nuclear reactor safety area

worked countless hours stabilizing the damaged

for all of my professional career. After starting out

plant and prevented radioactive releases to theat the NRC before the TMI accident, I continued

public, those that searched for the most important

for almost 30 years, retiring in 2004. I shifted tolessons learned, and the many who followed

the commercial consulting sector and providethrough to make lasting safety improvements

safety/licensing consulting services or manage thebased on these lessons---and their own personalefforts of others. I currently work as a safety

experience before, during, and after the accident.

consultant in a small company, AdSTM, which isthe principal contractor for the NRC’s Office of

The second day after the accident I was aInternational Programs activity that provides

member of the second NRC team that was flown by

support to countries around the world considering

helicopter to the TMI site. Our job was to monitor

or moving ahead with the nuclear energy option.

the status of the plant and to review and approvethe conduct of all activities, such as dealing withMy own relevant experience started prior to thethe hydrogen bubble in the reactor and the design

TMI accident. Many mistakes were made that are

and installation of new systems to cool the reactor

now well documented. The safety culture of theif the situation deteriorated. While the conditionsindustry and the NRC was not where it needed toat TMI were nothing like Fukushima, they were1Copyright © JAPAN NUS CO., LTD. All Rights ReservedToward Post-Fukushima No. 2

difficult. I met many dedicated people at the site,

The Fukushima situation is still very verysome from all over the world, working long hours todifficult and so many people are working hard.

ensure safety.

Families still need to find places to live. The
facility is being stabilized and needs to be cleaned

My experience continued through investigations,up. It will take a long time, lots of money, and thethe debates to zero in on the most importantwork of many. My hope is that, like the TMI

lessons learned, working through the complexities

experience, the Fukushima accident, the recovery,of implementing some of the lessons learned, andand the lessons will improve the safety andyears of never forgetting what happened at TMI soavailability of the nuclear generation optionthat such an accident would not occur again.

around the world. My hope is that the hardworking

Because of the efforts of many dedicated people,

and dedicated Japanese people, who are now

importantandleading the challenging recovery, will share theirAlthoughexperience with the world and be at the forefront oflessonsimprovements

have

well

been

learneddocumented.

hindsight indicates that some particular changes

the lessons learned and improvements.

following the accident went too far, the situation isso much better now.

I appreciate the opportunity to share mythoughts.

Reflecting back, I am fortunate to know people
throughout the industry, like me, for whom theSeptember 2011

TMI lessons were not only challenging, but
personal. We were part of the culture before theTMI accident. I believe that many of the people
most involved in TMI are the people that havemade tremendous contributions since the accident.
Without them, the improvements in safety culture,
the broader look at safety issues and severe
accidents, and the training of new engineers would
not be where it is today.

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