Who is driving the nuclear bus? Safety body used inspection criteria drafted by nuclear fuel firm

[kristopher]

safety body used inspection criteria drafted by nuclear fuel firm

The only legally mandated, independent nuclear industry inspection body in Japan copied nuclear fuel inspection criteria directly from documents provided by the company making the fuel, the Mainichi has discovered.

...The legally mandated JNES inspections are based on official manuals which include a list of inspection procedures and pass criteria. The Mainichi obtained the manual for a check of nuclear fuel scheduled for delivery to Higashidori nuclear plant in Aomori Prefecture. The Mainichi also obtained a draft inspection procedure document -- listing inspection goals, items, methods for sampling fuel lots, and fuel rod measurements -- created by the fuel shipment's maker, Global Nuclear Fuel.

Except for the cover and first page, the JNES manual and the Global Nuclear Fuel document were identical, even down to the page format and font.

...JNES deputy head of inspections Masaharu Kudo had previously told the Mainichi that "we do receive data (from Global Nuclear Fuel), but of course we don't use it as-is. The JNES checks the data and produces its own manual as well."

After the ...

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20111102p2a00m0na016000c.html

[Zoeisright]

1. Not at all surprising.

Nuclear energy has been shoved down our throats since the beginning. It's unsafe, unreliable, and uncontrollable. I'm sure it's the same all over the world.

[alc]

2. is that necessarily bad

The fuel firm seems like it would have all the reason in the world for good inspection criteria (a disaster could ruin their business). It wasn't written by the plant operator which would have reason to cut corners to save money (though they no doubt influenced the fuel firm). Or maybe I'm reading it wrong.

It sounds like more outside input should have been used. But I'd rather have the inspection criteria drafted by a nuclear fuel firm than say the National Restaurant Association.

[kristopher]

3. Yes, that is bad. We have and pay regulators for a reason.

It is their job to independently develop the knowledge needed to ensure safety. If they have to rely on the regulated industry for the expertise required to establish standards, it means they themselves do not possess the required expertise and knowledge to spot problems in the areas they are regulating.