Report of the IAEA Investigation Team

The accident was essentially an "irradiation" accident; it was not a "contamination" accident as it did not result in a radiologically significant release of radioactive materials. After the criticality had been terminated and shielding was emplaced, radiation levels beyond the JCO site returned to normal.

Only trace levels of radionuclides were detected in the area shortly after the accident. The half-lives of the radionuclides detected are relatively short, so there is no residual contamination by this accident. Such traces of radioactive material would not be expected to have any detectable radiological effect on the health of local residents or their offspring or on environmental conditions. Products from the area would have been as normal and entirely safe throughout. Radiation levels measured by the team in residential areas were at the normal background levels.

(REPORT ON THE PRELIMINARY FACT FINDING MISSION FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT AT THE NUCLEAR FUEL PROCESSING FACILITY IN TOKAIMURA, JAPAN)

* Underlined by FEPC

Currently, we are focusing on keeping safety record of nuclear plants, which we believe is the only way to restore the trust from local residents.

Noticeably, expansion of nuclear power plants has recently been granted in Shimane pref., in southwestern Japan facing the Sea of Japan, as well as in Hokkaido in the north. Construction of a reprocessing plant in Rokkasho-mura, Aomori pref. at the northern tip of Honshu is also on the roll.

Japan, with scarce domestic energy resources, is pushing ahead with nuclear development on the basis of nuclear non-proliferation and safety, while fully taking into account the lessons learned from the JCO accident.