Japan's New Long-Term Program for Nuclear
Energy
ON NOVEMBER 24, 2000, Japan's Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
concluded the latest proposal for the Long-Term Program for
Research, Development and Utilization of Nuclear Energy (also
known as the Long-Term Program). The revised plan establishes
the issue of safety as paramount, while reaffirming the fact that
nuclear power generation will continue to play a major role in
the twenty-first century. It should be noted that, during the
formulation of the Long-Term Program, the criticality accident
occurred at the JCO Tokai Plant in Ibaraki Prefecture; despite
this, however, the Program reconfirms the necessity of nuclear
power in Japan.
The AEC has carried out its Long-Term Program since 1956; it
has been revised seven times to date. On May 18, 1999, the AEC
organized the Long-Term Planning Council in order to formulate
the latest plan. The Council began by forming six subcommittees.
Each of these subcommittees addressed specific issues, such as
the General Public, Society and Nuclear Power; the Utilization
of Radiation as a Contribution to People's Lives; and Future Prospects
for Research and Development of FBR Cycle Technology. These subcommittees
comprised 115 individuals: members included experts in the nuclear
power industry, as well as those from the business and legal communities,
the mass media, and local townships and cities which host nuclear
facilities. The six groups met 57 times over an eighteen-month
period.
Earlier Programs had addressed detailed plans pertaining to the
development of nuclear facilities and technologies, such as plutonium
use for power generation and the establishment of a nuclear fuel
cycle. However, this latest Program establishes fundamental principles
and advancement schemes for the coming century, including issues
such as the utilization of nuclear power as an energy source,
technological development, and the use of radiation. Public opinion
on nuclear energy issues was sought through open forums held across
Japan. Critics of nuclear power were invited to participate not
only in the Council but also in these forums, giving voice to
ordinary citizens so as to incorporate various opinions and concerns
into the evolving Long-Term Program. The following statements
have been excerpted from the newest Long-Term Program.
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