Reference 1

October 13, 2000

Federation of Electric Power Companies
Nuclear Safety Network

1. Organization

Learning from the criticality accident at a uranium processing facility in Tokaimura, Japan, 35 Japanese commercial enterprises and research institutes in nuclear-related fields established the Nuclear Safety Network (NSnet) on December 9, 1999. NSnet (Chair: Noboru Makino, Senior Advisor, Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc.) is dedicated to improving safety throughout the entire nuclear industry and restoring public confidence in nuclear power.

1) Members

Electric Power Companies	9 electric power companies; Japan Atomic Power Company; Electric Power Development Co., Ltd.; Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited (JNFL); Nuclear Fuel Transport Co., Ltd.; Laser Atomic Separation Engineering Research Association of Japan
Plant Manufacturers & Fuel Processing Companies	Toshiba Corporation; Hitachi, Ltd.; Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.; Mitsubishi Electric Corporation; Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co., Ltd.; Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.; Sumitomo Atomic Energy Industries, Ltd.; Nippon Nuclear Fuel Development Co., Ltd.; Nuclear Development Corporation; Kobe Steel, Ltd.; Hitachi Zosen Corporation; Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.; Nuclear Fuel Industries, Ltd.; Mitsubishi Nuclear Fuel Co., Ltd.; Japan Nuclear Fuel Company; Mitsubishi Material Co., Ltd.; Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd.; JCO Co., Ltd.
Research Organizations	Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute, Electric Power Industry Central Research Institute, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute, Electric Power Industry Central Research Institute, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute

2) Members of the NSnet Council (in alphabetical order)

Yuki Aomi Takemochi Ishii (Chair) Yoichiro Murakami Tomoko Nonaka Ken Ohira, M.D. Nobuhiko Shima Yasumasa Tanaka

Advisory Specialist for Consumers' Affairs Professor Emeritus, University of Tokyo Professor, International Christian University Journalist Head, Department of Psychiatry, Saint Luke International Hospital, Tokyo Journalist and TV Commentator Professor, Gakushuin University

3) Secretariat

Otemachi Building, 1-6-1, Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Tel: (03) 5220-2666 Fax: (03) 5220-2665

2. Main Activities

1) Nuclear Safety Awareness

NSnet endeavors to raise safety awareness among members by holding seminars about nuclear safety and conducting Safety Caravans in which NSnet personnel visit members' facilities to exchange views about safety promotion and hold safety lectures.

2) Peer Reviews

A team formed of experts from NSnet members visits members' facilities and conducts peer reviews regarding common issues related to nuclear safety. In addition, the team identifies problem issues and promotes the adoption of the key points in successful cases.

3) Dissemination of Nuclear Safety Information

Information about incidents at nuclear facilities and research results concerning the ﾒhuman factorﾓ are made available to NSnet members via a database maintained by the Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry.

3. Main Achievements & Future Activities

1) Nuclear Safety Awareness

Seminars	April 6, 2000	Seminar for Executives (Keidanren Kaikan, Tokyo)	Lectures by Shunsuke Kondo, Professor at Tokyo University; and Hiroyuki Yoshikawa, Chairman of the Science Council of Japan.
	September 28, 2000	Seminar for Managers (Institute of Nuclear Safety System, Inc., Mihama-machi, Fukui Pref.)	Lecture by Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Pilot of Japan Airlines. Presentation about measures for safe operations followed by discussion
	November 28, 2000	NSnet Seminar (Tokyo)	Lecture and panel discussion
Safety Caravans	Since July 2000, NSnet has conducted Safety Caravans. The first concerned Japan Nuclear Fuel Limited's nuclear fuel transport (Rokkasho-mura, Aomori Pref.). Seven facilities have been visited to date, and ten more facilities are scheduled to be visited within this fiscal year.
Publications	"NSnet News" which reports on NSnet activities has been issued since March 2000 on an irregular basis (3 issues published to date).

2) Peer Reviews

Period	Company	Address	Type of Facility
April 18-21, 2000	Mitsubishi Nuclear Fuel Co., Ltd.	Tokai-mura, Ibaraki Pref.	Fuel processing facility
May 23-26, 2000	Nuclear Fuel Industries, Ltd.	Tokai-mura, Ibaraki Pref.	Fuel processing facility
June 6-9, 2000	Japan Nuclear Fuel Company	Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Pref.	Fuel processing facility
July 11-14, 2000	Nuclear Development Corporation	Tokai-mura, Ibaraki Pref.	Nuclear fuel handling facility
September 19-22, 2000	Nippon Nuclear Fuel Development Co., Ltd.	Ooarai-machi, Ibaragi Pref.	Nuclear fuel handling facility
October 17-21	Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, Tokyo Electric Power Company	Ookuma-machi and Futaba-machi, Fukushima Pref.	Nuclear power station
* During the five-month period from November 2000 to March 2001, peer reviews will be performed one per month at the following facilities: Japan Atomic Power Company's Tokai-II Plant, Kyushu Electric Power Company's Genkai Nuclear Power Plant, Tohoku Electric Power Company's Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant, Shikoku Electric Power Company's Ikata Nuclear Power Plant, and Hokkaido Electric Power Company's Tomari Nuclear Power Plant. (During the next two years, the facilities owned by 23 member companies where nuclear materials are handled will be subject to peer reviews.)

* Peer review reports are released on the NSnet Japanese-language Web site.

3) Dissemination of Nuclear Safety Information

Public Web Site (Japanese version)	Opened at the end of March 2000	Report on the activities of NSnet, operation of member facilities, press releases, peer review reports, minutes of Council meetings.
Public Web Site (English version)	Opened at the end of June 2000	Overview and activities of NSnet
NSnet Member Web Site	Opened in July 2000	Database of incidents at nuclear facilities

4) First Council Meeting (held on June 20, 2000)

Below is the meeting summary given by Chairman Ishii at the first Council meeting.

The NSnet should not limit its activities to the nuclear power industry. Rather, it should clearly post targets for outside parties and conduct forward-looking activities. The peer review reports posted on the public Web site should specifically state in simple language the nature of the activities conducted at the facility reviewed, the method used to conduct the peer review, and the content of proposals for improvements. Improvements to the peer review itself should be included in the aims of the peer review.