Japan Adopts New N-Crisis Management Report to IAEA

Tokyo, Sept. 11 (Jiji Press)--A Japanese government task force adopted Sunday a new report to be submitted to the International Atomic Energy Agency, explaining progress of efforts to contain the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 plant and plans to set up a nuclear safety agency.
In the report, to be presented to the IAEA general conference scheduled to open in Vienna on Sept. 19, the nuclear crisis task force also detailed how Japan has been addressing the 28 lessons from the crisis that were listed in its previous report submitted in June, including measures against tsunami.
At a news conference, Goshi Hosono, minister in charge of nuclear crisis management, said the report showed that Japan is taking new steps on nuclear safety standards and regulation. Hosono also said the report will hopefully clarify progress on the road map for bringing the nuclear crisis under control.
The latest report said Japan is preparing to establish a new nuclear safety agency under the Environment Ministry in an effort to reform the nuclear regulatory regime and explained the start of the so-called stress tests the country plans to conduct on all nuclear reactors.
As for efforts to contain the crisis at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s <9501> stricken Fukushima No. 1 plant, the report said it will be several months before the damaged reactors will be cooled to a stable condition.
It also described how Japan is proceeding with efforts to decontaminate areas around the plant in line with the government's basic policy adopted in August.