US Nuclear “Expert” Suggests Japan’s Failed Regulatory Habits As Solution

US nuclear advocate Richard Meserve, who also happens to be a nuclear power company executive is advising Japan’s new nuclear regulatory agency.

In a recent NHK report Meserve gives advice on how he thinks the new Japanese agency should operate.

“staff members must have technical expertise if they are to effectively enforce regulations. He said it is necessary to continuously assess their levels of expertise, and hire foreign staff if necessary.”

Meserve’s slightly vague labeling doesn’t invalidate the intention of his nicely worded statement. In short, more nuclear insiders should be added to the new NRA, just like how the predecessor NISA used to be.

French advisor Andre-Claude Lacoste contributes the other quote.

“He said it is important to establish a system under which plant operators are encouraged to voluntarily enhance safety.”

Just like NISA used to do. The predecessor agency that was shut down due to regulatory capture (they were run by the industry they were supposed to regulate). NISA’s efforts were frequently voluntary suggestions made to to the nuclear operators.

This rather odd hiring of outside consultants seems to be more of a way to justify going back to the old failed policies of before using foreign proxies to give credibility. If an executive of TEPCO was put as a consultant to the NRA people would be outraged. Yet an executive of Luminent Energy (a US nuclear company) is not questioned.

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20121214_16.html

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