Regulatory failures for nuclear safety – the bad example of Japan – implication for the rest of world

Investigation before and after the Fukushima nuclear accident has revealed that the failures of Japan's nuclear regulatory system was also blame to the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl. The Fukushima nuclear accident has served to remind us that nuclear safety regulatory failure is vulnerable to the potentially deadly combination of natural risk. It should be noted that nuclear regulatory failures are not unique to Japan, given the low efficiency of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). We are living in a nuclear world. We have no alternative but to learn the lessons from the Fukushima. Unfortunately, all signs do not seem to be promising. This was partly due to competing proposals from several countries without clear understanding of which ideas would help, and a lack of sustained leadership focused on building support for key initiatives beforehand. New actions to strengthen the nuclear safety should be derived upon a thorough assessment of the causes for Japan's nuclear regulatory failures, as well as a comparative analysis of the nuclear regulatory systems in Japan, the United States (the owner of most nuclear reactors in operation), and China (the owner of most nuclear reactors under construction). This article is addressed to conduct an analysis of the causes for Japan's nuclear regulatory failure, discuss the key deficits in the nuclear regulatory systems of the U.S. and China, and finally outline two main policy recommendations. Nuclear accident knows no boundaries. Strengthening our nuclear safety regulation is not an option but an imperative, thus ensuring that the 433 operational units of reactor run safely, as well as 65 proposed ones. March 11, 2012 is the first anniversary of the Fukushima accident. This provocative article that calls for action on upgrade nuclear safety regulation over the world is dedicated to commemorate the first anniversary of the Fukushima accident.