nuclear-news

Weakness of India’s nuclear safety agency

India’s nuclear safety report warns of Fukushima-like disaster NDTV, Edited by Sabyasachi Dasgupta  August 23, 2012 New Delhi: The national auditor’s report on India’s nuclear safety has raised concerns over a weak regulatory body. In its report on the
Atomic Energy Regulatory Board’s (AERB) performance audit, the Comptroller and Auditor General has warned a Fukushima or Chernobyl-like disaster if the nuclear safety issue is not addressed by the government.

The AERB, which supervises safety issues at India’s 22 running nuclear
plants, has no power to make rules, enforce compliance or impose
penalty in cases of nuclear safety oversight. It can impose a fine of
maximum Rs. 500 as a deterrent in cases.

The report says, “The legal status of the AERB continued to be that of
an authority subordinate to the Central Government, with powers
delegated to it by the latter.” The national auditor said there was an
urgent need for the government to bolster the status of AERB if it was
to qualify as an independent regulator .. The auditor also pulled up
the nuclear regulator for failing to prepare any safety policy for the
country even after three decades of its existence.

“Out of the 168 standards, codes and guides identified by AERB for
development under various thematic areas, 27 safety documents still
remained to be developed…,” said the report which was tabled in
Parliament on Wednesday.

The report said without the legal status, the AERB neither has the
authority for framing or revising rules relating to nuclear and
radiation safety nor can it decide on the quantum of penalties leave
alone imposing them.

The report said off-site emergency exercises highlighted the
inadequate emergency preparedness to deal with situations involving
radiological effects from a nuclear power plant which may extend to
public areas……
http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/no-lessons-learnt-from-fukushima-disaster-says-the-national-auditor-s-report-on-nuclear-saftey-258138

August 24, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | India, safety