Japan-U.S. decommissioning workshop coming up

Objective: One goal of the workshop series is to discuss risk management in nuclear decommissioning—specifically, risks in completing projects in a safe and timely manner. In addition to sharing lessons learned in reducing technical risk, another goal is to share U.S. experiences in decommissioning projects, including technical issues and other subjects like regulatory processes, financial structures, and communicating progress with the local community.

The scope of the workshop series will be limited to decommissioning operations at power plant sites and will not include topics such as the selection of a disposal site. Decommissioning of a post-accident reactor will not be directly covered.

Speakers and panelists

• Todd Allen (University of Michigan)
• Jane Marshall (U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission)
• Kaede Otsuka (Japan Nuclear Regulation Authority)
• Taro Shimada (Japan Atomic Energy Agency)
• Yutaka Watanabe (Tohoku University)
• Joe Heckman (EnergySolutions)
• Guest to be determined (Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan)

Panel session moderator

• Kristine Svinicki (Former NRC chair; adjunct professor, University of Michigan)

Organizers

• Yutaka Watanabe (Center for Fundamental Research on Nuclear Decommissioning/Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University)
• Makoto Takahashi (Center for Fundamental Research on Nuclear Decommissioning/Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University)
• Todd Allen (Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences, University of Michigan)
• Yugo Ashida (JOINLU International Inc.)

Invited organizations

From the U.S.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Nuclear Energy Institute

Electric Power Research Institute

From Japan

Nuclear Regulation Authority

Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan

Cohosted by

Center for Fundamental Research on Nuclear Decommissioning, Tohoku University

Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences, University of Michigan

JOINLU International Inc.

History: During the first workshop, held in August 2023, participants from nuclear administration, industry, and regulatory agencies in the United States and Japan introduced their current awareness of and concerns about decommissioning of commercial reactors and exchanged opinions to consider the direction of future discussions.