India, US review nuclear safety

MUMBAI/CHENNAI: Nuclear regulators of India and the US undertook a detailed review of safety measures at various atomic power plants in the two countries in the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster.

Atomic Energy Regulatory Board Chairman S S Bajaj briefed his US counterpart Gregory Jaczko on enhancement in the safety measures at nuclear power plants across the country.

Jaczko, chairman of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, was also briefed about the regulatory process in place in India and government's plans to give statutory status to the nuclear regulator.

The US delegation, led by Jaczko, shared the recommendations they had made following a review of safety measures at American installations in the wake of the Fukushima incident.

"It was noted that there are broad similarities in the approaches being followed in this regard," AERB Secretary R Bhattacharya said.

He said the discussions also reaffirmed the ongoing bilateral cooperation in the fields of nuclear safety and regulation between AERB and USNRC, which dates back to 2003.

The USNRC delegation, which arrived in India last week, visited the Bhabha Atomic Power Centre and Tarapur Atomic Power Station on Monday and Tuesday.

Jaczko also met Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Srikumar Banerjee, BARC Director R K Sinha and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited Chairman-cum-Managing Director S K Jain.

Today, the US delegation visited Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research at Kalpakkam, about 80 km from Chennai. They are visiting the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor and the Madras Atomic Power Station at Kalpakkam.