社説：原子力新規制 既得権益の見直しも

(Mainichi Japan) February 1, 2012
Editorial: Nuclear regulatory reform must weed out entrenched interests
社説：原子力新規制　既得権益の見直しも

Bills relating to a shift in the nation's nuclear power policy were approved by the Cabinet on Jan. 31. In addition to the establishment of a new nuclear regulatory agency under the Environment Ministry, the government is aiming to legislate the lifespan of nuclear reactors, and require plant operators to outline specific measures against severe nuclear accidents.
　政府は東京電力福島第１原発の重大事故を踏まえ原子力規制を転換するための法案を閣議決定した。環境省の外局として「原子力規制庁」を設置するほか、原発の寿命やシビアアクシデント（過酷事故）対策なども法律で義務づける内容だ。

Significant harm has been done by allowing the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA), an administrative body tasked to regulate nuclear power safety, to exist under the umbrella of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), a major promoter of nuclear power.
　これまで、原子力の安全規制を担う原子力安全・保安院が原発の推進を担う経済産業省に属していたことの弊害は大きい。

Divorcing nuclear regulation from nuclear promotion and centralizing regulatory duties into one agency stands to reason.
規制を利用から分離し、原子力規制庁に一元化するのは当然のことだ。

Changing the agency's name from the originally proposed "nuclear power safety agency" to "nuclear power regulatory agency" is likewise pertinent, considering the new agency's nature.
当初の仮称だった原子力安全庁を改め原子力規制庁とするのも、組織の性格を考えれば妥当だ。

However, the mere alteration of a name and rearrangement of an organization will not result overnight in a highly independent agency specializing in regulation.
　ただし、表向きの名前を変え、組織を組み替えただけで、規制に特化した独立性の高い組織が一夜にしてできるはずはない。

Because many of the new agency staff members are likely to come from NISA, specific measures are necessary to secure the independence of the new body.
規制庁の人員の多くは保安院から横滑りすることになり、独立性を確保するための具体的な工夫が求められる。

It remains unclear how a nuclear safety investigation committee, envisaged in one of the bills approved by the Cabinet, will contribute toward ensuring the safety of nuclear power.
　新たに設ける「原子力安全調査委員会」も、原子力の安全確保にどのように貢献できるのか、まだ判然としない。

Since the Cabinet Office's Nuclear Safety Commission (NSC) lost the confidence of the Japanese public over its response to the ongoing nuclear disaster, the new committee cannot expect to gain it back without demonstrating its independence and competence.
内閣府の原子力安全委員会が今回の事故対応で信頼を損なっただけに、独立性と能力を国民に示せなければ不信はぬぐえないだろう。

The handling of the continuing nuclear crisis has been problematic particularly due to the government's lack of readiness, which has generated suspicions that the disaster could have been mitigated had the government been more capable of crisis management.
　今回の事故対応では緊急時の危機管理に大きな問題があり、これが事故を拡大させた疑いがある。

Crisis management will be an important duty of the new regulatory agency, and must be attended to adequately.
危機管理は規制庁の重要任務であり、これにも十分に力を注ぐべきだ。

Meanwhile, some things have slipped through the centralization of regulatory responsibilities.
　安全規制の一元化から取り残されている部分もある。

Safety research conducted by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) and the inspections and other safeguards implemented by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to prevent the diversion of nuclear material toward the production of nuclear weapons will not fall under the jurisdiction of the new regulatory agency.
日本原子力研究開発機構が行う安全研究や、核物質が核兵器などに転用されることを防ぐために文部科学省が行う監視や査察（保障措置）は規制庁に移管されていない。

It remains to be seen how these tasks will be integrated into the new scheme.
今後の課題だ。

Included in the latest bills are the designation of a 40-year lifespan for nuclear reactors and the implementation of "back-fit" measures that would hold existing reactors to the latest technological standards.
　今回の改正法案には、原発の寿命を原則４０年とすることや、最新の技術基準への適合を既存原発にも義務づける「バックフィット」が盛り込まれている。

The government claims that the combination of these two mandates would make it extremely difficult for reactors to continue running more than 40 years.
政府は、この両者をあわせることで４０年以上の運転は極めて難しいとの見方を示しているが、

The bills, however, include special exemptions allowing reactors to operate for up to 60 years.
最大で６０年まで延長できる例外規定も含まれている。

Stringent criteria must be set to prevent "exceptions" from undermining the rule.
なし崩しに運転が延長されることのないよう厳格な条件を設ける必要がある。

We hope also that the proposed legal reforms lead to a stronger nuclear disaster prevention scheme.
　法改正による原子力防災体制の強化にも注目したい。

In the case of the Fukushima disaster, the off-site emergency response center failed to function.
今回の事故では緊急対策の拠点となるオフサイトセンターが機能しなかった。

A fundamental review of Japan's nuclear crisis preparedness is imperative.
抜本的な見直しは欠かせない。

Along with an expansion of disaster protection zones emphasizing nuclear disaster countermeasures, there is a pressing need to reassess national and regional disaster prevention plans.
原発事故に重点的に備える防災対策区域の拡大に伴い国や地域の防災計画の見直しも急務だ。

Numerous corporations and organizations make up the national framework that had heretofore promoted nuclear power, and their role in "amakudari" -- literally "descent from heaven," referring to the practice of former bureaucrats taking advisory posts in industries they previously regulated -- has been pointed out.
　原子力を推進してきた国全体の構造の中には多数の法人や団体があり、天下りの弊害も指摘されている。

For effective regulations to gain ground, it is important to extend reform to such organizations with entrenched interests.
実効性のある規制を進めるためには、こうした既得権益を持つ組織や団体の改革もこの機会に併せて行うことが重要だ。

毎日新聞　2012年2月1日　東京朝刊