Tougher safety rules for Japan’s nuclear reactors

New safety measures to be finalized by July.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority, the nuclear energy regulator, has unveiled draft safety measures to protect nuclear power facilities in Japan against natural disasters and terrorist attacks.

Under the proposed rules, the nuclear facilities must be equipped with backup control rooms located away from reactor buildings to reduce the risk of staff being poisoned by radioactivity in an emergency.

The new safety rules will become mandatory under the standards proposed by the NRA. They are seen as a biggest overhaul of mandatory industry standards after the Fukushima nuclear disaster of 2011.