Following the Chernobyl accident in the Soviet Union (April 26th, 1986), public opinion turned against nuclear energy in many countries. [1][2] The accident at reactor 2 of Three Mile Island in the USA in 1979 had already sown doubts about the technology, despite zero health impacts and a very low environmental impact. Seven years later, Chernobyl occurred … Continued

In Germany (30% nuclear electricity in 1986), the Social Democratic Party voted in favor of an exit from nuclear energy over 10 years. It implemented this policy in a coalition with the Green Party (Grünen) starting in 1998. [1] The Italian electrical utility ENEL canceled an 8,000 MW program for new nuclear capacity, as well as its … Continued

Before the Fukushima accident, the Japanese safety agency, which was part of the country’s Ministry of Economy, was not sufficiently independent from operators, and did not impose strict enough requirements on them. One of the first measures taken after the accident was to create a nuclear safety authority independent of the government, the Nuclear Regulation … Continued

The significant feedback from the accident made it possible to further improve nuclear safety in Japan and the rest of the world.  After the Fukushima accident, the Japanese nuclear safety agency was dissolved and then refounded. [1] New safety standards were presented in July 2013, concerning the design of reactors, protection against earthquakes and tsunamis, … Continued