The commission aids in the coordination of working groups that are working in the following topics within the nuclear industry: safety and regulatory policy, emergency management, civil nuclear energy research and development, nuclear security and decommissioning and environmental management.
Deputy Secretary of Energy Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Shinsuke Sugiyama serve as the commission’s co-chairs and lead the discussions amongst the working groups. In research and developmental areas, the commission reviewed statuses of joint projects involving waste management, fuel cycle and advanced reactor types including the light-water reactor (LWR). They noted the beneficial nature of the collaborative work between both nations.
Through this meeting, the DOE also announced that it remains committed to supporting the first International Fukushima Decommissioning Forum that is set to take place in April 2016. This forum intends to discuss and evaluate information that can be gained in the efforts to decommission the Fukushima plant site.
Both Japan and the U.S. stated their awareness of the importance of continual cooperation and discussion in regard to civil nuclear cooperation. The next meeting of the bilateral commission will be held in Japan at a date that has yet to be determined.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is a Cabinet-level department of the United States Government concerned with policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material.
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