Les cahiers de l'ASN #03 - 10 years after Fukushima

W ith a time difference of 8 hours, a geographical distance of 10,000 km and the language barrier, information and understanding were rendered particularly complex. ASN’s Paris office took on the role of an information centre, responsible for producing reliable information about the accident itself and any atmospheric fall-out from Japan, which had no health consequences within France, so that it could then be sent out to the various audiences. An international information network ASN produced its analyses of the situation with the assistance of IRSN* – which has its own crisis unit – and via daily contacts with the French Embassy In Japan. At the same time, it collected press releases from the Japanese authorities THE FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR ACCIDENT and analysed the information put out by the local media. Finally, it enhanced its understanding of the situation through daily telephone conferences with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA*) and with other western safety regulators, such as those of the United States, Canada and Great Britain. Discussing, analysing and continuously informing As soon as the Fukushima disaster was announced, ASN activated its emergency centre, which was then to operate 24/7 for a month. The goal was two-fold: to understand the causes of the accident and to continuously inform the French population. “ The Fukushima nuclear emergency reminds us that we can never become complacent. ” André-Claude Lacoste, ASN Chairman, from 2006 to 2012 * See glossary page 24 4 • Les cahiers de l’ASN • March 2021