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- Dubai 04:24 05:43 12:19 15:46 18:51 20:09
A woman is screened at an evacuation center for radiation exposure leaked from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant, in Fukushima, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. Radiation has seeped into the food supply, with spinach and milk from as far as 75 miles (120 kilometers) showing levels of iodine in excess of safety limits. Minuscule amounts are being found in tap water in Tokyo and rainfall and dust over a wider area. (AP)
The Director General of the UAE's Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (Fanr), Dr William D Travers, has issued the statement about the recent nuclear accidents in Japan caused by a natural catastrophe.
"We have been following the developments caused by the devastating earthquake in Japan with great interest and vigilance. We have sympathy for the Japanese people at this difficult time of incalculable loss of life and property. Our thoughts are also with those at the impacted nuclear power plants who are bravely struggling to protect public health and safety," it added.
The statement noted that Fanr has no detailed analysis of all the problems that have been encountered at the nuclear power plants in the region struck by the earthquake and the tsunami. As the events are unfolding, Japanese government officials and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are in the best position to provide information. Available reports on atmospheric releases of radioactive materials from the damaged Japanese plants, to date, indicate that extremely small amounts of radionuclides are expected to reach North America, Europe and the Middle East.
It added that the concentration of radioactivity in these regions is expected to be so low that only specialised laboratories could detect it. The reports further indicate that no health or environmental consequences would be expected.
"As the independent nuclear safety regulator in the UAE, we at Fanr are conducting a very thorough review of the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation's (Enec's) application for a licence to construct two nuclear power plants at the Braka site. Enec filed this application on 27 December 2010 and our detailed safety review is planned to take more than a year. Seismic safety is one of the key issues, which we will examine in our review", the statement said.
Before any plant operation is authorised, a second review, focusing on operational safety, will also be conducted by Fanr.
In short, in light of what's happening in Japan, "what we can do and must do is clear: We will continue to be watchful. Once we fully understand the details of what has happened in Japan, we will use this information to enhance the safety of the peaceful nuclear power programme here in the UAE," it added.
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