EM Leadership Represents U.S. at Fukushima Daiichi Forum

The 9th International Forum on the Decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station attendees, community members and members of the media.

JAPAN — A member of the U.S Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM) leadership team recently attended the 9th International Forum on the Decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station hosted by Japan’s Nuclear Damage Compensation and Decommissioning Facilitation Corporation.

The two-day event fosters global collaboration, allowing experts from around the world to share insights on nuclear cleanup while learning about progress of the Fukushima Daiichi cleanup.

“This event brings together such a tremendous wealth of knowledge, expertise and experience from nuclear leaders across the globe,” said Greg Sosson, EM associate principal deputy assistant secretary for field operations. “The Office of Environmental Management values the ongoing collaboration between the U.S. and Japan to solve challenges and share progress in cleanup missions.”

Greg Sosson, U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM) associate principal deputy assistant secretary for field operations, provides remarks at the 9th International Forum on the Decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. He highlighted the challenges EM has overcome over the years to achieve mission success and the value of continued collaboration with the U.S.

The first day of the forum took place in Katsurao Village. Sosson participated in a panel discussion with leaders from Japan, the local community, countries around the world and industry. The panelists shared information and focused discussion on decommissioning efforts at Fukushima Daiichi and ongoing efforts and impacts on the health and economy of the local community.

Katsurao was one of the villages evacuated during the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident. To date, only about 35% of the Katsurao population has returned to their homes in the village.

Greg Sosson, U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management associate principal deputy assistant secretary for field operations, participates in a panel at the 9th International Forum on the Decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. The panel focused on methodology and nuclear and radiological safety during fuel debris retrieval at Fukushima Daiichi.

On the forum’s second day, in Iwaki, technical experts discussed ongoing progress, current status and future challenges of nuclear sites, as well as regulatory and project management challenges for the Fukushima Daiichi decommissioning effort.

In addition to providing remarks at the forum, Sosson took part in a panel discussion focused on methodology and nuclear and radiological safety during fuel debris retrieval activities at Fukushima Daiichi. He spoke about the importance of ongoing stakeholder engagement and collaboration, and the need to make timely risk-informed decisions to address the significant challenges ahead to continue progress in large-scale fuel debris removal.

Sosson also discussed the challenges EM has overcome over the years to achieve mission success and the value of continued collaboration with the U.S.

-Contributor: John Howard