Nuclear agency received large donations from nuke plant operators
23:46, 2 April 2012
TOKYO. April 2. KAZINFORM Japan Atomic Energy Agency has received donations totaling about 250 million yen over the past four years to March 31 from an electric utility industry federation and 11 companies including electric utilities and firms constructing and operating nuclear power plants, agency officials said Monday.
As the administrative agency dispatches 10 staff to the 62-member examination committees at the government's Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan, which examines construction and modification of nuclear plants nationwide, critics have warned such ''donations could make the examinations a dead letter,'' Kyodo reports.
The Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan, an industry group which has 10 utilities including Tokyo Electric Power Co. as members, claims the donations were made at the agency's request. ''The donations were to support research and development activities and personnel training,'' a federation official said.