The Nuclear Regulation Authority on Wednesday admonished the Japan Atomic Energy Agency for failing to take appropriate measures to protect its Monju prototype fast-breeder reactor from potential terrorist and other attacks.
The rebuke is another black mark against the agency, previously criticized by the NRA over a staggering number of equipment inspection failures at the Monju reactor in Tsuruga, Fukui Prefecture, that uses plutonium-uranium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel. Both materials can be used to make nuclear weapons.
According to a report compiled by the NRA, some fences supposed to restrict access to certain areas at Monju were around 0.3 meters lower than stipulated by JAEA rules, and regular checks to ensure the security of equipment were not conducted appropriately.