The players

Everyone is throwing terms around quite a bit, and some people probably don't know who they are; I haven't delineated them yet in one post here. Let's just briefly go over these terms...

TEPCO is Tokyo Electric Power Company - owner and operator of the Fukushima Daiichi plants, and the largest utility company in Japan. Operates more nuclear plants in megawatts than any other Japanese utility.

NISA or sometimes N&ISA is the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency who provides regulatory oversight on nuclear power stations, very like the NRC does here.

JAIF or Japanese Atomic Industrial Forum was formed by many private industries interested in nuclear energy and the promotion of discussion of developments in, and problems with, the technology. This is an old organization which remains very much in the forefront. It was modeled on the US Atomic Industrial Forum which was formed in 1952 and which ceased to exist in 1987; JAIF was formed in 1956.

All of these and more have been involved since the very early hours of the accident and will continue to be, but these are the largest players likely to be involved all the way through the cleanup and decontamination of the site years in the future.

11:20 AM Eastern Monday 3/21
ATOMIC POWER REVIEW