Nuclear Safety in Iran

NY Times

Re “The Next Chernobyl?,” by Khosrow B. Semnani and Gary M. Sandquist (Op-Ed, nytimes.com, Jan. 3):

Iran’s nuclear safety regulations ensure that nuclear facilities are designed in accordance with the latest state-of-the-art technology and without undue risk to the health and safety of their personnel, public, next generations and the environment, during construction, commissioning, operation and decommissioning stages of nuclear facilities.

Accordingly, application of the highest safety standards has always been and continues to be the first priority in design, construction and operation of the Bushehr nuclear power plant.

Over the past several years, the International Atomic Energy Agency has sent about a dozen missions to the Islamic Republic of Iran to address various aspects of the plant’s safety. Before the plant began operation, an international team of nuclear safety experts led by the agency paid a visit to the plant and also reviewed the effectiveness of its safety regulations. After extensive investigation, the agency found that Bushehr enjoys the safety standards analogous to other modern and advanced nuclear power plants worldwide.

Considering the fact that the responsibility for nuclear safety rests exclusively with the individual states, Iran is fully committed to the application of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s safety standards in all its nuclear facilities, including Bushehr. Iran has also started the internal legal procedure to accede to the Convention on Nuclear Safety.