Japanese nuclear experts see West Cumbria as an ‘expert community’ and want to share communications expertise.

A delegation of Sellafield representatives has visited Japan this week as part of a partnership between West Cumbria and Fukushima, which is operated by TEPCO. 

The representatives attended the International Fukushima Forum, along with Mike Starkie and Jamie Reed who were invited by the Japanese Government and British Embassy to provide an insight into the experience of a community living alongside a major nuclear facility and the importance of engagement, education and understanding relating to the challenges.

Mr Starkie and Mr Reed delivered a keynote speech called “Voice of the community” in which they draw out similarities between West Cumbria and Fukushima.

Phil Hallington, Head of Policy for Sellafield Ltd, said: "It is widely recognised that the communities and workforce at Sellafield and Fukushima have a lot in common. Both sites face a long environmental restoration journey, requiring the social understanding, trust and confidence of local communities and stakeholders “West Cumbria has been positioned as an “expert community” in the context of managing a relationship with a high-hazard facility for over 60 years, and as a region we have brought our unique skillset to assist with the challenges faced by TEPCO at the Fukushima Daiichi plant. 

“We also have a lot to learn from TEPCO, and the new white paper describes an approach to joint working on communications activities, in which each party benefits from the experiences of the other organisation in order to generate an effective culture of open and honest communication and engagement.”