Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) Established — Replacing Captured Regulator

In response to the NAIIC (National Diet) report finding that the Fukushima accident was 'man-made' and caused in part by a cozy relationship between regulators and the nuclear industry ('regulatory capture'), the government disbanded the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) and Nuclear Safety Commission (NSC) and replaced them with the independent Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA), effective September 19, 2012. The NRA was housed under the Ministry of Environment (not METI, which promoted nuclear power) to reduce conflicts of interest, and given broader enforcement powers.