The Government of Japan has agreed to form a new nuclear regulatory agency under the Environment Ministry.
The nuclear agency will integrate the Cabinet Office's Nuclear Safety Commission, Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, and some nuclear-related duties.
It will be responsible for handling other nuclear-related activities, including emergency response, radiation monitoring and dealing with the threat of nuclear terrorist attacks.
The minister in charge of the nuclear crisis, Goshi Hosono, said that the government will work immediately to create a preliminary panel this month to oversee the formation of the agency, reports Xinhua.
The new agency is expected to be fully operational by April next year.
Prime Minister Naoto Kan has denounced the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's role as the nuclear agency's parent body.
