Probe into nuke crisis to take about a year

The forthcoming probe into the causes of the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 power plant will take about a year, government sources said Wednesday.

An independent panel on the accident will be formed by about 10 members, including scholars, legal experts and people from Fukushima Prefecture, the sources said, adding that Prime Minister Naoto Kan's Cabinet will soon approve its establishment.

There also will be subcommittees put in charge of examining why the plant was crippled by the March 11 quake and resulting tsunami, how to prevent nuclear damage from spreading, and how to improve regulations for this kind of emergency, the sources said.

The third-party panel will likely come up with an interim report by the end of the year and put together a final report around next summer, the sources said.

Kan said Tuesday that the panel will be composed of people independent of Japan's past nuclear policies and based on the principle of disclosing all important information to the public and the international community.

Kan also said the panel needs to be comprehensive in nature and will not be tasked solely with looking into technical matters.

The sources said ministers, government officials and executives of Tokyo Electric Power Co., operator of the plant, will attend meetings of the panel when requested and will be required to provide all necessary data and information.