2022 ISOE ATC Information Exchange Meeting on Benchmarking for Radiation Protection was held on December 20-21, 2022 in Higashidori Nuclear Power Station of Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc., Aomori prefecture, Japan. The meeting on benchmarking was held in Takahama Power Station of Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc in 2017 for the first time as an alternative event to the ISOE ATC ALARA Symposia. The second meeting was held in Ikata Power Station of Shikoku Electric Power Co., Inc. in 2019. After the second meeting, the meeting on benchmarking could not be held for two years due to the influence of COVID-19 infections. At this time, the third meeting hosted by Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc. became to be held, however, Korean colleagues were forced to participate online and schedule was shortened from three days to two days, because the impact of the infection was still continuing. Number of participants was also forced to be limited to 14 from Japanese electric companies and 3 online participants from Korea.

In the morning of the first day of the meeting, Mr. Tomoyuki Nomura of the Nuclear Safety Research Association (NSRA)/ATC gave the presentation titled “ALARA Self-Evaluation Guide”, and Mr. Makoto Takahashi, manager of radiation protection department of the Higashidori Nuclear Power Station, gave the presentation titled “Overview of the Radiation Protection Plans by the Higashidori Nuclear Power Station”. Group discussions then were held to benchmark the radiation protection plan in the nuclear power station referring the “ALARA Self-Evaluation Guide” as ISOE standards.

In the afternoon the participants observed inside of the Service building, the Reactor building and the Turbine building of the plant. At some observation points, staffs of the radiation protection department of the plant explained the radiation protection efforts and there were lively questions and answers. After the observation, group discussions were held again to share/exchange information for good practices and recommendation.

On the second day, participants visited the Mutsu Science Museum and the Ominato Facility of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) Aomori Research and Development Center. At the Mutsu Science Museum, they saw exhibits such as the reactor room of the nuclear-powered ship “Mutsu” and listened to an explanation.

At the Ominato Facility, participants observed the facility for the accelerator mass spectrometer (AMS) and received an explanation of research on elucidating the migration behavior of radioactive substances in the ocean using this device.