International Nuclear Safety Group the Kyshtym disaster, which occurred at Mayak, a Nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in the Soviet Union. Since then, there have been hundreds of nuclear accidents, some considered minor while others were horrendous, with one of the worst accidents being the Chernobyl disaster of April 26, 1986. Involving a nuclear power plant at Chernobyl, now in Ukraine, a combination of nuclear volatility and the disregard of several safety procedures caused an explosion of its fourth reactor, ending in the worldwide environmental and human catastrophe. Following the Chernobyl accident, the IAEA was forced to create a new branch of their organisation to
Nuclear power in Japan new plants. These accidents included the Tokaimura nuclear accident, the Mihama steam explosion, cover-ups after an accident at the Monju reactor, among others, more recently the Chūetsu offshore earthquake aftermath. While exact details may be in dispute, it is clear that the safety culture in Japan's nuclear industry has come under greater scrutiny. On April 18, 2007, Japan and the United States signed the United States-Japan Joint Nuclear Energy Action Plan, aimed at putting in place a framework for the joint research and development of nuclear energy technology. Each country will conduct research into fast reactor technology, fuel cycle technology,