The US regulator called for an agency task force to be set up to conduct "both short- and long-term analysis of the lessons that can be learned from the situation in Japan," the NRC said in a statement.

"Our focus is always on ensuring the health and safety of the American people through our licensing and oversight of plants and radioactive materials in this country," NRC chairman Gregory Jaczko said.

"Examining all the available information from Japan is essential to understanding the event's implications for the United States."

Tokyo has declared an exclusion zone with a radius of 20 kilometres (12 miles) around the northeastern Fukushima power station and evacuated tens of thousands of people, after it was crippled by the March 11 quake and tsunami.

Engineers hope to restart the cooling systems of all six reactors that were knocked out by the 14-meter (46-foot) tsunami, and they have already reconnected the wider facility to the national power grid.

But the crippled plant northeast of Tokyo has been leaking radiation and has suffered a series of explosions and fires since the country's worst natural disaster in nearly a century.

The NRC said the task force would provide updates on the work in 30, 60 and 90 days, and a full report with its recommendations should be published in six months.

earlier related report
Italy approves nuclear moratorium after Japan crisis
Rome (AFP) March 23, 2011 - Italy declared a one-year moratorium on the country's plans to build nuclear power stations at a cabinet meeting Wednesday following the crisis in Japan, a government source told AFP.

"The moratorium was approved in a cabinet meeting and is valid from today," the source said.

Economic Development Minister Paolo Romani had announced the government's intention on Tuesday, explaining that the moratorium will halt any decision-making and research into suitable locations for nuclear sites.

Rome had planned to start building nuclear power stations from 2014 to compensate for electricity shortages and hoped to produce a quarter of its electricity with atomic energy by 2030.

But even before the catastrophe in Japan, a poll by the Ipsos institute in February showed 58 percent of Italians opposed building nuclear power plants.

A second poll taken after the crisis this month found that almost 90 percent would prefer to invest in renewable energy.

Last week Romani called for "a moment of reflection" on Italy's planned return to civilian nuclear power, which it abandoned in 1987 in the wake of the Chernobyl disaster.

The government faces a crucial referendum on the issue on June 12, which will go ahead despite the moratorium and will decide whether to uphold a bill adopted in 2008 that opened the way to construction of atomic power stations.

"The moratorium will mean citizens can vote... in a more relaxed and rational climate, rather than on an emotional basis," the government source said.

But opposition parties were quick to dismiss the moratorium as a time wasting move.

"We cannot vacillate for another year. This is the moment to mark a change in direction, invest massively in renewable energy and stop mocking Italians," said Ivan Scalfarotto, deputy head of the opposition Democratic Party.

Nuclear power is a key goal for Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who has said it will reduce Italy's energy dependency and lower electricity bills.

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