History on the Establishment of JEIC

History

• 1 July 2008:
  Japan EMF Information Center (JEIC) was founded as a division of Japan Electrical Safety & Environment Technology Laboratories (JET).
• 20 October 2008:
  The 1st Administrative Audit Committee was held.
• 4 November 2008:
  The JEIC commenced its operations and continues to date.

The Background of the Establishment of the JEIC

JEIC was created in response to a policy recommendation from the Working Group, which was served as an advisory body to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) in 2008.

Working Group of Electric Power Facility EMF Policy and Its Recommendations

Following WHO's issuing EHC (Environmental Health Criteria) No. 238 and Fact Sheet No. 322, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry founded the Working Group of Electric Power Facility EMF Policy in June 2007.

The Working Group held six meetings to study the desired regulatory regimes and measures to be taken based on international regulatory situations, studies of the possible health effects on EMF, and WHO's fact sheets on 50 and 60 Hz EMF effects on the health of general public that are brought about from target electric power facilities (transmission, distribution, and transformation facilities) pursuant to the Electric Utility Law. Through the meetings, the Working Group decided what was appropriate and reached an agreement on regulating magnetic fields from electric power facilities to be a maximum of 100µT for 50Hz, or 83µT for 60Hz, as defined under the ICNIRP guidelines. Furthermore, the Working Group held hearings with different citizen organizations on, for example, whether additional measures are necessary, and submitted a report including recommendations, after considering the hearings, to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The Working Group Report includes the following items:

Response to short-term effects on health from high-level magnetic fields

It should adapt to the ICNIRP exposure guidelines for power-frequency magnetic fields on electric power facilities (100µT/50Hz, 83µT/60Hz).

Response to potential long-term effects on health from low-level magnetic fields

Promoting further research programs

Encouraging risk communication activities

Low-cost measures for lowering EMF exposure

Item (2) above includes the following:

• Establishment of a neutral and permanent EMF information center designed to promote risk communication is necessary in order to eliminate problems arising from people incorrectly understanding the possible health effects from exposure to magnetic fields. The center is expected to expand its work beyond electric power facilities in the future.
• Risk communication activity is especially important at places and facilities where there are many children, such as kindergartens and schools. Electric utilities should make special efforts to reach agreements with local residents when they are going to build a new electric power facility in the vicinity of such places and facilities.