The Science and Technology Agency on Wednesday decided to establish a committee of experts to examine the extent to which residents living near JCO Co.'s uranium-processing facility in Tokaimura, Ibaraki Prefecture, were exposed to radiation when the nation's worst nuclear accident occurred on Sept. 30. The agency revealed in a previous survey that 49 people, including JCO employees, were exposed to radiation in the accident. However, it plans to conduct a full-scale survey to examine the extent of the exposure and analyze its possible effects, as it is highly likely that more residents were exposed, the officials said.