information about Fukushima published in English in Japanese media info publiée en anglais dans la presse japonaise
31 Mars 2015
March 31, 2015
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201503310040
By HIROMI KUMAI/ Staff Writer
Embattled Tokyo Electric Power Co. pledged to disclose all data on radiation levels at its stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant after it was taken to task for delaying by nearly a year in reporting the state of contaminated rainwater.
Responding to criticism from outside experts about its failure to reveal variations in levels of radioactivity in a drainage ditch at the crippled plant, TEPCO said March 30 the information could be available on its website as early as April.
“The willingness to disclose information has yet to permeate the entire organization (of the utility),” stated a report from the experts, who had been tasked with investigating the leakage of radioactive water from the facility into the sea outside the enclosed harbor.
The utility will appoint John Crofts, a former executive of the British Atomic Energy Authority, as one of its directors on April 1 to strengthen nuclear safety and information disclosure. As part of its new openness, TEPCO will also allow regular checks from outside experts.
It also issued strict warnings to three employees, including Naohiro Masuda, head of an in-house organization to promote decommissioning of the nuclear plant. The three were linked to delays in disclosing information.
The utility started to measure radioactivity in the drainage ditch at the facility in April 2014. Later, it found that the concentration of radiation became higher whenever it rained. However, it did not reveal this fact until February.
During the intervening period, TEPCO employees did not even investigate whether it was necessary to disclose the data. They also failed to submit the data to an in-house division in charge of releasing information to the public.
As the concentration of radiation was lower than that in other contaminated water, the employees did not think the data was important.
“Unconsciously, (TEPCO employees) held a different view from that of regular people in society,” said the report.
JIJI
Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Monday it will release all available radiation data associated with its Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, in response to criticism over its failure to swiftly announce leaks of radioactive rainwater into the sea.
According to Tepco, the company had a policy of disclosing radiation information for contaminated water stored at the plant facilities if there is a risk of the water leaking into the sea. But this policy was not applied to radioactive rainwater that may leak into the sea via drainage ditches.
The power utility has been criticized for not promptly releasing information about radioactive rainwater when it had data confirming leaks into the sea.
At a press conference Monday, Managing Executive Officer Takafumi Anegawa said that the additional disclosures will include aerial radiation levels at the decommissioning work sites and contamination levels around plant buildings.
The volume of such data is likely to be larger than that of the already disclosed, he said.
The company did not specify when it will start releasing the additional data.
On the same day, Tepco said it will appoint John Crofts, the head of the company’s internal regulatory organization, known as the Nuclear Safety Oversight Office, to the post of managing executive officer, effective Wednesday.
Crofts, former director for safety assurance at Britain’s Atomic Energy Authority, will be the first non-Japanese to serve as managing executive officer of Tepco.
http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20150331p2g00m0dm029000c.html
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Monday it will disclose all data on radiation levels measured at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant to enhance transparency, doubling the amount of data made public.
The decision follows harsh criticism last month when it was revealed that the utility had not disclosed immediately the possibility that highly radioactive rainwater was leaking into the ocean through a gutter, even though it had learned of the risk last May.
TEPCO plans to release the data on its website, including that related to radiation levels of water running through and soil at the plant. It also plans to have the data evaluated regularly by a third party.
TEPCO President Naomi Hirose told a press conference that the company will start disclosing all data "as soon as they become available" for release, as the utility aims to "break away from our tendency of covering up" information.
Hirose took the helm of the company in 2012 to play a leading role in restoring the utility, which is still grappling with the disaster at the Fukushima plant triggered by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
Takafumi Anegawa, director of the company, said the amount of data it plans to release will be around double the current level.
March 31, 2015(Mainichi Japan)
March 30, 2015
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/nuclear.html
Mar. 30, 2015 - Updated 12:41 UTC+2
Tokyo Electric Power Company says it will release all radiation data taken at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to improve information disclosure.
TEPCO made the announcement on Monday after mounting criticism about its handling of tainted rainwater leaking into the sea.
Its workers had been aware since April last year that radiation levels in a drainage channel at the No.2 reactor building rose every time it rained. But it did not make the problem public for months.
The workers were worried that it might impact talks with local farmers about a plan to discharge treated groundwater into the sea.
TEPCO will name an executive officer posted to the plant who is responsible for communicating information to the public.
President Naomi Hirose said his company will implement measures that take into account the public's viewpoint.
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