Extra safety steps (Ikata plant)

January 8, 2014

Extra safety steps at Ikata nuclear plant shown

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20140108_33.html 

Shikoku Electric Power Company on Wednesday presented extra steps to prevent severe accidents at the Ikata nuclear power plant in Ehime Prefecture, western Japan.

Last year, the Nuclear Regulation Authority found that tornado and fire prevention was inadequate in its review of measures to avoid severe accidents at the plant.

The review that the Nuclear Regulation Authority started this July is a step toward restarting the number 3 reactor at the plant.

A tank for heavy oil was covered with 20-centimeter thick cushioning material made of aluminum and stainless steel. The tank will now be resistant to the impact of an object traveling 360 kilometers an hour, blown by the wind.

The oil is used to power an emergency power generator.

The pump for circulating sea water to cool equipment in the reactor buildings has been surrounded with iron fences and wire nets.

As an anti-fire step, trees were cut down to prevent a fire from spreading to the surrounding forest. All trees within 35 meters of the oil tank were cut down.

The ongoing work to put two layers of filters on a building to serve as a command center in the case of a severe accident was also presented.

The filters are used to protect the building from radioactive materials in the air.

Jan. 8, 2014 - Updated 12:39 UTC