It could be even worse without TEPCO...

March 29, 2013

Analysis] J gov can take over Tepco for the decommissioning work of Fukushima with a major legal reform

http://fukushima-diary.com/2013/03/analysis-j-gov-can-take-over-tepco-for-the-decommissioning-work-of-fukushima-with-a-major-legal-reform/

Posted by Mochizuki

More and more people are starting to question if Tepco can really handle the decommissioning work of Fukushima.

About 10 days before this post, they lost power in Fukushima plant, which stopped the coolant system of the pools of reactor1, 3, and 4.

Tepco concluded it was caused by “a small animal -rat“, but the panel board was left on the bed of the truck since 3/18/2011 for two years. Fukushima workers comment power stoppage frequently happens though it doesn’t become huge news like this time. It’s even suspicious if the power stoppage was really caused by the rat.

(cf, Fukushima worker “Power outage frequently happens in Fukushima plant” [URL])

They are also struggling with the contaminated water. They are planning to discharge it to the sea little by little. There’s actually no way of stopping the ground water flowing into the plant.

(cf, [Analysis] There is no way of stopping ground water flowing into the plant [URL])

What surprises us is the poor mathematical sense of Tepco.
The temporary panel board was left on the truck for 2 years.
It was obvious that Tepco was going to run out of the capacity to stock the contaminated water. It could have been exactly simulated by the simplest maths from the very beginning.

The next problem that Tepco is going to have to face is the supply of nuclear workers.
Again, it is obvious that Tepco will have the serious shortage of skilled workers.
What would they do ?

For this question of the independent journalist, Tepco still can’t show a realistic solution.

Unfortunately, it is clear that Tepco cannot handle the the decommission process.

However, the more we criticize them, the more we will be troubled actually.

In the press conference, Tepco is sounding more and more like they are giving it up to handle it all by themselves. No wonder, they are not the decommissioning expert, they are just a power seller.

In the press conference of 3/8/2013, Tepco’s spokesman commented it’s not the issue of only Tepco, now it’s the issue of the government and the whole industry to keep the stable supple of Fukushima workers. (cf, Tepco “Tepco can’t maintain the stable supply of Fukushima workers, needs help of the gov and industry” [URL])

Actually whatever Tepco tries to do, such as installing a new system, they need the permission of the government and it takes time.

Legally and financially, the decommissioning work will be initiated by Japanese government sooner or later.

Historically, Japan has been developing the nuclear power as its national policy. Tepco was used by the government. Fukushima Diary assumes Tepco was nationalized in order to stop them from suing the government.

Once the decommissioning work is also nationalized, Japanese government is anticipated to reform the law largely. To make it more efficient, the government is likely to deregulate the safety limit of contaminated water to be discharged to the sea, and the dose limit of plant workers. Also, national conscription is anticipated for the stable supply of Fukushima workers.
The safety limit of food would be deregulated and media coverage would be more restricted.

This is the truth that Tepco is incapable of handling the situation, but it’s also the truth that it would be even worse after Tepco is discharged.