Kashiwazaki-Kariwa faults should be investigated properly

January 17, 2014

Civic group seeks fault survey for nuclear plant

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20140117_30.html 

A civic group is urging Japan's nuclear regulators to conduct a detailed survey of possible active faults in and around the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant on the Sea of Japan coast.

The plant is the world's largest in terms of output.

The group based in Niigata Prefecture said it had submitted a letter of request to the Nuclear Regulation Authority, ahead of a scheduled visit by its members to the plant in the prefecture.

The members will carry out a survey within the compound to see if it has faults that could move and cause earthquakes. The survey is part of the authority's safety screening. Utilities have to pass it to return their plants online.

The civic group says it conducted large-scale digging about 600 meters from the compound and found traces that a ground layer moved about 50,000 to 60,000 years ago.

An active fault is defined as one that has moved in the last 120,000 to 130,000 years.

Niigata University Professor Emeritus Masaaki Tateishi, a member of the group, says seismic faults affect the safety of a nuclear plant and they should be investigated thoroughly. He is calling on the authority to conduct a detailed survey both in and outside the plant.

Jan. 17, 2014 - Updated 09:11 UTC