information about Fukushima published in English in Japanese media info publiée en anglais dans la presse japonaise
5 Juillet 2013
July 5, 2013
Kyodo
KASHIWAZAKI, NIIGATA PREF. – Hiroshi Aida, mayor of the city that hosts the biggest nuclear power plant in the world, had some harsh criticism for Tepco on Friday for announcing it will apply for a government safety assessment of two reactors before informing local authorities.
Aida made the remark during a meeting with Tokyo Electric Power Co. President Naomi Hirose, who came to Kashiwazaki, Niigata Prefecture, to try to win “understanding” for the restart plan.
The meeting was arranged after local leaders expressed discontent over Tepco’s move.
“It is very unfortunate that (Tepco) decided to apply (for the safety assessment) without any explanation,” Aida said. “It may damage the trusting relationship.”
It is the first time high-level Tepco executives have met with Niigata leaders over the resumption of reactors since the Fukushima catastrophe broke out in March 2011.
Hirose was expected to also meet with Hiroo Shinada, mayor of the village of Kariwa, and Niigawa Gov. Hirohiko Izumida later in the day.
Tepco wants to reactivate reactors 6 and 7 at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa complex to reduce its spending on costly fuel for thermal power generation.
Tepco has three nuclear plants, but the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa complex — the world’s largest with a combined output capacity of 8.2 million kilowatts — is the only one that wasn’t directly affected by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
When new nuclear regulations take effect on Monday, the Nuclear Regulation Authority will start accepting applications to conduct safety assessments. Passing the assessment will be a requirement for restarting reactors. All but two of Japan’s commercial units are offline due to safety concerns in the wake of Fukushima.
Izumida, the Niigata governor, has already reacted coldly to Tepco’s plan to apply for assessments.
“We have not heard any explanations,” he complained. “There is no greater disregard of local people than this.”
On Thursday, Izumida called on Tepco not to move ahead to install a key safety system without securing the approval of the prefectural government.
The safety system involves fitting reactor systems with vents and filters that can reduce the amount of radioactive substances emitted when pressure needs to be released during an emergency. Plant operators are obliged to install the equipment under the new nuclear regulations.
Izumida also requested detailed explanations on the venting operations that took place during the crisis at Fukushima No. 1. The reactors there had venting systems but not with radiation-screening filters.
“Even if radioactive substances will be reduced, it is still equipment that releases (radioactive material) outside,” Izumida said in a document addressed to Hirose.
Under the current legal framework, utilities can restart their reactors once the NRA confirms their safety. But the central government has acknowledged that local approval is important to bring reactors back online.
NRA Chairman Shunichi Tanaka told a news conference Thursday that he doesn’t think restarting the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa reactors will be easy, given Izumida’s stance.
But Tanaka declared that the safety assessments will be carried out “as swiftly as possible from a scientific and technological viewpoint, without taking into account such external conditions.”
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