Utilities' safety measures not safe enough

July 8, 2014

Safety screenings on nuke plants lagging behind due to utilities' lax measures

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20140708p2a00m0na008000c.html 

It's been a year since a new set of regulatory standards for nuclear power plants in Japan were implemented in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, but safety screenings by the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) on idled reactors awaiting reactivation are lagging behind schedule.

Nine power companies have thus far applied for safety screenings on a total of 19 reactors at 12 nuclear power stations. However, screenings have been delayed, especially for boiling water reactors that are of the same type as those at the stricken Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant. While the NRA had planned to give the green light on July 9 for the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors at Kyushu Electric Power Co.'s Sendai nuclear plant in Kagoshima Prefecture -- making them the first reactors eligible for reactivation since the new regulatory standards came into effect on July 8 last year -- the NRA has decided to shelve the final decision until sometime after July 16.

Under the new regulatory standards, power companies are required to take measures against severe accidents -- especially those triggered by earthquakes and tsunami. Such measures had been left up to each utility before the Fukushima nuclear disaster that occurred in March 2011. The prolonged screenings are largely attributable to slack measures taken by the utilities, including no improvements in their measures against quakes and tsunami. This resulted in the NRA having to hold 122 meetings for safety reviews so far.

Compared to boiling water reactors, screenings on pressurized water reactors have relatively been proceeding smoothly. Out of the 12 such reactors at six power stations that underwent application procedures for screenings, the NRA decided in March to prioritize reviews on the Sendai nuclear plant on the grounds that its operator was the first to finalize its quake and tsunami projections for the facility. The NRA also approved the quake and tsunami projections for Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Takahama No. 3 and No. 4 reactors.

The NRA decided to postpone a conclusion on the Sendai nuclear plant's No. 1 and No. 2 reactors because NRA Chairman Shunichi Tanaka and other officials determined that further scrutiny was necessary before giving the stamp of approval to them. Since procedures such as public comment and local consent are necessary after the NRA gives the green light, reactivation of the Sendai plant is expected to take place sometime after October.

As for boiling water reactors, utilities have applied for screenings on seven reactors at six nuclear plants, but the screenings have been stalled due to the severe requirements such as obligations to install filtered venting systems to reduce emissions of radioactive materials in the event of a nuclear disaster.

Also awaiting screenings are the No. 4 reactor at Chubu Electric Power Co.'s Hamaoka nuclear plant, which is feared could be affected by a Nankai Trough earthquake and tsunami, as well as the Higashidori nuclear plant, which experts believe lies on active faults. Reactivation of these reactors is deemed to be difficult for the time being.

At a regular press conference on July 2, NRA Chairman Tanaka criticized power companies, saying, "They lack awareness and fail to take seriously the fact that the Fukushima nuclear disaster has happened," suggesting that utilities are to blame for the lagged screenings.

July 08, 2014(Mainichi Japan)