Multiple regions in Japan demand nuclear power operators strengthen safety management and information disclosure

On August 17, Keisuke Yokoo, the new chairman of Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), visited the Niigata Prefectural Government and met with Niigata Governor Hideyo Hanazumi. Yokoo assumed his post in June, becoming the first chairman of TEPCO to come from a financial institution. The meeting is seen as an arrangement for the new TEPCO management, following its official launch, to communicate with local governments on nuclear safety and trust rebuilding.

Yokoo stated that, as the party responsible for the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident, TEPCO will always bear in mind that "there is no end to safety" and will continuously improve the safety level of its nuclear power plants. He also expressed his commitment to ensuring the safe operation of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant.

During the meeting, Hanazumi noted that the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant had recently experienced improper incidents involving nuclear material protection, and expressed hope that TEPCO would work with greater caution. In February, an employee at Units 6 and 7 of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant was found to have improperly used his own access card to allow a colleague who had forgotten his card to pass through a gate.

In response, Yokoo stated that the company places great importance on the recent improper incidents related to nuclear material protection, and will strengthen guidance and oversight to prevent similar problems from recurring, while continuing to promote improvements. Regarding TEPCO's ongoing study of introducing external capital and restructuring its management system, he said this would not change the company's approach to operating nuclear power plants, nor its basic policy of coexisting with local communities.

On the same day, a liaison meeting on nuclear safety measures for the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant was held in Kagoshima City. Representatives from Kyushu Electric Power Company, the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) of Japan, and local governments surrounding the Sendai plant attended the meeting. This was the first such meeting held since the Kumamoto earthquake on the 28th of last month.

When the Kumamoto earthquake occurred, a seismic intensity of 5-strong was observed in Satsumasendai City, Kagoshima Prefecture. Kyushu Electric Power explained at the meeting that Units 1 and 2 of the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant both continued normal operation, with no abnormalities detected in plant equipment. Masamichi Shinohara, Senior Managing Executive Officer and Head of the Nuclear Power Division at Kyushu Electric Power, stated that the company had inspected relevant components, including those with important safety functions, and found no issues.

Satsumasendai Mayor Ryoji Tanaka demanded that Kyushu Electric Power thoroughly implement safety management for the Sendai plant's operation, including earthquake response measures, and provide adequate explanations to residents. He also called on the Japanese government to conduct strict reviews, oversight, and guidance of the power company.

Kyushu Electric Power stated that it will continue to advance safety measures such as equipment inspections and implementation of operational procedures, steadily carrying out related work to earn greater trust from local residents.