Economic Ministry's advisory board to propose nuclear power plant can be operated even with small cracks

Akahata of September 5 reported that an advisory panel to the Economic, Trade, and Industry minister, had compiled a report proposing that technical standards for nuclear power stations be revised so that nuclear power plants can be operated even if there are small cracks.

One of the panel members, is Enomoto Toshiaki, Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s (TEPCO) executive vice president, and was responsible for the cover-ups of structural problems found in the company's nuclear power plants.

The panel drafted the report after details of TEPCO's falsification of problem reports were made clear. The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency is planning to introduce new standards in 2004.

Under the existing standards even a smallest crack in a nuclear power plant's structure and facilities needs a repair, but if the new standards are applied such a power plant's operation can be continued without repairs.

Akahata criticized the agency for changing the policy on nuclear safety to meet the nuclear energy industry's requirements of "effectiveness" and "deregulation" instead of strictly dealing with the TEPCO scandal. (end)