Government delegation failed to report TEPCO's cover-up to international conference

A Japanese delegation at an international conference on nuclear safety reported that Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) operates and maintains its nuclear power stations "appropriately." The delegation included Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency officials as well as TEPCO executives.

It was discovered last August that TEPCO concealed many damages at three of its nuclear power plants, including cracks in nuclear reactor shrouds.

The government delegation attended the conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from April 15 to 26 in Vienna, Austria. The delegation was led by a member of the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, who had known about TEPCO's cover-ups before the conference.

Akahata on October 15 pointed out that the government itself is suspected of hiding TEPCO's wrongdoing at the international organization. (end)