September 6, 2016
Kyushu Electric Power Company (Kyuden) on September 5 submitted to Kagoshima Governor Mitazono Satoshi a written response stating that the utility has no intent to suspend the operations of two reactors at the Sendai nuclear power plant in the prefecture. This is the company’s response to the request the governor made on August 26 for suspension of reactor operations.
Asked by reporters about the company’s response, Mitazono expressed his intent to make a similar request again, saying, “Following the string of earthquakes in Kumamoto, I strongly demanded that Kyuden stop the operations of the Sendai nuclear power plant and conduct safety checks on the facility. It’s extremely regrettable that the company rejected my request.”
Meanwhile, the written response refers to the utility’s plan to suspend the operations of No. 1 reactor at the power station in October and No. 2 in December for a regular inspection. It states that as part of the scheduled inspections, the utility will carry out “special safety checks” taking into consideration the governor’s call.
Taira Yukio, representative of a civic group in Kagoshima opposing the restart of offline nuclear reactors, noted that Kyuden’s reply proves that the firm is putting its profits before everything else. “Last week, another powerful earthquake registering close to 5 on the Japanese seismic scale of zero to seven took place in neighboring Kumamoto. Many Kagoshima residents feel anxiety in regard to the Sendai plant. We cannot wait until the next regular inspection,” he said.
Taira also cited the fact that Kyuden has covered up problems related to its nuclear power facilities and that it canceled a plan to construct an important quake-resistant building on the premises of the Sendai NPP after reactivating the two reactors. “Even if the power company repeatedly claims its nuclear facilities to be safe, we cannot believe that because they have frequently lied to us. It’s essential to make thorough inspections with the use of independent experts and disinterested parties,” he added.
Torihara Ryoko, a leader of a civil organization calling for the decommissioning of the Sendai NPP, pointed to the fact that the April quakes in Kumamoto caused traffic stoppages at many places and destroyed many buildings.
“The recent series of earthquakes in Kumamoto have shown no sign of coming to an end. If a quake causes a nuclear accident around here, local residents may be unable to evacuate in safety. Many people suspect that evacuation plans drawn up by municipalities will not work. Given that Fukushima victims are still forced to live as evacuees, the Sendai NPP should be shut down immediately,” she stressed.
Past related article:
> Kagoshima governor demands suspension of Sendai NPP [August 27, 2016]
Asked by reporters about the company’s response, Mitazono expressed his intent to make a similar request again, saying, “Following the string of earthquakes in Kumamoto, I strongly demanded that Kyuden stop the operations of the Sendai nuclear power plant and conduct safety checks on the facility. It’s extremely regrettable that the company rejected my request.”
Meanwhile, the written response refers to the utility’s plan to suspend the operations of No. 1 reactor at the power station in October and No. 2 in December for a regular inspection. It states that as part of the scheduled inspections, the utility will carry out “special safety checks” taking into consideration the governor’s call.
Taira Yukio, representative of a civic group in Kagoshima opposing the restart of offline nuclear reactors, noted that Kyuden’s reply proves that the firm is putting its profits before everything else. “Last week, another powerful earthquake registering close to 5 on the Japanese seismic scale of zero to seven took place in neighboring Kumamoto. Many Kagoshima residents feel anxiety in regard to the Sendai plant. We cannot wait until the next regular inspection,” he said.
Taira also cited the fact that Kyuden has covered up problems related to its nuclear power facilities and that it canceled a plan to construct an important quake-resistant building on the premises of the Sendai NPP after reactivating the two reactors. “Even if the power company repeatedly claims its nuclear facilities to be safe, we cannot believe that because they have frequently lied to us. It’s essential to make thorough inspections with the use of independent experts and disinterested parties,” he added.
Torihara Ryoko, a leader of a civil organization calling for the decommissioning of the Sendai NPP, pointed to the fact that the April quakes in Kumamoto caused traffic stoppages at many places and destroyed many buildings.
“The recent series of earthquakes in Kumamoto have shown no sign of coming to an end. If a quake causes a nuclear accident around here, local residents may be unable to evacuate in safety. Many people suspect that evacuation plans drawn up by municipalities will not work. Given that Fukushima victims are still forced to live as evacuees, the Sendai NPP should be shut down immediately,” she stressed.
Past related article:
> Kagoshima governor demands suspension of Sendai NPP [August 27, 2016]
