Japan Press Weekly

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2016 January 6 - 12 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Many NPPs install cables in violation of safety standards

It has come to light that the handling of safety-related cables at some nuclear power plants violates safety standards. The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) on January 6 directed nuclear power stations across the country to check if their cables are installed in accordance with the standards.

Following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, the new regulatory standards which the Abe government claims are “the strictest in the world” were put in force in July 2013. The revised regulations oblige nuclear plant operators to separate safety cables from other cables in order to prevent the spread of a fire in case one breaks out.

In September 2015, it was brought to light that the cables to shut down a reactor of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant (Niigata Pref.) had been buried under the central control room together with other cables. The investigation conducted later revealed that more than 1,700 cables of the plant fail to meet the safety requirements.

So far, it has turned out that a total of 13 reactors at six nuclear power stations around the nation, including the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, are in violation of safety requirements.

Meanwhile, the NRA removed from the list of facilities to be checked the Nos. 1 and 2 reactors of the Sendai NPP (Kagoshima Pref.) which are in operation as well as the Nos. 3 and 4 reactors of the Takahama NPP (Fukui Pref.) which are now undergoing a final check before being put back online.

This shows that the NRA is tamely allowing the Abe administration to rush to restart atomic reactors in disregard of the safety of the general public. The validity of “safety checks” carried out based on the NRA standards should be called into question.