Japan Press Weekly

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2016 September 14 - 20 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

JCP conducts on-site inspection at Tomari NPP

Japanese Communist Party members of the Diet Hatayama Kazuya and Iwabuchi Tomo on September 15 visited the Tomari Nuclear Power Plant in Hokkaido with local JCP assemblypersons to check the safety of the plant where one offline reactor is waiting for approval of its restart.

The operator Hokkaido Electric Power Company (HEPCO), however, acknowledged the lack of improvements in the quake resistance of the plant during the JCP inspection.

Ahead of the reactivation of No.3 reactor at the plant, the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) is currently examining if the reactor meets the new safety standards.

The JCP group inspected a 16.5-meter high seawall, the electric energy-transforming equipment for the No.3 reactor, the turbine building, and an alternative containment spray pump to supply water in the event of the loss of the original containment spray functions to cool or depressurize the inner containment.

Hatayama asked Director of the NPP Uozumi Gen, “Did you strengthen the quake resistance of the filtrate tank, which pours water into the reactor and fuel pool?” The director answered, “Its resistance to quakes has not been improved.”

Iwabushi raised questions regarding the reactor’s resumption by saying, “Many residents are worried about the plant’s safety especially since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident. Do you really believe that present measures to counter seismic effects respond adequately to expressed concerns?”

The JCP lawmakers also met with Sato Seiichiro, the mayor of Niki Town which is located within a 30-kilometer zone from the Tomari NPP, and received explanations of the town’s evacuation plan and the securing of evacuation routes.

After that, they held a meeting with townspeople. A 61-year-old woman wondered if she could safely flee the town without being caught in a traffic jam in the midst of the confusion generated in the event of a nuclear accident.

Past related articles:
> Outside auditors have cozy ties with Hokkaido electric power company [March 12, 2013]
> 612 people file lawsuit for Tomari N-plant to be scrapped [November 12, 2011]
> Hokkaido utility suspends implementation of ‘pluthermal’ plan [October 18, 2011]
> HEPCO tries to manipulate local residents’ opinions on ‘pluthermal’ project [August 26, 2011]
> Utility executives give donations to Hokkaido governor [August 18 & 19, 2011]