JAPAN: Final Fukushima report from government appointed inquiry urges new prevention steps and mindset after crisis raised doubt over whether country's other plants are adequately prepared for massive disasters.

Record ID: 275796

  • Title: JAPAN: Final Fukushima report from government appointed inquiry urges new prevention steps and mindset after crisis raised doubt over whether country's other plants are adequately prepared for massive disasters.
  • Date: 23rd July 2012
  • Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (JULY 23, 2012) (REUTERS) FINAL MEETING OF GOVERNMENT APPOINTED INQUIRY INTO FUKUSHIMA DISASTER INQUIRY MEMBERS MEMBERS LOOKING THROUGH REPORT (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) LAWYER AND INQUIRY MEMBER TOSHIO TAKANO SAYING: "When and if a disaster strikes it becomes necessary to make decisions in harsh and extreme conditions. If one is not prepared to do this, then I
  • Embargoed: 7th August 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan
  • City:
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Disasters,Technology,Energy
  • Reuters ID: LVA7ZOELUR8JTQX3PVXBTJLD01TC
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: A government-appointed inquiry into Japan's Fukushima nuclear crisis raised doubts on Monday (July 23) about whether other atomic plants were prepared for massive disasters despite new safety rules, and delivered a damning assessment of the regulators and the station's operator.
    The report, the second this month about the disaster, could be seized upon by Japan's increasingly vociferous anti-nuclear movement after the restart of two reactors, and as the government readies a new energy policy due out next month.
    Tokyo Electric Power Co (Tepco), the operator of the Fukushima Daiichi plant, and regulators failed to plan for a massive natural disaster, the panel said, blaming them for being lulled by the same "safety myth" blasted by a parliament-appointed team of experts earlier this month.

    "When and if a disaster strikes it becomes necessary to make decisions in harsh and extreme conditions. If one is not prepared to do this, then I don't believe that one can have the qualifications to run nuclear power plants. Looking at it that way, I have to wonder whether those involved really were prepared," said panel member Toshio Takano.
    The panel called on the government to immediately take additional steps, including ensuring that off-site nuclear accident management centres are protected against the kind of massive radiation leaks that made the one at Fukushima useless.
    Inquiry members pointed out that while progress has been made there was still much including changing the overall system as the panel also suggested post-Fukushima safety steps taken at other nuclear plants may not be enough to cope with a big, complex catastrophe caused by both human error and natural causes in a "disaster-prone nation" like Japan.

    "I think one can say that we've only just now stood at the beginning of a long road. So for the government and other related parties, it's necessary to not only look at this not as a single person's mistake and belittling it, but to look at it as a fault of the system and to continue to look into it going forward as well," said Meiji University professor and panel member Yasuro Tanaka.
    Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's decision to restart Kansai Electric Power Co's two reactors this month has energised the country's growing anti-nuclear movement, with tens of thousands taking to the streets in Tokyo a week ago.

    "In order to prevent this sort of accident from having ever happening again, it is necessary to take any and all measures possible. Just a moment ago, I was asked by Inquiry head Hatamura to take this report seriously and I do indeed plan to do so and take measures accordingly," Noda told the panel after being handed the report.
    The Fukushima Daiichi plant, 240 km (150 miles) north of Tokyo, was hit on March 11 last year by an earthquake and tsunami that knocked out power supply and swamped its backup power and cooling systems, resulting in meltdowns of three of its six reactors. Some 150,000 people were forced to flee as radioactive materials spewed, some never to return.
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