JAPAN: IAEA inspection team visits nuclear reactors in western Japan as protesters challenging the credibility of the nuclear watchdog demonstrate in Tokyo.

Record ID: 466168

  • Title: JAPAN: IAEA inspection team visits nuclear reactors in western Japan as protesters challenging the credibility of the nuclear watchdog demonstrate in Tokyo.
  • Date: 27th January 2012
  • Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (JANUARY 26, 2011) (REUTERS) CARS RUNNING ON TOKYO STREET ANTI-NUCLEAR PROTESTERS GATHERING AT INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY'S (IAEA) TOKYO OFFICE BUILDING SIGN READING: "IAEA REGIONAL OFFICE" PROTESTERS DEMONSTRATING WITH BANNERS (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) MEMBER OF ANTI-NUCLEAR CITIZEN GROUP "EMERGENCY CONGRESS FOR FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR ACCIDENT" KOUJI SUGIHARA SAYING: "The IAEA is originally designed to promote the use of nuclear power, so we don't believe they can guarantee the safety of its use. Needless to say, their inspection is merely to say "it's okay to resume" -- a conclusion they already have in their minds." BANNER READING IN JAPANESE: "NUCLEAR POWER? GOOD-BYE" (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) MEMBER OF ANTI-NUCLEAR CITIZEN GROUP "EMERGENCY CONGRESS FOR FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR ACCIDENT" MASAO KIMURA SAYING: "Western people are not from quake-prone countries, we Japanese have the expertise on preparing for earthquakes. So, we don't trust their judgements." PROTESTERS WALKING INTO BUILDING SIGN READING: "INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY / REGIONAL OFFICE" KIMURA TALKING ON INTERCOM KIMURA HOLDING LETTER TO SUBMIT TO IAEA OFFICIALS
  • Embargoed: 11th February 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan, Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Technology,Energy
  • Reuters ID: LVA8IVF6LBTOACB5ZOJISSLK8TFE
  • Story Text: The UN's nuclear watchdog visited a Japanese nuclear power plant on Thursday (January 26) to evaluate how well its nuclear "stress tests" protect against disasters.
    Officials from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are reviewing how the country's nuclear watchdog assesses tests conducted on idle reactors.
    They visited the Ohi nuclear power plant, run by Kansai Electric Power Company, which has had the first completed stress test review for two of its four reactors.
    Kansai Electric Power Company's nuclear power division head Hideki Toyomatsu said the company was doing its best to ensure the safety of its nuclear reactors.
    "The (Fukushima accident) was a disaster, that as a operator in the same country, we must make sure to not let happen again. We have realized this and are doing everything we can on the equipment and operations side to increase safety," he said.
    The Japanese government ordered stress tests to overcome public opposition to the restarting of reactors, after the disaster at Tokyo Electric Power's Fukushima facility shattered confidence in atomic safety.
    After trudging through the snow and observing workers training to connect emergency power in the event of a disaster, IAEA Japan team head James Lyons said the inspection was ongoing.
    "Well we're still finishing up our review, we haven't completed that yet. So we've started to make some initial formulations of maybe some suggestions and recommendations but we haven't finalized those yet and we won't until early next week," he said.
    While the IAEA team was inspecting the reactors in Fukui prefecture, a small group of protesters demonstrated outside the IAEA office in Tokyo carrying anti-nuclear banners.
    They spoke out against the credibility of the IAEA.
    "The IAEA is originally designed to promote the use of nuclear power, so we don't believe they can guarantee the safety of its use. Needless to say, their inspection is merely to say "it's okay to resume" -- a conclusion they already have in their minds," said anti-nuclear group member Kouji Sugihara.
    Others were uncertain whether experts from countries not used to dealing with earthquakes could provide relevant advice.
    "Western people are not from quake-prone countries; we Japanese have the expertise on preparing for earthquakes. So, we don't trust their judgements," said protester Masao Kimura.
    The IAEA Japan review team will announce their results on January 31.
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