Fukushima Daiichi NPS Prompt Report 2013

September 26, 2013
Tokyo Electric Power Company
President, Naomi Hirose

We have today obtained approval from Niigata Prefecture for our application for the regulatory standard compliance examination regarding the filter vent equipment for Units 6 and 7 of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station.
Therefore, we would like to make the application to the Nuclear Regulation Authority tomorrow.

We obtained prior understanding from the mayor of Kashiwazaki City and the mayor of Kariwa Village. We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the governor of Niigata Prefecture, the mayor of Kashiwazaki City, and the mayor of Kariwa Village for their efforts towards realizing the application.

Since the Niigataken Chuetsu-oki Earthquake occurred in July 2007, we have been making the utmost efforts towards implementing safety measures at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station, such as anti-seismic reinforcements and the construction of the seismic isolated building, etc.

Furthermore, reflecting on the accident at Fukushima Daiichi NPS that occurred in March 2011 and the lessons learned, safety was further enhanced not only by installing seawalls, flood barrier walls and water reservoirs, but also by introducing watertight doors to the reactor/turbine buildings and deploying emergency diesel generator vehicles and power supply cars.

The application for the regulatory standard compliance examination will contribute to the Nuclear Regulation Authority's objective evaluation of our facilities and its judgments on whether the measures, which we have actively and continuously implemented, are adapted to the new regulatory standards. We believe this procedure is extremely important in order to secure both safety and security for the residents of Kashiwazaki City, Kariwa Village and Niigata Prefecture.

Moreover, we recognize that adequate communication with the national and local governments is absolutely vital, since the filter vent equipment can minimize emissions of granular radioactive materials in the case of a serious accident and reduce soil pollution significantly outside the power plant, and this relates closely to their evacuation plans.

TEPCO will comply with the Safety Agreement and continue future discussions with Niigata Prefecture and the local governments. Moreover, we will make every effort to improve the delivery of information in an easy-to-understand manner.