Fukushima Daiichi NPS Prompt Report 2013

New entity will provide focus, expertise to environmental remediation

TOKYO, December 20, 2013 -A new entity is being established to focus solely on the cleanup activity at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, the Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) announced today.

The move had been recommended by a group of international advisers, and was embraced by TEPCO, as a means to concentrate expertise and focus attention and accountability on the Fukushima cleanup.

The unit will temporary be known as the Decommissioning Company until a permanent name is chosen in the coming months. Naohiro Masuda, the executive who played a leading role in the safe shutdown of the Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Station and more recently helped set up TEPCO's Nuclear Safety Oversight Office (NSOO), will lead the new company as president. He will also carry the title of Chief Decommissioning Officer, and will report directly to TEPCO's President, Naomi Hirose. A full slate of officers for the new company will be announced shortly.

Praise from International Advisors

The creation of the Decommissioning Company was welcomed by Dr. Dale Klein, who chairs the Nuclear Reform Monitoring Committee, and who is former chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission: "This new structure will aid in the decommissioning process by focusing expertise and accountability. While the road to full decommissioning will be long, this new approach comes at the appropriate time, as TEPCO moves forward into the next phase of work at Fukushima - exemplified by the successful start of fuel removal work at Unit 4. It will also move TEPCO forward in its main task of providing electricity safely for the people of Japan."

The choice of Masuda to lead the new company was praised by Lady Barbara Judge CBE, Deputy Chair of TEPCO`s Nuclear Reform Monitoring Committee and former chair of the UK Atomic Energy Authority, who had primary responsibility for the oversight of the creation of the Nuclear Safety Oversight Office (NSOO) and the establishment of a culture of safety within TEPCO.

"Mr. Masuda has demonstrated his ability both in his leadership at Fukushima Daini and in his work with the NSOO. His promotion provides clear evidence that TEPCO has made nuclear safety a priority, and that service with the NSOO can be an important step on a nuclear engineers career path to the highest levels. As one of the architects of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority in the UK, I believe this proposed structure of creating a new unit within TEPCO for decommissioning which is separate from its operating unit is the right path to choose, as decommissioning is a different skill from operation, and the new unit will be more cost-effective and efficient if it can call upon the entire resource base of TEPCO when it is necessary or appropriate."

Mr. Lake Barrett, former US Nuclear Regulatory Director for the Three Mile Island reactor accident cleanup program commented that "This is an important step that will enhance safe cleanup progress at the site."

Progress Gaining Momentum

The announcement caps a period of several months during which TEPCO has made major progress both at Fukushima and elsewhere, including:

-Announcement on November 8 of a broad range of safety measures.
http://www.TEPCO.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/2013/1232044_5130.html

-Agreement by Japan's government to review TEPCO's application to restart the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station.
http://www.TEPCO.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/2013/1230976_5130.html

-Successful START OF removal of fuel from the Unit 4 spent fuel pool at Fukushima Daiichi.
http://www.TEPCO.co.jp/en/nu/fukushima-np/removal4u/index-e.html

-Progress on the management of water at Fukushima Daiichi.
http://www.TEPCO.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/2013/1232682_5130.html

-Announcement on December 18 that Units 5 and 6 at Fukushima Daiichi would become testing and training sites to aid in the decontamination and decommissioning effort.
http://www.TEPCO.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/2013/1233084_5130.html

The new Decommissioning Company will work closely with the International Research Institute on Nuclear Decommissioning and with various agencies of Japan's government, including the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority.

Commenting on the new structure, TEPCO President Hirose said: "By creating this entity reporting directly to the President, we emphasize our continuing accountability for addressing the challenges of Fukushima Daiichi, and are able to concentrate our management, expertise, and resources on that task."

Further commenting on his selection of Masuda to head the new organization, Hirose said: "We are very pleased to have someone of Mr. Masuda's ability and leadership qualities to place at the head of the new company. I have great confidence that he will bring great focus, energy, and innovative spirit to the task."

TEPCO, Inc. is a provider of electricity to the Kanto region, which includes Tokyo and Yokohama. The company is headquartered in Tokyo. The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station was struck by a tsunami after an earthquake that occurred in March 2011. For more information, please go to http://www.TEPCO.co.jp/en/index-e.html.