Fukushima Daiichi NPS Prompt Report 2014

Improvements cited in water management, though challenges remain

TOKYO, Aug. 1 -Significant improvement in management of contaminated water at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, including the strengthening of its water treatment system, highlighted progress during the three months ending June 30, the Tokyo Electric Power Co. reported today.

The company issued its quarterly report on progress toward achievement of the goals established in its 2013 Nuclear Safety Reform Plan. The report will be presented to the Nuclear Reform Monitoring Committee, a group of international advisors. Highlights also included creation of a new entity within TEPCO exclusively focused on the Fukushima cleanup, and further work at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa facility in anticipation of its possible return to operation.

Dr. Dale Klein, the former chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission who chairs the committee, said: "I am pleased and to see continued progress in a variety of areas at the Fukushima Daiichi site, at the company’s other nuclear installations, and in the management of its nuclear program. At the same time, it is clear that many challenges remain. While I am encouraged that the ALPS system is back online and that the number of incidents involving leaks of contaminated water have declined, the adoption and execution of a comprehensive water management plan should remain a top priority."

Klein also urged the company to further accelerate the rate of progress, and to increase its use of "key performance indicators" and the benchmarking of its performance against global leaders as a way to measure progress. He noted that the company’s new chairman, Fumio Sudo, comes from a background in the steel industry where safety issues are also paramount, and expressed confidence that Sudo, together with TEPCO President Naomi Hirose, would continue to stress adoption of the "safety culture" called for in the Nuclear Safety Reform Plan.

Lady Barbara Judge CBE, Former Chairman of the U.K. Atomic Energy Authority and deputy chairman of TEPCO’s Nuclear Reform Monitoring Committee, said, "I am especially pleased to see that the Nuclear Safety Oversight Office is carrying out its intended role to help instill a strong safety culture within TEPCO. It has been proactive in seeking advice from international safety culture experts in order to promote the highest safety standards from some of the world's best nuclear operators. It appears to be coordinating effectively with the Board of Directors to ensure that safety remains a top priority."

Lady Judge also expressed strong support for Chairman Sudo and President Hirose who have improved and modernized working conditions for their employees and also for showing leadership in improving the timing and quality of communication, ensuring increased transparency.  She also applauded them for bringing in talented women from the outside to head the Social Communication Office.

New D&D Company

The report noted the creation of TEPCO’s Fukushima Decontamination and Decommissioning Engineering Co., an entity reporting directly to TEPCO’s president that will focus the responsibility, skills, and accountability for the Fukushima cleanup into a single entity. This had been a major recommendation of the Nuclear Reform Monitoring Committee. The new entity is headed by Naohiro Masuda, who took over in April as Chief Decommissioning Officer, and will include in its leaderships representatives of other nuclear companies.

It also reports on the continuing safe removal of fuel assemblies from the Unit 4 spent fuel pool, which had begun last November and is now 87 percent complete.

The report acknowledges that the management of contaminated water at Fukushima Daiichi represents a continuing challenge, but cites progress on several fronts. A major advance was the restarting and strengthening of the "ALPS" advanced water treatment system allowing for a reduction of the amount of contaminated water that needs to be stored on site. It also reports success in reducing leaks and overflows, and progress in long-term efforts to control the inflow of groundwater to the site.

Other highlights of the report include:

 • Testing at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa to ensure compliance with new regulatory requirements
 • Various actions to strengthen management accountability and attention to safety
 • Enhancements to risk communication capabilities and emergency preparedness.

An executive summary of the report (in English) can be found at http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/betu14_e/images/140801e0101.pdf.

A video message from Dr.Dale Klein can be found at http://www.nrmc.jp/en/report/detail/1239770_5233.html.

About TEPCO

Tokyo Electric Power Company, Inc. (TEPCO) is Japan's largest power company, supplying energy to the greater Kanto area, including Japan's two most populous cities, Tokyo and Yokohama. Its 35,000 employees are committed to providing safe, reliable power to its 28.8 million customers, diversifying energy resources to ensure sustainability, and contributing to economic growth while fully meeting its responsibilities after the Fukushima Daiichi accident