Press Releases 2015

Empathy urged for people of Fukushima in continued commitment to revitalization and transparency

FUKUSHIMA, Japan, March 11, 2015-In remarks made directly to workers at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station to mark the fourth anniversary of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that crippled it, TEPCO President Naomi Hirose praised the workers for their accomplishments in beginning the long process of decommissioning, and pledged to always put their safety first.

He also addressed the recent controversy over nondisclosure of radioactivity in drainage water. He urged workers to empathize with those in neighboring communities who were upset by it, and "to pave the road to recovery alongside and together with the people."

Dr. Dale Klein, the former head of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission who heads TEPCO's independent advisory board known as the Nuclear Reform Monitoring Committee, said: "Four years after the accident, the progress at the site is remarkable. At the same time, it is clear that much more needs to be done, and I applaud President Hirose for his emphasis on safety over scheduling, and his expression of concern for the people of Fukushima."

Gratitude, Progress

In his remarks, made in person to workers at Fukushima Daiichi, President Hirose said: "Looking back to this day four years ago, where I'm standing now in the emergency response center . . . you were all responding to the unprecedented accident after the huge tsunami struck. . . . I would like to express my greatest gratitude for the tremendous efforts you made during the past four years."

The CEO noted the progress that had been made, first in stabilizing the site and then, in the last year, beginning the long process of removing nuclear material and decommissioning the site. He praised the safe and incident-free removal of nuclear fuel from the Unit 4 spent fuel pool, as well as the various measures adopted to control rainwater at the site.

He also noted the successful implementation, with the important agreement of Fukushima's fishermen, of a system that enables groundwater to bypass the site, preventing its contamination and reducing the water storage burden.

Safety and Empathy

Underscoring TEPCO's commitment to a safety culture, President Hirose said making safety the first priority is not in conflict with meeting schedules but in fact contributes to their achievement. Safety failures, he explained, often lead to work stoppages and delay. "Ensuring the safety of the workers is the most important thing in order to decontaminate the site," he said. "We shall never forget this."

He urged the workers to empathize with the challenges facing the residents of communities near the facility, noting that the recent controversy over non-disclosure of data concerning radioactive water in a drainage channel "caused great concern."

"This was a result of us not being able to empathize enough with the feelings of the people in the fisheries industry and their hopes of restarting their business," President Hirose said. "Truly understanding such feelings may be difficult, but I feel we must do this, and pave the road to recovery alongside and together with the people."

Full text of the speech is available in English at www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/2015/1248661_6844.html.

Photos of the speech may be seen at http://photo.tepco.co.jp/en/date/2015/201503-e/150311-02e.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 34,000 employees are committed to providing safe, reliable power to its 29.0 million customers, diversifying energy resources to ensure sustainability, and contributing to economic growth while fully meeting its responsibilities after the Fukushima Daiichi accident.
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