Press Releases 2015

Nuclear Reform Monitoring Committee notes progress but also admonishes TEPCO for recent disclosure failure and for fatal accidents

TOKYO-TEPCO marked two full years of progress in implementing the Nuclear Safety Reform Plan today, presenting its latest progress report to the company's independent Nuclear Reform Monitoring Committee (NRMC).

In light of the two-year anniversary, the report departed from its usual practice of reviewing the progress of the preceding quarter and instead provided a two-year retrospective on implementation of the Plan and on the work remaining. It cited significant gains in safety consciousness, technological capabilities, and communications.

Upon receiving the company's report at its March 30 meeting, the NRMC expressed satisfaction that Nuclear Division executives are taking the initiative to achieve nuclear safety through such actions as discussing safety as the first priority, and going into the field, where they can confirm conditions and issue instructions directly.

But Committee Chairman Dr. Dale Klein cautioned against complacency. "In light of the two recent fatalities and an additional serious injury, the safety awareness of TEPCO and its contractors must be increased."

Deputy Chairman Lady Barbara Judge said, "It is essential that TEPCO do a much better job of anticipating concerns of the public. Transparent and clear communication is critical to rebuilding public trust."

｢Progress and Future Initiatives in Safety Culture｣

TEPCO reported progress and plans for additional efforts in each of the three categories:

[Safety Consciousness]

Efforts to extend a "safety culture" that places the highest value on human life over other priorities include a variety of daily attributes that are being emphasized, ranging from everyday behaviors like wearing seatbelts to efforts by management to empower workers to express safety concerns when they arise.

[Technological Capabilities]

The two-year review noted growth in the company's ability to provide "defense in depth" so that unexpected events at a nuclear power station remain under control. It also noted strengthened emergency response capabilities, which it said it will continue to scale up.

[Communications]

The report noted the continuing challenge of restoring public trust and confidence to TEPCO since the accident at Fukushima Daiichi, including the recent issues that were raised over the belated disclosure of contaminated drainage water. It said the company would continue efforts to communicate effectively with the public, and noted the recent adoption of key performance indicators for its "risk communicators." Nuclear Reform Monitoring Committee encouraged TEPCO to enhance its communication capability.

Members of the committee also emphasized the need to engage with stakeholders and meet public expectations for transparency. The committee said the company's strengthened policy to release all radiological data from its nuclear facilities is acceptable, but also emphasized that TEPCO take care to ensure that rather than releasing data out of context, it provides the public with relevant information, with adequate explanation and context.

Separate from the Quarterly Report, the Committee received an interim report on the independent review of the nondisclosure matter being conducted by Masafumi Sakurai, a member of the Committee, and a team he has assembled of outside lawyers and communications experts. That report is available at http://www.nrmc.jp/en/report/detail/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2015/04/28/E_4.pdf
The whole report may be found at Nuclear Safety Reform Plan Progress Report (4th Quarter, 2014).(PDF 4.70MB)
Please also see ''Reviewing the Two Years of Nuclear Safety Reform(PDF 878KB)''.

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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