Fukushima Daiichi NPS Prompt Report 2015

All the efforts provides a strong foundation toward decommissioning work

TOKYO, August 24-Members of TEPCO’s Nuclear Reform Monitoring Committee noted the significant progress made in water management and working conditions at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, as they met Aug. 24 to review the company’s most recent quarterly progress report.

Members of the committee also praised the company for fulfilling the pledge made at the Committee’s most recent meeting to intensify its disclosure of testing and radiation data from Fukushima Daiichi.

“This represents significant progress,” said Committee Chairman Dr. Dale Klein, former chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. “In addition to fulfilling its disclosure promises, TEPCO has made important advances in water management and safety culture. We applaud each milestone that TEPCO has reached steadily, and all the efforts provide a strong foundation on which to build as the decommissioning work continues.”

Lady Barbara Judge, CBE, the Committee’s Deputy Chairman, said, “At our last meeting, a great deal of attention was given to issues of water and disclosure, and I am very pleased to see great progress in both of those areas. In addition, corporate management and nuclear leaders put their effort to improve the safety awareness within the organization and the quality of life of employees, by holding mutual dialogue. Both of these are very important.”

Quarterly Progress Report

Much of the meeting was devoted to a review of TEPCO’s quarterly report on its progress toward meeting the goals of its Nuclear Reform Plan. Highlights of that report included:
- Water Treatment: The treatment was completed for all highly contaminated water that had been stored on site since the accident except for a small amount of residue at the bottom of the storage tanks that will be captured and cleaned as the tanks are dismantled. By cleaning the contaminated water using 7 treatment facilities including advanced liquid processing systems (ALPS), the ambient radiation is expected to be significantly reduced.

- Removal of Trench Water: After March 2011 accident, highly contaminated water had collected in underground tunnels known as “trenches” connected to Unit 2 and Unit 3 turbine buildings. Removal of this water at Unit 2 was accomplished after successful efforts to fill up the tunnel and the vertical shafts with special liquid cement. The radioactive level of the contaminated water in the trench is very high, so the contaminated water removal is a step forward in reducing the risk of water leakage. (Removal of Unit 3 trench water was completed shortly after the end of the quarter to which this report pertains.)

- Improved working conditions: Thanks to reduced levels of radiation, workers at 90 percent of the site can now work without wearing full face masks for both comfort and safety. A new nine-storey rest facility opened on June 1, capable of accommodating 1,200 workers. (Hot meals are now provided from a nearby meal center.)

- Further preparations at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa: As part of stronger preventive measures at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station, facilities were enhanced to prevent flooding and enhance fire safety. IAEA’s OSART reviewed those enhancements along with nuclear safety culture and organization management using IAEA’s safety standards.
- Progress at Fukushima Daini: While remaining in cold shutdown, it supports Fukushima Daiichi decommissioning from various angles. Industrial safety training was also set up on site to train supervisors and workers.

Enhanced Disclosure

The Committee also discussed the company’s report that it has significantly increased the quantity of sampling data to be disclosed about radiation concentrations at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.

The company made the commitment after questions had been raised about the adequacy of disclosing certain data that resulted from testing water quality in a drainage channel. The new policy is intended to demonstrate the company’s commitment to sharing information with the community.

The quantity of data points is expected to increase to 70,000 per year from approximately 50,000. Where practical, the company will continue its efforts to provide context for the most significant data, including explanatory statements, graphs, or maps.

In connection with the issues that had been raised about the adequacy of previous disclosures regarding readings taken from K Drainage at Fukushima Daiichi, the Committee received a report it had commissioned from a subcommittee of legal and technical experts headed by NRMC Member Masafumi Sakurai, a former prosecutor. The report found that “(1) organizational issues that prevented the 2013 Disclosure Policy from being appropriately implemented, and (2) the spirit to satisfy the expectation of general public concerning information disclosure had not permeated throughout the company.”

The Committee thanked the Subcommittee for its thorough report and noted that it would continue to monitor TEPCO’s performance under its new, more expansive disclosure policy. At the same time, both Dr. Klein and Lady Judge praised the company’s commitment to transparency but urged that the company continue to make efforts to place the large quantity of data in context for non-experts.

- A summary of the Q1 2015 Progress Report may be seen at http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/betu15_e/images/150811e0201.pdf ( PDF 464KB)
- The full report is available at http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/betu15_e/images/150824e0201.pdf (PDF 1.62MB).
- “Implementation of New Actions for Information Disclosure” is uploaded here http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/2015/1258280_6844.html
- Reports from the committee can be found on the committee’s website at　 http://www.nrmc.jp/en/report/detail/1258279_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 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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