Fukushima Daiichi NPS Prompt Report 2016

Wide-ranging self-assessment effort reports progress, with more to be done

TOKYO, September 2—The group of international advisers overseeing TEPCO Holdings’ implementation of its Nuclear Safety Reform Plan received a report on self-assessment at its meeting in Tokyo on September 2. The report, focusing on eight broad areas both at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station and the company’s other nuclear operations, detailed progress in each area while noting more improvements that need to be done.

In five of the eight areas, the company said it had achieved a state where high standards that exceed legal and technical regulations have been established and improvements are underway in pursuit of the world’s highest level of safety, but where continuous efforts are needed for weaknesses that are yet to be manifested. Those categories include:

　•　Management leading the way in prioritizing nuclear safety
　•　Continuous learning from incidents and problems
　•　Emergency response capability
　•　Building trust through communication
　•　Exposure dose reduction and management

In three other areas, the self-assessment said that self-regulatory and continuous reforms need to be accelerated to improve the speed and achievements of the reforms. In the area of governance and on-site nuclear risk management, the report found that a change management method has been introduced at Fukushima Daiichi, but that it needs to be more broadly applied beyond the recent departmental reorganization. And in the remaining area, in-house technical self-sufficiency, the report noted that a systematic mechanism has yet to be established for human resources development to achieve the world’s highest level of safety.

A summary of the self-assessment report may be seen at http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/betu16_e/images/160902e0101.pdf, and the full report will be made available once completed.

NRMC Review

The Nuclear Reform Monitoring Committee (NRMC) will undertake a thorough review of the report, and it has invited Randall Edington, Executive Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer of Arizona (U.S.) Public Service, to assist in the technical review. In his remarks at the NRMC meeting, Chairman Dr. Dale Klein said, “we believe that the assessment reflects a sincere effort” to quantitatively assess progress, and that the committee believes “the exercise has been a valuable component of TEPCO’s pursuit of world-class excellence.” He said the Committee will review the report, verify its findings, “and make recommendations for further improvement.”
Lady Barbara Judge, CBE, the Committee’s Deputy Chairman, called the self-assessment “a great step forward” towards the ultimate objective of nuclear safety.

NRMC Reviews Quarterly Progress Report and More

In addition to receiving the self- assessment, the Committee also reviewed the most recent quarterly progress report, which was summarized in an email magazine on August 2. Progress included activation of the “ice wall” designed to block the flow of groundwater into the reactor and turbine buildings at Fukushima Daiichi, investigation on Unit 2 reactor pressure vessel using muon cosmic ray particles to learn more about the location and condition of fuel debris, and further safety enhancements at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station.
A summary of the quarterly progress report may be seen at http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/betu16_e/images/160802e0101.pdf, and the full report may be accessed at http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/press/corp-com/release/betu16_e/images/160802e0102.pdf.

Meltdown Acknowledgement

The Committee also received the report of the external independent committee on the issue of the timeliness of “meltdown” communications after the March 11 accident. In a statement issued after the Committee’s meeting, the Committee believes that the primary implication of that report for the future is the continuing need for timely, accurate, thorough, and understandable communications and consistent implementation of own commitments. The Committee will continuously monitor implementation of the company’s commitments to prioritize safety and to provide accurate and easy-to-understand communication that meets the expectation of its stakeholders.

About TEPCO Group
Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. (TEPCO Holdings) is Japan's largest power company group, holding three independent business entities: TEPCO Fuel & Power, Inc., TEPCO Power Grid, Inc., and TEPCO Energy Partner, Inc. As a group, it generates, distributes, and sells electricity and other types of energy principally to the Kanto metropolitan area, which includes Japan's two most populous cities, Tokyo and Yokohama. Its 33,000 employees are committed to providing safe, reliable power to its 29 million customers as well as fulfilling its responsibilities to the communities of Fukushima. (As of April 1, 2016)
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