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Proposal Concerning Nuclear Emergency Response Measures (Informal English translation by Green Action)

Proposal Concerning Nuclear Emergency Response Measures

At present, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is carrying out a compliance review of nuclear power plants under the new regulatory standards, and a department for nuclear emergency response measures has been set up in the Cabinet Office. For the Sendai nuclear power plant of Kyushu Electric Power, the process of obtaining the consent of the local authorities has been undertaken, and resumption of operations is expected as early as this winter. Following this, on the 17th of December, the Nuclear Regulation Authority has compiled and publicly released a draft proposal for fitness review of reactors 3 and 4 of Kansai Electric Power’s Takahama Nuclear Power Plant. A special inspection is also being carried out for reactors 1 and 2 as required to approve the application for extension of the operating period which is currently 40 years. With regard to this, we received an explanation from Kansai Electric Power in our Union Committee meeting today.

The Union of Kansai Governments has to date submitted petitions concerning the application of the new regulatory standards and emergency response measures, and, wide area evacuation measures have been arranged in response to requests from the Central Government, leading to the compilation of the wide area evacuation guidelines this March. At present, steps are being taken to ensure the effectiveness of the evacuation methods and other related procedures. Despite this, numerous issues still persist with regard to evacuation measures related to the Takahama nuclear power plant, to which a fresh issue has emerged in the form of extension of the operating period of reactors 1 and 2. At this time, we seek that the Central Government clarify its responsibilities regarding the evaluation of the resumption of operations, and, that the following matters be speedily dealt with.

An environment does not exist for accepting resumption of operations of the Takahama nuclear power plant if the following matters are not implemented.

Notes

  1. We seek that extension of the operating period of nuclear power plants be cautiously examined because the facilities are old. The operator undertaking the special inspection must be appropriately instructed, and the content of the examination must be adequately explained to the relevant self-governing governments including those in the surrounding areas, and, their understanding on the matter obtained.
  2. Safety being the first priority, the decision making concerning resumption of operations must be dealt with in a matter that fits the circumstances of this region, rather than following the process of local approval that was undertaken for resumption of operation of the Sendai nuclear power plant.
  3. The safety agreement between the self-governing governments, including those in the zones which are part of the UPZ, and the operator must be the same level of agreement as the safety agreements with self-governing governments where the plants are located, and, the national government must instruct the operator to conclude these agreements promptly . A legal framework must be created in which, even under normal circumstances, and even if not so required by the safety agreement, information sharing and exchange of views can be undertaken between the self-governing governments on the one hand and the government and operator on the other under which proposals concerning ensuring safety can be made.
  4. The operator should be instructed and supported to rapidly introduce the currently deferred new functions which are required to be put in place at nuclear power plants under the new regulatory standards, and the implementation schedule etc. explained to the concerned self-governing governments, including those in the surrounding areas, and their understanding on the matter obtained.
  5. For nuclear disaster wide area evacuation measures, the Central Government must be the primary party to undertake the necessary arrangements in order to realize a wide area evacuation plan that can be effectively implemented.
  6. The Central Government must take into consideration agreements which the Union of Kansai Governments will be undertaking with civil business organizations in order to concretely establish the medical examination, decontamination and emergency transport of evacuees. Also, with regards to the Central Government’s monitoring information which is to be utilized for the wide area evacuation, a system for executing this must be established which includes areas outside the UPZ as well, and a concrete implementation policy for its utilization must be shown. 7 The deliberation concerning protective measures under PPA (protective measures such as prophylactic use of iodine, taking shelter indoors, etc.) which have finally commenced must be compiled promptly and reflected in the guidelines for nuclear emergency response measures.

25th December 2014
Union of Kansai Governments

Head of the Union: Toshizo Ido (Governor of Hyogo Prefecture)
Deputy Head of the Union: Yoshinobu Nisaka (Governor of Wakayama Prefecture)

Members: Taizo Mikazuki (Governor of Shiga Prefecture)
Keiji Yamada (Governor of Kyoto Prefecture)
Ichiro Matsui (Governor of Osaka Prefecture)
Shinji Hirai (Governor of Tottori Prefecture)
Kamon Iizumi (Governor of Tokushima Prefecture)
Daisaku Kadokawa (Mayor of Kyoto)
Toru Hashimoto (Mayor of Osaka)
Osami Takeyama (Mayor of Sakai)
Kizo Hisamoto (Mayor of Kobe)

Informal English translation by Green Action
Download: Proposal Concerning Nuclear Emergency Response Measures (Informal English translation by Green Action)
Original document (in Japanese):
http://www.kouiki-kansai.jp/data_upload/1419557281.pdf

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Kansai Electric’s Takahama Units 3 and 4 Restart Review Enters Public Comment Period

Kansai Electric’s Takahama Units 3 and 4 Restart Review
Enters Public Comment Period

First Use of Plutonium (MOX) Fuel Since Fukushima Accident Moves Ahead Without NRA Review of its Severe Accident Implications

For immediate release: 17 December 2014
Contact: Aileen Mioko Smith +81-90-3620-9251

Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) today approved the first stage of the review for restart of Kansai Electric’s Takahama Units 3 and 4 located in Fukui Prefecture. If restart is approved, it will be the first reactors to use plutonium (uranium and plutonium mIxed oxide fuel: MOX fuel) since the Fukushima accident.

The Nuclear Regulatory Agency stated today that the approval process for MOX fuel at Takahama had already been completed (before the Fukushima accident) and therefore its use will not come under NRA review. Compared to conventional uranium fuel, MOX fuel lowers the safety margin of reactor operation and causes greater health damage if released to the environment. Since there is no plan for spent MOX fuel, it will remain at the reactor site.

“It is unconscionable that the NRA is not undertaking a safety assessment of MOX fuel use. If the NRA is requiring stricter standards after Fukushima, a reassessment of MOX fuel use must be undertaken. Without this, the NRA has not learnt the lessons of Fukushima, nor can Japan profess that its regulatory safety standards are “’the strictest in the world’ ” said Aileen Mioko Smith, executive director of Green Action based in Kyoto.

The Takahama reactors are unique not only because they are slated to be the first to use MOX fuel since the Fukushima accident, but because they are located quite close to large populations. The center of Kyoto City is located 60 kilometers from the Takahama plant. The population of Kyoto Prefecture within the 30km nuclear accident evacuation area is 128,500 compared to Fukui Prefecture’s 66,900 where the Takahama site is located. The entire cities of Maizuru (89,000) and Miyazu (20,300) in northern Kyoto must flee in case of a serious accident including their city hall administrations. The cultural heritage of Kyoto City is also endangered as well as Kyoto’s tourism industry which suffered economic loss after the Fukushima accident. There are 15 nuclear reactors within a 52-kilometer radius of Kyoto City’s northern city limits.

The NRA, however, refuses to address the holding of public hearing on the Takahama plant restarts in Kyoto Prefecture and states that the prefecture should go and ask Fukui if it wants to hold such meetings.

Current emergency plans to cope with an serious accident at the Takahama site are woefully inadequate including no effective plans for people with special needs, nor a decision as to where people will evacuate to within Kyoto Prefecture (Kyoto City is to accept 65,000 evacuees), and 31% of the evacuation points for Fukui and Kyoto citizens in Hyogo Prefecture do not meet legal requirements. Lake Biwa, the water serving the 14 million people of the Kansai area will be contaminated according to a study undertaken by Shiga Prefecture this year.

The NRA approval process does not include whether evacuation plans are in place to protect citizens.

Kyoto Prefecture has sought to sign a nuclear safety agreement with Kansai Electric since June 2011, but has received no positive response.

Kansai Electric’s fleet of reactors is aging, with 3 reactors over 40 years old and 4 others approaching 40 years. Although Kepco reported financial results in the black this year and there is sufficient electricity in the utility’s area, the company is pushing to restart reactors.

A public comment process will be undertaken of the NRA draft review approval. The deadline is January 16, 2015. After that Kansai Electric must receive approval for its Construction Plan and Operational Safety Program before it can restart the reactors.

There is citizen protest against restart of the Fukui Prefecture reactors. Fukui Prefecture citizens are petitioning to stop restart of all the nuclear reactors and Kansai area residents are addressing evacuation, seismic, severe accident and other issues.

Download: Kansai Electric’s Takahama Units 3 and 4 Restart Review Enters Public Comment Period (PDF)

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Governor of Kagoshima Fails Fukushima Lessons: ignores science, safety and public opinion States operation of Sendai Nuclear Power Plant is “Unavoidable”

Governor of Kagoshima Fails Fukushima Lessons:
ignores science, safety and public opinion
States operation of Sendai Nuclear Power Plant is “Unavoidable”

For immediate release: 7 November 2014
Contact: Aileen Mioko Smith +81-90-3620-9251

Governor Yuichiro Ito of Kagoshima in approving the restart of the two nuclear reactors at Sendai earlier today has failed to understand the lessons of the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear catastrophe, Green Action stated. The Kagoshima Prefectural Assembly has earlier voted to approve operations of the reactors. In the last week evidence has been made public that the reactor operator and the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) are ignoring volcano risks to Sendai ; that evacuation shelters required in the event of a severe nuclear accident are in violation of the law (revised in April 2014) for emergency evacuation planning. Demands for consultation on restart by citizens throughout Kagoshima have all now been ignored.

“So desperate are Kyushu Electric, the Abe government and the Liberal Democratic Party leadership to restart the Sendai reactors, that they are willing to exert maximum leverage on Kagoshima. The Governor, by stating that restart of Sendai was “unavoidable” has mistakenly chosen, like them, to ignore the evidence of the risks restarting Sendai presents to the lives and livelihoods of the people of not just Kagoshima but a much greater geographical area. The volcano scientists who have stated that predicting eruptions in advance is not possible have spoken clearly based on their decades of experience. Yet, Kyushu Electric, NRA chair Shunichi Tanaka, and the politicians who support them are prepared to disregard these warnings and the concerns of the people of Kagoshima. The Fukushima accident was in part caused by the same arrogant disregard for nuclear safety concerns, and tragically it is being repeated once more. The Kagoshima Governor has failed to learn the lessons of Fukushima and to act to protect the interests of the people of his region,” said Aileen Mioko Smith, executive director of Green Action.

In the last week city officials of Satsumasendai City where the Sendai reactors are located, and Izumi City, Ichikikushikino City, Akune City (all within 30km from the Sendai reactors) and Minamata City in Kumamoto Prefecture where evacuees from Kagoshima are to evacuate have all confirmed to citizens groups that many of their nuclear emergency shelters are vulnerable to the impacts of tsunami’s and storm surges or landslides and that as a result they are required under the law to find safe alternatives. The emergency plans for these communities with hundreds of thousands of people are currently in violation of the Disaster Countermeasures Basic Law.

On 25 September, Kumamoto Prefecture which neighbors Kagoshima and 4 of its local authorities issued a joint petition to the Government to undertake a detailed, careful explanation to Kumamoto citizens and the prefecture regarding the NRA review and Government decisions on the Sendai plant. They also demanded that the Government issue its regulations for radiation exposure/evacuation beyond the 30km limit (the PPA standard) which are yet to be issued and undertake measures including financial measures for these areas. They also demanded that the Government undertake human and financial support for local authorities with citizens evacuating and local authorities accepting evacuees. The Government is yet to respond to any of these demands.

In the meantime, in Fukushima Prefecture, radiation levels in many areas remain higher than government set limits with no prospect for return of the population. At the time of the accident, authorities took over a month to evacuate Iitate village’s citizens despite the high radiation exposure. Kagoshima City with a population of over 600,000, is located in a similar distance away, 40km, from the Sendai reactors.

Recent polling have shown increasing demands for wider consultation on nuclear reactor restarts beyond communities that directly benefit financially from hosting power plants.

Even with approval from the full Kagoshima Prefectural Assembly and the Governor, restart of the two reactors at Sendai will not take place before 2015. The NRA has yet to complete its review of the Sendai reactor post Fukushima retrofitting plan, safety management rules and onsite inspections of the plant. Kyushu Electric’s concrete plans to comply with the NRA’s volcano guide have not been completed and made public.

Download: Governor of Kagoshima Fails Fukushima Lessons: ignores science, safety and public opinion States operation of Sendai Nuclear Power Plant is “Unavoidable”

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