Tokyo Electric covered up 1984 emergency shutdown at nuclear plant

 

Mar 30 - McClatchy-Tribune Business News Formerly Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News - Kyodo News International, Tokyo

Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Friday that it concealed the emergency shutdown of a reactor at its Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant in 1984.

The utility also reported to the government that a "criticality" accident occurred in a separate reactor at the plant in 1978, changing its earlier claim that a criticality accident was "likely to have happened" in the reactor.

It is the second time that a power company has acknowledged the occurrence of a self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction, known as criticality. Hokuriku Electric Power Co. reported a similar incident on March 15.

Along with Tokyo Electric, another 11 power companies have reported to the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency -- an arm of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry -- irregularities found in their probes since November following an order by Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Akira Amari.

Amari has said that without the disclosure of all past mistakes and coverups of incidents involving nuclear power generation and the drafting of measures to prevent the recurrence of such mishaps, the public will never gain confidence in nuclear power, which he says is the most promising and environmentally-friendly energy source for the future.

"Through comprehensive checkups, I would like (the 12 utilities) to make efforts to make Japan the world's safest and most reliable nuclear power nation," Amari said Friday.

The minister called for better use of the International Atomic Energy Agency for sharing information.

Representing the 12 utilities as chairman of the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan, Tokyo Electric President Tsunehisa Katsumata said that each power company will compile and announce operational improvement measures in April.

The 12 companies will immediately announce irregularities and coverups involving nuclear power plants if any are found, Katsumata said in a statement.

According to a report by Tokyo Electric, the No. 2 reactor at the utility's Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant shut down in 1984 because an increase of neutrons sparked temporary criticality in the reactor.

The incident occurred when workers were preparing to start the reactor.

Tokyo Electric said there were no injuries to workers or damage to the surrounding environment.

The company said it deliberately chose not to report the incident to the nuclear safety watchdog, although power companies are required to do so if incidents achieve criticality.

Tokyo Electric also said 16 company executives, including Chairman Shigemi Tamura and President Katsumata, will accept pay cuts to take the blame for the irregularities.

Pay will be cut 30 percent for three months from April for Tamura and Katsumata, it said.

In addition, 43 managerial workers will be subject to smaller pay cuts and other punishments, it said.

Despite these irregularities, Fitch Ratings said Friday it has reaffirmed long-term issuer default and senior unsecured debt ratings at AA-minus for Tokyo Electric with the rating outlook given as stable.