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Japan's Quake-Hit Nuclear Plant Ordered To Remain Shut
Kashiwazaki, Japan (AFP) July 18, 2007 Authorities Wednesday ordered the world's largest nuclear plant to stay shut indefinitely after Japan's deadly earthquake, as its operator revealed a radiation leak was worse than thought. As the death toll rose to 10, some of Japan's top automakers said they would reduce or suspend production nationwide because of a parts shortage caused by the quake. Monday's 6.8 Richter-scale earthquake destroyed hundreds of homes and caused a small radiation leak at the sprawling Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, which is just nine kilometres (five miles) away from the epicentre. As revelations continued to surface, Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), the operator of the plant, said water that leaked into the sea was 1.5 times more radioactive than initially estimated. But it said the level still did not pose a health risk. TEPCO president Tsunehisa Katsumata said there was "no doubt" that the earthquake was stronger than the plant was designed for, but he said there were no serious problems with the nuclear reactors. He changed from his usual business suit to a plant worker's blue uniform to visit the site northwest of Tokyo. "We regret what happened and will strive to make this a power plant that is safe and we can be proud of," he said. Kashiwazaki Mayor Hiroshi Aida summoned the TEPCO president and banned him from reopening any of the plant until it is confirmed safe. Katsumata bowed deeply before the mayor, saying: "I apologise from the bottom of my heart for causing tremendous concerns and nuisance." The controversy has also taken on an international dimension with Mohamed ElBaradei, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog, calling for transparency. "Clearly, Japan needs to go into a full investigation of the structure, the systems, the components of the reactor to make sure that we learn the necessary lesson from the earthquake," the International Atomic Energy Agency chief said on a visit to Kuala Lumpur. Japanese researchers were also looking into whether a break in the earth's crust that caused the quake may stretch under the seaside plant. The plant's operations have been suspended since the earthquake, which initially killed nine people, injured more than 1,000 and forced thousands more into shelters. As the rescue effort focused on providing food and other care for the elderly, rescue teams said they found the body of a 10th victim near the rubble of a temple after a brief flash of hope that he may have been alive. Thousands remain in shelters, where housewife Yoshiko Aizawa, 63, watched television reports about the nuclear plant. "No matter how old you are, accidents at the nuclear plant are the most dreadful thing to people," she said. "I'm particularly worried about the effects on my young grandchildren." But with Japan heavily dependent on nuclear power and lacking natural energy resources, officials acknowledged the plant was unlikely to stay closed forever. "I don't think such a thing will happen only because of this case," Akira Fukushima, a senior industry ministry official in charge of nuclear safety, said of potentially stripping TEPCO's license. The earthquake has already caused economic damage, with auto parts maker Riken Corp. suspending operation at its plants. Toyota Motor Corp, the world's top-selling automaker, will halt all domestic auto production from Thursday evening until Saturday, a spokeswoman said. Nissan Motor, Suzuki Motor and Fuji Heavy Industries -- maker of Subaru vehicles -- also said they would suspend some production, while Honda Motor said it was also considering an operations cut.
earlier related report The earthquake "was stronger than the reactor was designed for," Mohamed ElBaradei, who heads the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said during a visit to Malaysia. The local mayor on Wednesday ordered the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant, the world's largest, to stay shut indefinitely until it is confirmed safe after Monday's deadly quake. "Clearly, Japan needs to go into a full investigation of the structure, the systems, the components of the reactor to make sure that we learn the necessary lesson from the earthquake," ElBaradei told reporters. The nuclear plant suffered a radiation leak and dozens of other problems in the 6.8-magnitude quake, whose epicentre was just nine kilometres (five miles) away. Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), the operator of the plant, said the water that leaked into the sea was 1.5 times more radioactive than it initially estimated but the level still did not pose a health risk. The plant's operations have been suspended since the earthquake, which killed nine people, injured more than 1,000 others and sent thousands of people to shelters.
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Vattenfall Europe Chief Quits After German Nuclear Incidents
Berlin (AFP) Jul 18, 2007The head of Vattenfall Europe, an arm of Swedish energy giant Vattenfall, resigned Wednesday after a series of incidents, including a fire, at two of the group's German nuclear power plants. Vattenfall Europe chief Klaus Rauscher "has offered to step down from his position," the company said in a statement which named Hans-Juergen Cramer, a member of Vattenfall's German management, as acting head of the company's European activities. |
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