Originally posted on sciy.org by Ron Anastasia on Wed 18 Jul 2007 09:19 AM PDT
ENVIRONMENT-JAPAN: Quake Devastates Nuclear Power Plans
By Suvendrini Kakuchi
TOKYO,
Jul 18 (IPS) - Reports of radiation leakages at a nuclear power plant,
following the Niigata earthquake on Monday, have raised widespread
public alarm and dealt a devastating blow to the government’s plans to
boost the nuclear power industry, both domestically and abroad.
''The problems now being reported from the
Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant are deeply alarming. They prove that
Japan is not prepared for a nuclear power disaster especially during an
earthquake and can never be,’’ Prof. Hiroaki Koide, nuclear safety
specialist at Kyoto University, told IPS.
The quake left nine people dead, more than 1,000 injured and forced thousands out of their homes and into makeshift shelters.
Reports trickling out in the aftermath of the 6.8 Richter temblor show
that at least 50 adverse events had occurred in the area that had, till
now, been considered as a site least likely to be affected by an
earthquake. But the epicentre of the quake was less than 10 km away.
The transmission of seismic energy is influenced by the depth
and location of the earthquake. A new safety allowance standard to
minimise accidents had just been designed for the plant. The standards,
admitted officials, will probably have to be reviewed after a detailed
analysis of the accident.
Akira Fukushima, deputy director general at the Nuclear and Industrial
Safety Agency, told reporters Wednesday that the plant has been shut
down and that the government was taking a strict stance against a quick
resumption of operations. ‘’The delayed reaction to the accident by the
operators of the plant is a serious concern. We have ordered an
investigation,’’ he said.
Officially released information admitted that a fire had
occurred soon after the quake hit the region and fuel leaked from a
damaged pipeline between Kashiwazaki and Nagaoka in Niigata prefecture.
The fire, the first at a nuclear plant hit by an earthquake,
was extinguished two hours later with officials reporting no major
threat to the public. On Monday, though, Japanese media carried reports
of a leak of radioactive water from one of three reactors, some of it
into the Sea of Japan.
Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the operator of the plant,
initially said that 100 barrels tipped over, spilling contaminated
waste, but later revised the number to 438 barrels.
TEPCO runs seven reactors at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa complex that have
total generating capacity of over 8,000 Mw making the plant the world’s
largest.
Lately, Japan has been focusing on expanding its nuclear power
capabilities, justifying by pointing out that this carbon-free energy
is essential to combat global warming caused by the burning of fossil
fuels such as oil and coal and resulting in greenhouse gas emissions.
Japan has 55 nuclear power plants that supply 30 percent of
its electrical needs. The government is planning to build another this
year and is extending support -- in the form of technology transfer --
to energy-short countries in Asia that are looking to nuclear plants.
According to the International Energy Agency based in Paris, the
world’s energy needs will rise by 51 percent by 2030 because of
industrialisation and population growth that could lead to an
environmental nightmare.
Japan’s latest nuclear power policy pushes an alternative solution by
promising to ensure its safety through technology that includes safe
storage methods for highly radioactive nuclear waste.
But this is being strongly opposed by activists. They argue
that the Japanese government is being irresponsible by not taking into
consideration the dangers posed by this industry as well as the high
costs involved.
Indeed, the latest crisis in the nuclear plant in Niigata is
being closely followed by the Japanese media that had till now focused
on the pollution-free benefits of nuclear power.
The Tokyo Newspaper, a leading daily, in a report questioned
the reliability of data for building sites provided by industry and
government experts after it was revealed that the site was on a
faultline and susceptible to tremors. The Asahi newspaper carried
details of how TEPCO underestimated the amount of radioactive water
that leaked into the sea.
Hideaki Ban, director of the Citizens’ Nuclear Information Centre, said
the accident reveals poor planning and the determination of the
government to expand nuclear power along with top electric companies.
‘’There have been several accidents in nuclear plants across
Japan but officials toe the same line -- revisions rather than holding
Japanese operators of nuclear reactors responsible by stopping the
plants. The target is money rather than safety," he explained to IPS.
Another bone of contention with anti-nuclear power experts is
the lack of transparency on information released by the government on
the nuclear industry.
‘’When there is an accident we have to wait for information to
be released by the government -- which is a problem when it comes to
our own analysis,’’ said Ban, a scientist himself.
He said his organisation has been inundated by calls from people in Niigata asking for independent analysis of the accident.
Nuclear safety specialist Koide says his research indicates
that Japan’s electrical needs can be supported by hydro-power given the
country’s abundant rivers and mountainous features.
‘’Nuclear plants are a danger in earthquake-prone Japan. There is
simply no fool-proof safety standard. The whole industry is being
pushed by companies with the backing of the government,’’ he said.
(END/2007)
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