15 October 1999
FEPC

Electric Power Industry Response to the Recent Accident at the JCO Tokai Nuclear Fuel Processing Facility

 

1. Establishment of Emergency Response Headquarters

Hisao Takamoto, FEPC Director & Secretary General, was appointed to head up an Emergency Response Headquarters to liaise with electric power companies and conduct support activities at the site.

2. Concrete Support Measures

• To assist in activities such as radiation measurement, agricultural product analysis and decontamination work, approximately 2700 personnel were dispatched to the site between 30 September and 12 October. (approx. 670 at peak time [12:00 a.m. on 2 October])
• Transport vehicles and equipment including buses, film badges (used to measure radiation exposure), dust samplers (used to measure radiation concentrations in the air), boric acid sodium, generators and 11 monitoring cars were also dispatched to the site.
• Timely information was also provided to local communities, city, town and village authorities.

3. Nuclear Power Operation Manuals Review

In light of the seriousness of this accident a thorough review was made of all manuals relating to nuclear operations, fuel control, radiation exposure management and the like. The availability and content of manuals made and used at nuclear power plants was reviewed in accordance with security guidelines laid out by the Nuclear Reactor Regulation Law, and the results of the review were reported to the Agency of Natural Resources and Energy on 14 October.

4. Establishment of a 'JCO Accident Special Response Committee'

• Purpose: To restore the credibility of the nuclear power operations that are vital to the electric power industry as a whole.
• Membership: 15 members consisting of representatives from each electric company, Japan Atomic Power Co., Ltd., Japan Nuclear Fuel, Ltd. and Electric Power Development Co., Ltd., as well as Katsutoshi Chikudate, TEPCO Director and Deputy Executive General Manager of its Nuclear Power Division.
• Discussion Topics:
  (1) In-house investigation of management operations
  (2) Industry-wide information-sharing on safety and related issues
• Current status: 5 October: Special Committee Established
  8 October: First meeting held
  14 October: Second meeting held

5. Establishment of a Japanese Version of WANO (tentative name)

Plans are underway to establish a domestic version of WANO (the World Association of Nuclear Operators). The new organization will be established within the year to allow power utility operators and those involved in the nuclear fuel cycle to exchange information and work together to enhance the safety and credibility of nuclear power operations in Japan.