ID :
55257
Tue, 04/14/2009 - 05:28
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/55257
The shortlink copeid
Tokyo Electric urged to prevent repeat of nuclear plant fire+
NIIGATA, Japan, April 13 Kyodo - Local municipalities on Monday urged Tokyo Electric Power Co., which operates a nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture, to probe the cause of a minor fire Saturday night at the facility and prevent a recurrence.
Niigata prefectural officials and Kashiwazaki Mayor Hiroshi Aida separately
conveyed their requests to Akio Takahashi, head of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa
nuclear power plant, over the fire at a warehouse.
The Kashiwazaki mayor said after meeting with Takahashi that despite the fire,
he will not revoke his previous approval of the restart of the No. 7 reactor at
the facility.
''The fire this time was not related to the safety of the power plant,'' Aida
said.
But Niigata Gov. Hirohiko Izumida indicated later in the day that the
prefectural government will put off its decision on whether to allow the
resumption of the plant's operations.
The incident occurred as the power company is trying to secure final approval
from local authorities to restart part of the plant.
Nobody was injured in the incident and there were no radioactive leaks from any
of the plant's seven reactors, all of which have been suspended since the plant
was struck by a major earthquake in July 2007, according to TEPCO.
Takahashi apologized to the prefectural officials and the mayor for the fire,
the ninth at the plant since the suspension, and vowed to inspect the entire
facility.
The Niigata prefectural government urged TEPCO to specify who was responsible
for the fires that have occurred so far and submit a report on how to prevent a
recurrence. The Niigata government also asked local firefighters to provide
TEPCO with thorough safety instructions.
Earlier in the day, the government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency also
reprimanded TEPCO over the fire.
In February, TEPCO requested approval for the restart from Niigata Prefecture,
Kashiwazaki City and Kariwa Village, after the state nuclear safety agency
concluded that the No. 7 reactor was clear for a test run. The nuclear power
facility straddles Kashiwazaki and Kariwa in the prefecture on the Sea of Japan
coast.
The fire broke out at around 10:20 p.m. Saturday, with a fire alarm detecting
smoke near a motor of an air conditioner installed in the warehouse. The fire
burned electrical wires but was brought under control in about two hours,
according to TEPCO.
The nuclear plant, the world's largest in terms of output, has been shut down
since July 16, 2007, when a magnitude 6.8 quake hit the area, causing a fire at
the plant and killing more than 10 people in the region. At the time, a small
amount of radioactive water leaked into the sea.
==Kyodo
Niigata prefectural officials and Kashiwazaki Mayor Hiroshi Aida separately
conveyed their requests to Akio Takahashi, head of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa
nuclear power plant, over the fire at a warehouse.
The Kashiwazaki mayor said after meeting with Takahashi that despite the fire,
he will not revoke his previous approval of the restart of the No. 7 reactor at
the facility.
''The fire this time was not related to the safety of the power plant,'' Aida
said.
But Niigata Gov. Hirohiko Izumida indicated later in the day that the
prefectural government will put off its decision on whether to allow the
resumption of the plant's operations.
The incident occurred as the power company is trying to secure final approval
from local authorities to restart part of the plant.
Nobody was injured in the incident and there were no radioactive leaks from any
of the plant's seven reactors, all of which have been suspended since the plant
was struck by a major earthquake in July 2007, according to TEPCO.
Takahashi apologized to the prefectural officials and the mayor for the fire,
the ninth at the plant since the suspension, and vowed to inspect the entire
facility.
The Niigata prefectural government urged TEPCO to specify who was responsible
for the fires that have occurred so far and submit a report on how to prevent a
recurrence. The Niigata government also asked local firefighters to provide
TEPCO with thorough safety instructions.
Earlier in the day, the government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency also
reprimanded TEPCO over the fire.
In February, TEPCO requested approval for the restart from Niigata Prefecture,
Kashiwazaki City and Kariwa Village, after the state nuclear safety agency
concluded that the No. 7 reactor was clear for a test run. The nuclear power
facility straddles Kashiwazaki and Kariwa in the prefecture on the Sea of Japan
coast.
The fire broke out at around 10:20 p.m. Saturday, with a fire alarm detecting
smoke near a motor of an air conditioner installed in the warehouse. The fire
burned electrical wires but was brought under control in about two hours,
according to TEPCO.
The nuclear plant, the world's largest in terms of output, has been shut down
since July 16, 2007, when a magnitude 6.8 quake hit the area, causing a fire at
the plant and killing more than 10 people in the region. At the time, a small
amount of radioactive water leaked into the sea.
==Kyodo
