- Tepco’s upcoming final report its Fukushima investigation is going to defend its handling of the accident. This will contradict many of the conclusions drawn by the Cabinet’s investigative panel last year, on two key points. (1) The Cabinet panel said Tepco’s Fukushima Daiichi staff failed to notice several emergency cooling system valves were closed, making it impossible to cool reactor #1. Tepco says interviews with the plant’s operating staff revealed the electrical blackout made it impossible to check whether or not the valves were closed on unit #1. (2) The Cabinet’s panel said unit #3 staff erroneously shut off a high pressure cooling system just when it was needed the most. Tepco says the system was shut off because it had reached its high pressure limit and they did not want it to be damaged. Over-pressurization could have broken the system, making it permanently unusable. In both cases, it seems Tepco is denying that their F. Daiichi staff was guilty of human error in these two instances. (NHK World) Tepco’s P.R. group says the company is not trying to contradict the Cabinet panel, “We’re trying to describe the situation of the plant at the time of the accident. We have no intention of conflicting with the government.” (Mainichi Shimbun)
- The auxiliary cooling system for unit #4’s spent fuel pool (SPF) was suspended because of two pump failures. The primary pump failed on Tuesday due to severe overheating in its electrical connection box, which melted some cabling and the top of the housing. Later that day a back-up pump was started but also failed. The back-up pump was repaired and restarted on Wednesday. During the shutdown, pool temperature rose 8 degrees to 42OC. It is expected the temperature will drop by 8-10 degrees by Thursday. (NHK World)
- The governor of Fukui has avoided making a decision on the restart of Oi units 3&4. At a meeting with disaster minister Hosono, Gov. Issei Nishikawa said that instead of seeking his personal approval, Prime Minister Noda should appeal directly to the local public on the necessity for the resumption of nuke operations. Nishikawa also feels a direct appeal by Noda could win back some of the public’s trust, “It will lead to creating a sense of security among the public if the prime minister directly declares to citizens that the reactivation (of the reactors) is necessary.” The governor said if Noda makes this appeal, he will then meet with Oi town and other local officials before making a decision. In addition to tabling his judgment, Nishikawa said he wants Fukui representatives added to the government’s increased monitoring of the Oi operations. He also wishes for Tokyo’s commitment to accelerating the creation of a new nuclear regulatory program and the disposal of nuclear waste. Whether or not the governor’s decision-making delay will further postpone the Oi restarts is unknown. (JAIF)
- Nearly a third of PM Noda’s own party lawmakers have petitioned him to be cautious about the Oi restarts. “It is clear from surveys that the majority of the people think that we can survive this summer by conserving energy and transferring electricity among regions,” says the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) petition, “We urge you to consider the fact that there is insufficient agreement within the party and among the people and the feelings of the 160,000 victims of the disaster, and be all the more cautious about a decision to restart the reactors.” The petition formalizes the DPJ’s minority opinion on the issue. The sponsor of the petition, Satoshi Arai, said Noda has failed to meet the conditions necessary for restarts, thus he should withhold his decision until all of them are met. (Japan Today)
- Japan’s Hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors) adopted a resolution opposing the Oi restarts. They believe nuclear plants should remain shuttered until the new nuclear regulatory system is launched. They also feel the safety-related damage assessment for the Oi units is incomplete. In addition, the Hibakusha says the restarting of the Oi nukes to avoid summer shortages would further undermine the people’s trust in government. About 150 members attended the meeting and voted on the resolution. (NHK World)
- Prime Minister Noda says he will take full responsibility for Tokyo’s final decision on the Oi restart issue. “We’re aware that restarting (nuclear power plants) is necessary and important for the development of the Japanese economy and society,” Noda said at a press conference. He continued, “I’m the one who will take ultimate responsibility [in making a judgment on the reactivation of the Oi reactors]. I’d like to fulfill my responsibility by taking all possible measures to ensure their safety.” (Mainichi Shimbun)
- A Washington-based poll taken in Japan shows a very severe pessimism has swept Japan. 78% are unhappy with the direction the country is taking, 93% feel negative about the nation’s economy, and 80% are dissatisfied with Tokyo’s handling of the situation surrounding the Fukushima accident. Right after 3/11/11, the same poll showed that 59% felt the F. Daiichi crisis would make Japan stronger in the end. Now, only 39% feel that way. However, concern about radiation exposure seems to have eased a bit. Last year, 59% were worried about family members being exposed, while this year it has dropped to 52%. Opinions about the prime minister and the news media are also discouraging. Only 30% feel P.M. Noda is having a positive influence on Japan, and a mere 34% see the news media as having a positive influence on their readers. The poll was run by Pew Research Center’s Global Attitude Project and covered 700 telephone interviews between March 20 and April 12. (Japan Today)
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