ENVIRONMENT-JAPAN: Will Nuclear Accident Lead to a Rethinking?

By Suvendrini Kakuchi Reprint | | Print |

Suvendrini Kakuchi

TOKYO, Oct 4 1999 (IPS) - The radiation leak at a fuel processing plant in Japan last week has again raised concerns about nuclear power in a country too dependent on it, adding ammunition to anti- nuclear groups which have been pressing government to put a halt on new nuclear power plants.

The incident has dealt a deadly blow to Japan’s nuclear industry that was on course to becoming the second largest in the world.

Now, activists are even demanding an immediate shutdown of all operating plants, which supply a third of Japan’s energy needs.

Japan has about 50 operating nuclear plants and has plans to build up to 20 new ones over the next 10 years, but last Thursday’s accident may put these plans on hold.

“We think the accident will push the government and utility companies to back off from promoting dangerous nuclear power,” says Mika Obayashi, at the Citizen’s Nuclear Information Network.

The accident at Tokaimura, northeast of Tokyo, also revealed ignorance by workers at these highly dangerous plants as well as negligence and official laxity on the part of authorities, activists say.

The fire which injured scores of workers, three of them seriously, is Japan’s worst nuclear accident.

Investigation reveals that three workers at the plant had added too much uranium to a processing tank that led to a strong burst of radiation. The reaction contaminated 69 workers with high levels of radiation. Three workers who poured the uranium, received massive dosages, that affected two of them critically.

The accident occurred during the final steps in the production of uranium nitrate for use at the Joyo experimental fast-breeder reactor, also located in Ibraki Prefecture.

It has forced a shaken government to promise, along with power companies, strict supervision and a nation-wide safety check program.

It has also caused many Japanese to be critical of the country’s nuclear development programme, which for years has received millions of yen in financial support. The industry has enjoyed priority treatment given the nation’s lack of indigenous energy resources.

A nation-wide survey conducted by the Mainichi Shinbun last Thursday and Friday showed 74 percent of the respondents were “critical” or “cautious” over Japan’s nuclear development.

“I was going to have my house rebuilt but now I plan to move away because of the accident. I am furious at JCO (the compan),” said Norio Owada, 58, whose home is 250 meters northwest of the plant where the accident occurred. He adds, “I am so confused and worried.”

On Friday , more than 300,000 residents were asked to stay indoors and thousands more, worried about contamination, lined up for safety checks.

Many residents complained about the delay and the secrecy in which people were told of the accident. While the accident took place mid-morning on Thursday, people living close to the plant were not informed till the afternoon.

The Japanese media has also reported that when the company called hospital emergency services to have the workers transferred, it did not provide an adequate explanation to the paramedics, thus exposing them to radiation.

Television on Saturday showed a contrite president of JCO Co., that operated the uranium processing facility in Ibaraki Prefecture, on his knees before a group of 70 residents at an evacuation center.

Bowing deeply before the angry group, Hiroharu Kitani apologised for the accident and took responsibility for the poor communication and lack of awareness among the workers in the plant that has been blamed for the accident.

Ibaraki police launched a full-scale investigation into the accident and are preparing to seek criminal charges against JCO, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Metal Mining Co.

“In light of the local residents anxiety, this accidents is extremely vicious,” said Akira Onuma, Chief of the police task force.

One of the workers told investigators that neither he nor his co- workers had previously engaged in the work to pour the excessive amount of uranium compound into a processing tank.

JCO documents also show the company had stated in its application submitted to the government that “there was no need to prepare for a possible criticality accident and that the government approved the company’s plan without considering its lack of measures to respond to a critical accident”.

It is still too early to see how the incident will impact in concrete terms on the nuclear industry, though activists like Obayashi believe that with the present public opinion, the industry is in for tough times.

“Japanese companies don’t want to stop their support for the nuclear industry because they don’t want to lose face to us greens. But with more people now opposing or worried about accidents, they know they are facing a losing battle.”