Hearing regarding comprehensive evaluation (the so-called “stress tests”) for the safety of power-generating nuclear reactor facilities
It is now March 2012, and there are only two nuclear reactors left online in Japan. Even those two will be going offline temporarily (as scheduled from before the disaster), with Kashiwazaki-Kariwa planned for March 26, and Tomari for the end of March. They will be able to go back online after undergoing two levels of tests, so-called “stress tests, but both the safety standards and validity of the procedures themselves have been called into question not only by citizens but by members of the diet, and at present in March, the path to their going online again is not yet visible.
Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) concluded the stress tests undertaken at Kansai Electric’s Ooi plants 3 and 4 “adequate” and held a hearing, but they have caused a great controversy as not only were ordinary citizens locked out of the hearing, it was held in secret with no monitoring of any sort allowed.
At 16:15 on the 18th of January, 2012, the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency was planning to hold final discussions in room 1111 at the annex at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The discussion was concerned with the results of stress testing, used to make a judgement in recommencing operation of Kansai Electric Power Company’s Oi nuclear power plant in Fukui.
However, those who opposed the recommencement of operation were engaged in virulent protest since the public were not given an opportunity to observe in the same room on the 11th floor but were only given access to observe by a remote transmission in a room on the 10th floor. Taro Yamamoto, the actor, was there, too. The room was thrown into disarray but the discussion was moved to another room later (to the international meeting room on the 17th floor in the main building). The meeting recommenced at 19:50 with no observation permitted. Two committee members, Masashi Goto and Hiromitsu Ino did not remove themselves to the new room protesting that it was not fair to exclude the public from deliberations and absented themselves from the hearing.
Summary by Mr. Kino
The discussion in today’s meeting did not finish after all. They said that they would have another meeting on the 8th of February and make another plan. But they did not know when they will reach a final decision. So it is unpredictable where the discussion is going.
The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency does not have any technical problems with the draft of the plan submitted today. However, some of the committee members had some opinions on the issues regarding missing items and definition of the composite event. Without considering these opinions they would not be able to draft the final plan and that was why they postponed the decision.
The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency will listen to these opinions but the final decision will be made by politicians such as (Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry) Edano and (Nuclear Accident Minister) Hosono. The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency makes a draft plan and submits it to the Nuclear Safety Commission, then the politicians make a decision.
Today, eight members out of eleven were invited. Two out of those eight left early and another two left in protest. This put the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency in an awkward position. They were saying that they would hold the next meeting after reevaluating the fracas today. Today’s meeting was held behind closed doors and they still seem to be afraid of opening up.
(Translation: Yurika Arai, Jeremy Harley)