Japanese Gov't to compile measures to counter attacks on nuclear facilities

TOKYO, May 28, 2005 -- Kyodo

A government agency has begun compiling measures to protect nuclear power facilities in Japan from attacks and will draw up scenarios of possible terrorist attacks on each of the facilities, according to the agency's officials.

The move by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency marks the first time that the government is including terrorist attacks on nuclear power facilities as part of its safety measures.

The plan is aimed at reinforcing the nation's efforts to protect nuclear material in response to heightened concern over terrorism following the multiple attacks in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, the officials said.

The agency will put together the envisioned scenarios by the end of this year with the cooperation of the National Police Agency and the Japan Coast Guard, they said.

The scenarios include situations such as people with automatic rifles entering a nuclear power plant to destroy it and people breaking into a facility to seize the central control room.

For each facility, the agency will outline the number of terrorists, their aim, the weapons they possess and their assault capability based on consideration of the facility's features, including its landscape.

But contingencies such as a ballistic missile attack, landing of armed parties on Japan and air raids are not included among the situations, the officials said.

The agency will present the scenarios to respective operators of the facilities and ask them to come up with protection measures that would allow them to quickly discover the terrorists, notify authorities, delay the attackers and if necessary, safely stop the operation of the facility, they said.

The facilities involved in the measure include nuclear power plants, the fast-breeder reactor Monju and the Fugen converter-type nuclear reactor plant in Fukui Prefecture, nuclear reprocessing plants and some nuclear research and experiment facilities, they added.

In 1999, the International Atomic Energy Agency recommended member states come up with scenario-based measures. Japan is expediting its efforts after the Diet passed a bill to strengthen nuclear material protection in mid-May.

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