Kansai Electric Power Plant Raided Over Deadly Nuclear Accident

Sep 04 - Jiji Press English News Service

Osaka, Sept. 4 (Jiji Press)--Fukui prefectural police on Saturday searched a nuclear plant operated by Kansai Electric Power Co. for evidence of lax security management that may have led to the deaths of five workers in one of Japan's worst nuclear plant disasters.

On Aug. 9, superheated steam burst out from the coolant water piping system of Kansai Electric's Mihama nuclear plant in Fukui Prefecture, some 300 kilometers northwest of Tokyo, killing five workers and injuring six others. The accident was attributed to a pipe rupture due to corrosion cased by irregular water flows near a flowmeter installed inside the pipe.

The disaster has further fueled the security concern over nuclear plants that has grown since Tokyo Electric Power Co. was forced to suspend all of its nuclear reactors at one time due to the scandal over its falsification of plant safety records in 2002.

Police investigations in the latest case will focus on Kansai Electric's failure to conduct any proper check on the piping system since the plant started operation in 1976.

Kansai Electric drew up guidelines on piping system checks in 1990, prompted by a pipe rupture accident at a U.S. nuclear plant, but the pipe that broke had never been examined due to a procedural error.

A subcontractor doing maintenance work for the plant noticed the error and recommended Kansai Electric check the pipe last November. But the power company claims to be unaware of such a recommendation.

Following the police raid, Kansai Electric issued a statement pledging efforts to uncover the cause of the accident and to take steps to prevent accidents.

Now that the accident has developed into a criminal case, Kansai Electric President Yosaku Fuji and Chairman Yoshihisa Akiyama are expected to face increased pressure to resign.

The temporary closure of the Mihama plant following the accident is expected to deal a heavy financial blow to Kansai Electric, which derives 65 pct of its electricity from nuclear power, as well as denting public confidence in the second biggest Japanese power supplier.

Kansai Electric initially estimated its losses from the suspension of the Mihama plant at 10 billion yen, but the figure is expected to rise further.END