Today, President Kenji Kudo held a monthly press conference in Aomori City and talked about "Status of response to the New Regulatory Requirements" and "Debate about the Nuclear Fuel Cycle business in Intensified Competition".

Status of Response to the New Regulatory Requirements

Four review meetings have been convened since June 29 to explain the ‘basic approach to countering severe accidents’ and ‘countermeasures for evaporation to dryness, criticality, hydrogen explosion and solvent fire’.

With regard to seismic safety, review meetings were also held on June 26 and July 17 to establish the understanding that there is no active fault within JNFL site. The scope of activity assessment for the Deto West Fault was also determined.

JNFL also released the results of the final assessment with regard to the geological survey of the eastern Shimokita Peninsula, conducted in partnership with the Tohoku Electric Power Company, Tokyo Electric Power Company and Recyclable-Fuel Storage Company, confirming that the fault along the Continental Shelf is not a fault that needs to be considered in terms of seismic safety design.

Debate about the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Business in Intensified Competition

On July 14, the Working Group on the Development of Environment for Nuclear Business under the Nuclear Energy Subcommittee of the Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy, convened its first meeting to discuss the promotion of the nuclear fuel cycle business, which is the key to Japan's energy security.
The Working Group is expected to continue giving specific considerations for the promotion of the nuclear fuel cycle business. To follow this path in the safety-first approach, it is extremely important to accurately identify the current status of the site and local communities to maintain employees' sense of mission intact.

Above all, JNFL must ensure that the debate reflects the sentiments of the people of local communities, who have embraced the nuclear fuel cycle business with generosity.