January 31, 2014

Monthly Press Conference

Today, President Kawai held a monthly press conference in Aomori City and talked about the "Review on Compliance with the New Regulatory Requirements" and "Showcasing Equipment in Preparedness for Severe Accidents".

"Review on Compliance with the New Regulatory Requirements"

  • On January 7, JNFL filed applications with the Nuclear Regulation Authority permission for License Modification and Technical Specifications Modification for each facility. In the first review meeting on January 17, JNFL presented the overview of the applications, including its approach to enhancing the safety of the Reprocessing Plant and MOX Fuel Fabrication Plant, and measures in preparedness for severe accidents, winning the understanding of the NRA in general.
  • The second session on January 28 outlined the focal points of the review. Facility-related issues will be reviewed in the order of processes in the future.
  • JNFL plans to approach the full-scale review, to be starting soon, in full preparedness since we are requiring efficient screening.

"Showcasing equipment in preparedness for severe accidents"

  • The New Regulatory Requirements define an event beyond design-basis conditions as a "severe accident", requiring countermeasures.
  • The validity of anticipated severe accidents and actions for preventing them from occurring and spreading, is to be examined. JNFL believes severe accident countermeasures could be mostly covered with portable equipment, and is currently in the process of deploying such equipment.
  • JNFL is considering inviting media reporters in February to showcase its "water cannons" and "large pumps" capable of spraying a large volume of water to combat major fires or prevent the spread of radioactive materials.
  • In addition to these hardware measures, it is certainly also important to provide trainings as a software measure to ensure that the series of measures would function effectively and swiftly. Various trainings have already been carried out, including those in mid-winter and those during nighttime. JNFL is planning a company-wide general emergency drill by the end of March on the scenario of activating all the countermeasures simultaneously.
  • JNFL will continue to conduct trainings in anticipation of all types of conditions so as to build up a social perception that JNFL can be trusted to handle nuclear energy operations.
  • The "Basic Energy Plan (draft)" compiled last year by a subcommittee of the Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy, is expected to be formally adopted by the Cabinet in coming months in view of public comment. The debate is now in full swing on the selection of the final site for disposing of high-level radioactive waste. This year is going to be critically important in setting the direction of the government's mid- and long-term energy policy.
  • Reaffirming its mission as a party involved in Japan's energy security, JNFL is committed to the compliance review for the New Regulatory Requirements, and intends to steadily promote each of its business operations including the completion of the reprocessing plant in October this year.