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Magpie Country Nukes Headliner
nuclear issues news brief from Japan
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Criticality accident at Tokai uranium processing plant

11th REPORT

REFUGEES NOT YET ALLOWED TO RETURN HOME

2 October 1999

ERRATA

In the previous report, I wrote:

"The figure DOES NOT include the workers who did a self-sacrificing job (or simply told to do so in ignorance?!) of the vulve control and the pipe destruction operation (discharging the coolant water and thus discouraging"

Sorry, the figure DOES include them. In total 18 workers were mobilized in the operation which took 3 hours. It was really a flashback of the Chernobyl liquidators.

In the same issue I spelled the name of the Prefecture "Ibaragi" again. Sorry, this should be "Ibaraki".

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The amount of the recalled agricultural products harvested in the10km-radius area was 8.7t in Tokyo central market. Those were sweet potatoes, spinach, leeks and others.

Ibaraki branch of JA (Japan Agricultural Cooperative) decided not to remove the ban on new harvest in the area.

All the traffic, including bus and train services, is now back to normal.

Schools in the 10km zone resumed this morning (2 Oct). Some schools are conducting physical check-up of the children instead of normal class.

350m-radius evacuation has not been cancelled yet. There is possibilities of contamination with radioactive fallout in the area. All the houses and buildings will have to be checked for radiation before the residents return home.

The advisory expert meeting of the Nuclear Safety Commission started at 11am this morning (2 Oct) at STA, Tokyo, in order to decide whether to end the evacuation or not. At this moment (13:15), the closed meeting is continuing. Reportedly there are differences of opinion amongst the NSC experts as to the assessment of the danger.

TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Company) decided to suspend the routine TV ads of nuclear power utilization (we don't know for how long...).

KEPCO (Kansai Electric Power Company) said the MOX (mixed uranium-plutonium oxide fuel) utilization in their Takahama thermal reactor will have to be delayed (perhaps by a month or two) because of the Tokai accident. Safety and security manuals will be reviewed in the meantime.

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NEXT ISSUE OF MAGPIE NEWS WILL BE ON MONDAY 4 OCTOBER.

THE EDITOR IS GRATEFUL FOR A NUMBER OF READERS WHO MADE QUESTIONS, ADVICE, CORRECTIONS, AND ENCOURAGEMENT. THANK YOU!

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Sidst opdateret 12. oktober 1999