Tohoku Electric Submits Improvement Plan over Flawed N-Plant Tests

Aomori, Feb. 18 (Jiji Press)–Tohoku Electric Power Co. on Wednesday submitted a set of corrective measures following improper performance tests for antiterror equipment at the Higashidori nuclear plant in northeastern Japan. The testing irregularities at the power station in the village of Higashidori, Aomori Prefecture, partly resulted from a lack of awareness of the importance of the work to protect nuclear materials, the company said. The list was submitted to the secretariat of the Nuclear Regulation Authority. “We will take thorough measures to prevent any recurrence,” Tohoku Electric President Kazuhiro Ishiyama said at a meeting with Tomoya Kotani, deputy governor of Aomori, at the prefectural government office, offering an apology for the wrongdoing. Tohoku Electric started in fiscal 2018 to create improper records, including those showing that performance tests had been implemented appropriately for surveillance equipment designed to prevent trespassing on the Higashidori plant’s premises although the required number of tests had not been conducted. Last November, the NRA secretariat ordered Tohoku Electric to submit an improvement plan by the end of this month. Tohoku Electric hopes to bring a reactor at the plant back online, but the timing of the restart has not been decided. The reactor is under safety review by the NRA. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]