Chubu Electric Leaders to Resign over N-Plant Data Fraud

Nagoya, Sept. 14 (Jiji Press)–Chubu Electric Power Co. said Monday that President Kingo Hayashi and Chairman Satoru Katsuno will step down Sept. 30 to take responsibility for an earthquake risk data fraud involving its Hamaoka nuclear power plant in central Japan. Senior Managing Executive Officer Minoru Yasui is set to become the next president. Honorary adviser Akihisa Mizuno will also resign at the end of September, leaving the company’s chairman and adviser positions vacant for the time being. Chubu Electric provided cherry-picked quake vibration data using a method different from what was reported to the Nuclear Regulation Authority for the NRA’s screening needed to restart the No. 3 and No. 4 reactors at the plant in Shizuoka Prefecture. Chubu Electric also said it will withdraw its applications for the restart of the two reactors, citing serious concerns about its credibility following the misconduct. “There were serious problems with our governance and corporate culture,” Hayashi told a press conference in the central Japan city of Nagoya. He expressed his deepest regret and apologized for the misconduct. Katsuno, who was president at the time of the misconduct, said that he bears “an extremely heavy responsibility for failing to correct” the situation. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]