Notable headlines from Japan this week touched on the start of a water treatment system at Fukushima Daiichi, potential indictments for Tokyo Electric Power Co. executives and a delayed restart at an idled nuclear plant.
Developments related to the reactors severely damaged in 2011 include:
ALPS System to Start in December
TEPCO said Thursday that its ALPS multi-nuclide removal equipment will begin full-scale water treatment operations later this year. In a release, TEPCO reported that it has enhanced parts that wore prematurely and that it will make further modifications to remove more contaminants. At full capacity, ALPS will treat 750 metric tons of water daily, with plans calling for two similar systems to be installed in September and October. Kyodo news noted that ALPS began a trial run in March, and TEPCO now plans to begin full-scale operation in December. That was supposed to take place in April but was delayed by a series of mechanical problems.
Indictments Sought for Executives
An inquest committee on Thursday decided three TEPCO executives should face indictment for criminal negligence related to the nuclear accidents and the deaths of hospital patients during the ensuing evacuations. The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office will now be charged with reinvestigating the case after deciding in 2013 not to bring criminal charges. The Asahi Shimbun reported that the executives in question are former TEPCO Chairman Tsunehisa Katsumata and former vice presidents Sakae Muto and Ichiro Takekuro.
Inadequate Building Delays Plant Restart
New rules enforced by Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority have postponed the restart of Shikoku Electric Power Co.'s Ikata nuclear plant because its new emergency headquarters building no longer meets safety standards. The Asahi reported the $40 million building became operational in December of 2011 but does not accommodate the seismic assumptions put in place after it was built. Rather than make modifications, the plant plans to build a new, smaller building that will take five to six months to complete. The Onagawa, Hamaoka and Tokai plants have faced similar problems with their emergency buildings built in recent years to incorporate lessons from a 2007 earthquake.