Yotaro Hatamura, University of Tokyo: Report Slams Japan Government, TEPCO for Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster

December 26, 2011

An independent Japanese panel probing the disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is strongly criticizing both the plant's operator and the government for mishandling the world's worst nuclear crisis in 25 years.

The assessment came Monday in an interim report released nine months after a massive earthquake and tsunami wrecked the plant northeast of Tokyo. The tsunami triggered meltdowns in three reactors, which in turn spread radiation over a vast area, forced mass evacuations, contaminated groundwater and brought the agriculture sector in northern Japan to a near standstill.

The report says plant operator TEPCO itself predicted in 2008 that a tsunami larger than 10 meters high could hit the plant. But it said the utility failed to develop a plan to counter such a scenario, and the March 11 waves were much higher.

Investigators also slammed the government for delaying the release of critical information to the public - such as radiation data - and for using evasive language to avoid admitting the severity of the meltdowns.

The panel is due to release its final report about the middle of next year.

Yotaro Hatamura, University of Tokyo commented in the report: "The Investigation Committee is of the view, from its investigation and evaluation up to now, that the following three factors had major influence over many problems relating to the Accidents and the responses after the Accidents."

i. Lack of severe accident measures against tsunami

TEPCO did not take precautionary measures in anticipation that a severe accident could be caused by tsunami such as the one hit at this time. Neither did the regulatory authorities.

Even for an accident of low probabilities so long as extremely large scale damages are anticipated once it occurs such as the tsunami of this time, due consideration should be given to the risks involved and precautionary measures should be taken.

ii. Lack of viewpoint of complex disaster

It was a major shortcoming for the safety of both nuclear power plants and surrounding communities that nuclear accident had not been assumed to occur as complex disaster. Disaster prevention program should be formulated by assuming complex disaster, which will be the major point in reviewing nuclear power plant safety for the future.

iii. Lack of viewpoint of looking at the whole picture of accident

It cannot be denied that viewpoint of looking at a whole picture of an accident was not adequately reflected in nuclear disaster prevention program in the past.

The nuclear disaster prevention program had serious shortfalls. It cannot be excused that the nuclear accidents could not be managed because of an extraordinary situation that the tsunamis exceeded the assumption.