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Post-Quake Status of the Kashiwazaki Kariwa Nuclear Power Station (Report #9)
- Participation in the exhibition booth for the 51st IAEA General Conference -

  In a bid to distribute accurate facts concerning the impact of the Niigata Chuetsu O-oki Earthquake in 2007 on the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station, and in response to a request from the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF), the Japan Nuclear Technology Institute set up a display and dispatched information officers for the JAIF booth at the 51th IAEA General Conference, convened in Vienna from September 17.The display covered information on the earthquake itself and associated events that occurred at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station.
  The display attracted many of IAEA General Conference participants, successfully distributing information to parties from around the world.More specifically, keen interest was shown among people from Asian countries, who enthusiastically sought further information.Visitors showed strong appreciation for supplementary video footage, which provided visual substantiation, not supplied in media reports, that the plant did not receive substantial damage.
  This Report #9 outlines JANTI participation in the exhibition.

     
1. Exhibition period
  September 17 (Mon) to 21 (Fri), 2007 (5 days)…Same as the 51st IAEA General Conference
     
2. Exhibition content
(1) Information officers:Two JANTI staffs
  (2) Exhibits
    Posters (outlining the earthquake and associated events that occurred at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station)
    Video (describing the post-quake status of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station)
  (3) Materials for distribution
  Brochure (outlining the earthquake and associated events that occurred at the Kashiwazaki- Kariwa Nuclear Power Station) (4,129KB)
     
3. Situations at the exhibition booth
  (1) Due to the convenient location right in front of the escalator landing at the Conference venue, the booth attracted approx. 300 visitors from around the world and distributed approx. 250 copies of the brochure over the five-day period.
  (2) Compared to European delegates, their Asian counterparts (from China, South Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, etc.) enthusiastically asked more questions, demonstrating a keener interest in the exhibition.Many IAEA officials across various sections also came to the display, showing strong interest among IAEA bodies.
  (3) Among the visitors were members of the IAEA Review Team that inspected the Kashiwazaki- Kariwa Nuclear Power Station in August (Deputy Team Leader Antonio Godoy and Aybars Gürpinar).
  (4) The Senior Vice Minister of the Cabinet Office, Nakagawa, and other government officials also visited the exhibition in the afternoon of Day 1.
     
4. Main questions and comments at the exhibition booth
  (1) Mr. Antonio Godoy and Mr. Aybars Gürpinar, who were the members of the IAEA Review Team for the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station, commented that IAEA investigation also formed similar views and found no serious damage.
  (2) The Senior Vice Minister Nakagawa commended the power station for maintaining safe operation despite the earthquake of such magnitude.In a statement delivered to the General Conference, he also followed opening words of greetings with a reference to Niigata Chuetsu Offshore Earthquake, assuring that all the operating reactors had been shut down safely as designed and there was no effect on the surrounding environment.
  (3) In regard to the video shown at the booth, IAEA staff praised the footage for showing unaffected parts of the power station, as previously available footage only depicted damaged sections.
  (4) Concerning the leakage of radioactive substances, some commented that, although it is now clear that the amount of leakage was negligible, the information disclosure system showed insufficient competence for initially denying any leakage and later correcting the information.
  (5) Typical questions asked include:
  To what extent did the seismic motions, recorded in this earthquake, deviate from the design values used for the power station?
  When was this and other plants built?
  Which companies were contracted to manufacture and build the power station?
  What were the types and amounts of radioactive substances leaked in the earthquake?
  Damage to the ceiling crane on the operating floor of the reactor building (Unit 6)
  (6) Typical comments made include:
  I am impressed that a reactor unit, designed and built over 20 years ago, withstood the seismic motions greater than that assumed for its construction.
  Media reports appear to have been generally overstated.

  End

Japan Nuclear Technology Institute
Rev.0
October 2, 2007

 

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