World’s Biggest Nuclear Plant May Stay Shut as Papers Left on Car Roof


Last Updated: May 26, 2023, 04:47 IST

Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s (TEPCO) Kashiwazaki Kariwa nuclear power plant, which is the world’s biggest, is seen from a seaside in Kashiwazaki, November 12, 2012. (Image: Reuters File)

This mishap adds to a series of mistakes by the utility, undermining regulators’ confidence

Japanese regulators’ postponement of the restart of the world’s largest nuclear power plant due to safety lapses faces another setback as Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) grapples with a new incident.

A TEPCO employee, working remotely, carelessly placed a stack of documents on a car, leading to their loss during a drive, Bloomberg News reported.

This mishap adds to a series of mistakes by the utility, undermining regulators’ confidence.

According to the report, strict safety protocols and lingering concerns from the 2011 Fukushima disaster have hindered the resumption of most of Japan’s nuclear reactors.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority, overseeing safety measures for the country’s remaining 33 reactors, recently extended the de facto ban on the power station, citing inadequate preventative measures by TEPCO.

The breach was discovered when a local resident found some of the documents, which pertained to fire and flood management. TEPCO is currently working to recover the missing 38 pages.

The employee and their manager received warnings, and TEPCO vows to enforce strict rules regarding off-site document handling.



Source link