The safety of nuclear power plants in Japan's metropolitan area has raised concerns.
Japan's Tokai Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant is the only nuclear power plant in Japan located in the Tokyo metropolitan area, which is only 110 kilometers away from Tokyo, and if a nuclear accident occurs, it will have a serious impact on the residents of the metropolitan area. The plant has been in operation for 45 years, making it one of the oldest nuclear power plants in Japan, having experienced the 2011 East Japan Large** but fortunately did not leak. Now, the plant's operator, Japan Nuclear Power, wants to restart the plant, but it has met with strong opposition from locals** and residents. Japan's Ibaraki Prefecture** recently released a report analyzing the likelihood and consequences of a nuclear accident at the nuclear power plant.
According to the report, if the worst-case scenario of the nuclear power plant is that all safety systems fail, resulting in a large amount of radioactive material leaking into the air, some areas of the Tokyo metropolitan area will be highly polluted and the health of residents will be seriously threatened. For example, the cities of Hachioji and Machida in Tokyo, and Yokohama and Kawasaki in Kanagawa Prefecture will have more than 40 kilograms of radioactive cesium deposits per square meter, which is the standard for uninhabitability set by Japan. This means that residents of these areas will have to evacuate and will not be able to return to their homes.
Even if a minor accident occurs at the nuclear power plant and only some radioactive material leaks into the air, most areas of the Tokyo metropolitan area will be polluted to a certain extent, and the health of residents will be affected. If a nuclear accident occurs in winter, it will be easier for radioactive materials to spread to the Tokyo metropolitan area due to changes in wind direction and air pressure, causing greater harm. For example, the Shinjuku and Minato Wards of Tokyo, as well as the cities of Chiba and Funabashi in Chiba Prefecture, will have more than 1 kilogram of radioactive cesium deposits per square meter, which is the standard set by Japan for inedibles. This means that crops and water sources in these areas will be contaminated, requiring rigorous testing and control.
The report also includes 11 different scenarios, taking into account a variety of factors such as rain and wind direction, the most serious of which is that about 170,000 lives will be endangered and must be evacuated immediately.
Nearly 910,000 people live within a 30-kilometer radius of Japan's Tokai Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, which is the most densely populated area of any nuclear power plant in Japan. According to Japanese law, all localities** within this range should have an evacuation plan in place to deal with a nuclear accident, but 60% of places** have not yet completed this task.
The plant has been shut down since the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011. In order to restart the old nuclear power plant, an effective evacuation plan is a necessary condition. However, cracks and deformation appeared in the breakwater of the nuclear power plant, and part of the work was forced to be suspended in June this year, and a disaster occurred at the nuclear power plant at the end of October.
The plant's application to restart the plant was met with strong opposition from locals** and residents. In 2016, Japan's Nuclear Regulation Commission (NRA) approved the application for restart, believing that the plant met new safety standards. However, this decision was questioned by Ibaraki Prefecture and Tokai Village, who believed that the safety measures at the nuclear power plant were not enough to deal with potential ** and tsunamis. At present, the nuclear power plant has not officially restarted, but Japan Nuclear Power has already begun relevant preparations.
In 2019, the Ibaraki Prefectural High Court issued a temporary injunction prohibiting the restart of the Tokai Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, arguing that the plant's safety assessment was materially flawed and inadequate. The temporary ban is still in effect, and Japan Nuclear Power has appealed, but it has not yet been heard. If the Tokai No. 2 nuclear power plant is to be restarted, the temporary ban must be lifted.
Japan's nuclear energy policy and safety issues have been the subject of concern and questioning at home and abroad. After the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011, Japan suspended all nuclear power plants and carried out comprehensive safety inspections and modifications. Japan has gradually restarted nuclear power plants that meet the new safety standards, and 16 reactors at nine nuclear power plants have now been restarted. Japan** believes that nuclear energy is an important part of Japan's energy mix, which will help reduce dependence on fossil fuels, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and ensure energy security and stability. Japan** aims for nuclear energy to account for 20% to 22% of Japan's energy mix by 2030.
However, Japan's nuclear energy policy also faces many challenges and difficulties. On the one hand, most of Japan's nuclear power plants are located in the ** zone and along the coastline, which poses a risk of natural disasters. On the other hand, there are also human errors and omissions in the operation and management of Japan's nuclear power plants, which have led to some accidents and hidden dangers. Waste disposal and nuclear fuel cycling at Japan's nuclear power plants are also a thorny issue, raising environmental and safety concerns.
The application to restart the Tokai Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant is a microcosm of Japan's nuclear energy policy and safety issues. Whether the resumption of the nuclear power plant can be approved by Ibaraki Prefecture and Tokai Village, whether it can pass the court review, and whether it can ensure the safety and trust of residents are all issues that need to be seriously considered and resolved. Japan's nuclear energy policy and safety issues also require more scientific and democratic participation and supervision, so that Japan's nuclear energy can be safer.