Nuke Info Tokyo No. 130 (May/June 2009)

Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Unit 7 Restarted
It is the first reactor at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant to be restarted since 16 July 2007, when the plant was struck by the Chuetsu-oki Earthquake.

Seismic Design of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant: a Historical Perspective
The history of the seismic assessment and design of Japan’s nuclear power plants suggests that it is more by luck than good management that Japan has managed to escape a nuclear earthquake catastrophe.

Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant: a never ending series of accidents
The regulatory body, the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA), deemed that JNFL was in breach of the Reactor Regulation Law on five counts.

Nagao vs. TEPCO: Tokyo High Court Upholds Unjust Verdict
The High Court accepted the diagnosis that Nagao suffered from multiple myeloma. However, the High Court jumped to the conclusion that there was not a high probability that Nagao’s condition was caused by his exposure to radiation while working in nuclear power plants.

MOX Fuel Ships Arrive in Japan Amidst Citizen Protest
On May 18, 2009, two British-flagged vessels, the Pacific Pintail and Pacific Heron arrived in Japan from France carrying 1.7 metric tons of weapons-usable plutonium contained in 65 assemblies of MOX (mixed plutonium and uranium oxide) fuel.

2009 Fiscal Year Electric Supply Plan
A look at the plan for construction of new nuclear reactors reveals that the dates have been pushed back year after year. Some have been postponed for over 15 years.

Who’s Who: Kamanaka Hitomi
Making films that inspire people to take action.

News Watch
—Subcommittee releases draft international strategy
—Institutional preparations for international cooperation
—Memorandum of Cooperation with Jordan
—Work begins on China’s first AP1000
—Kharasan uranium mine opened
—Hitachi falsified data about heat treatment of pipe welds
—Nuclear compensation law amended
—Delay to construction of MOX fuel fabrication plant
—Frequent fires at nuclear power plants