Cablegate: Japan: Nuclear Power: Additional Mishaps At

VZCZCXRO5628
RR RUEHKSO RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #3296 1990806
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 180806Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5624
INFO RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 4540
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 5708
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 2905

UNCLAS TOKYO 003296

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON ENRG JA TRGY
SUBJECT: JAPAN: NUCLEAR POWER: ADDITIONAL MISHAPS AT
KASHIWAZAKI-KARIWA

REF: TOKYO 03263

1) SUMMARY: On July 17, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO)
announced additional problems that occurred at the
Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant in Niigata Prefecture
due to the powerful earthquake that hit the prefecture on
July 16. However, Japanese government sources indicated to
ESTOFF that these problems pose no increased threat to the
environment or human safety based on their current
understanding of the situation. END SUMMARY.

2) Most notably, TEPCO reported an increased amount of
radioactive substances emitted into the atmosphere. TEPCO
issued a corrected statement on July 18 in which it admitted
it miscalculated the amount of radiation leakage. Originally
it reported 60,000Bq of radiation had been released, however,
after recalculation, TEPCO determined the estimated amount to
be 90,000Bq of radioactivity material.

3) At the No.7 reactor that automatically stopped operations
due to the quake, radioactive iodine, cobalt, and chromium
were detected in a filter of the main ventilation system when
it was removed in a weekly routine exchange and then
measured. The total detected amount of radioactivity is
estimated to be 3X10 8Bq. However, radiation dose from this
radioactivity is estimated to be approximately 1.1X10 -7mSv,
which is quite less than legal safety standards (1mSv/year).
Therefore, there is no impact on the surrounding environment,
according to Japanese official reports. In the Radioactive
Solid Waste Storage House No. 2, approximately 100 drums
toppled and lids of several drums were open. TEPCO said that
after inspecting the floor, 0.5 vectors of radiation per
square meter were released. The contamination is still under
investigation, however, according to Post's contact in the
Japan Nuclear Energy Safety Organization, the drums contained
low-level nuclear waste and pose no imminent threat to the
environment.
SCHIEFFER

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