東日本大震災で緊急停止した東北電力女川原子力発電所（宮城県女川町、石巻市）について、石巻市の亀山紘市長は９日の記者会見で、「安全対策をした上で再開する方向で考える必要がある」と述べ、運転再開を容認する考えを示した。
女川原発の再開容認は、地元首長で初めて。
女川原発は、運転中の１、３号機と、定期検査で原子炉が起動中だった２号機が、地震でいずれも自動停止している。亀山市長は「（地震で起きた）配電盤火災などは安全対策をしてもらわねばならない」としながら、「福島第一原発のようにならなかったことで、津波対策はある程度評価している」と語った。
東北電力と地元との安全協定で、再稼働は県と地元２市町の了解が必要。宮城県の村井嘉浩知事は９日の定例記者会見で、「応急対策をしているか、まず政府で判断して頂く」と述べた。女川町の安住宣孝町長は先月２６日の原発視察の際、「電力復旧のための環境を整える必要がある」と発言している。
（2011年5月9日13時06分 読売新聞）
Monday, May 9, 2011
TEPCO to install high-volume reactor cooling system
Ducts are laid in the No. 1 reactor building of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant on May 5. (Tokyo Electric Power Co.)
Tokyo Electric Power Co. will soon begin installing a new cooling system for the No. 1 reactor at the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, a step toward achieving cold shutdown, which means bringing reactor core temperatures under 100 degrees.
The new system, equipped with pumps that can send in 100 to 200 tons of water per hour, is expected to considerably enhance the cooling capacity.
Currently, the reactor is being cooled with a provisional system that injects 8 tons of water per hour.
TEPCO said radioactivity levels in the No. 1 reactor building fell below the target of 0.01 becquerels per cubic centimeter on May 7, two days after a filtering device was set up to remove radioactive materials in the air.
Workers were expected to enter the building as early as May 8 to start preparations for installing the new cooling system.
The new system will extract water from the containment vessel and cool it before sending it back in. The containment vessel, with the pressure vessel inside, is being submerged in water.
In the No. 1 reactor building, high radiation levels of 10 to 40 millisieverts per hour on average were recorded after radioactive materials were released due to a hydrogen explosion on March 12.
On May 5, workers entered the No. 1 reactor building for the first time since the explosion damaged the facility, to install ventilation ducts.
Previously, only robots were able to enter the building due to high radiation levels.
TEPCO also plans to install new cooling systems for the No. 3 and No. 2 reactors by the end of July, but obstacles remain.
At the No. 3 reactor, the temperature at the lower part of the pressure vessel rose in May after staying at around 110 degrees in April. It hit 150.3 degrees as of 11 a.m. May 7.
TEPCO plans to switch to new water-injection piping, saying water may be leaking from a damaged part of the existing piping.
At the No. 2 reactor, the suppression pool connected to the containment vessel is believed to have been damaged.
The damaged part would have to be sealed with concrete before the new cooling system is installed.
(This article was written by Tatsuyuki Kobori and Hidenori Tsuboya.)
08/05 Crises spur push for relocating capital from Tokyo
By JUN NAKAMURA Staff Writer
2011/05/08
A tower was built at a park in Nasu-Shiobara, Tochigi Prefecture, as a symbol to call for relocation of the capital. (The Asahi Shimbun)
The nuclear crisis, power shortage and aftershocks following the Great East Japan Earthquake have re-energized proponents of relocating the capital from Tokyo.
Political and business leaders in the Kansai region are proposing that the capital--or some of its functions--be moved to their region, citing the risks of a major earthquake taking out Tokyo.
"Japan must send a message to the world that if Tokyo is down, Osaka can take over," said Toru Hashimoto, outspoken governor of Osaka Prefecture.
His view was echoed by Shigetaka Sato, chairman of the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry. "It's time to diversify risks," he said.
Many foreign-affiliated companies moved their headquarters functions to the Kansai region, at least temporarily, after the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
The prefectures of Tochigi and Fukushima were listed by a government panel in 1999 as one of the three candidate sites where the capital functions might be moved.
The Tochigi Association of Corporate Executives plans to push its proposal that a Japanese version of the U.S. president's Camp David retreat be built in the Nasu area in northern Tochigi Prefecture.
The proposal, originally made in 2009, called on the central and prefectural governments to set up Camp Nasu, which would serve as the prime minister's office in emergencies.
"It is a more realistic policy issue than shifting away from nuclear power generation," said Masashi Nakatsu, vice chairman of the association. "We are prepared to reopen discussions at any time."
Local business executives said the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake reaffirmed that the Nasu area is resistant to a strong earthquake.
"The Tohoku Shinkansen Line was largely unscathed through to Nasu-Shiobara Station," one businessman said.
While Diet deliberations on the capital relocation issue have not been held since 2005, there are signs that may change.
At an Upper House Budget Committee meeting on May 1, Prime Minister Naoto Kan said, "We must think hard about the area that could replace the capital's core functions."
After the March 11 disaster, even Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara, who has dismissed the capital relocation proposal as "absurd," said, "It is desirable that the capital's functions be dispersed."
In mid-April, a nonpartisan group of lawmakers agreed to speed up legislation for constructing a "backup" substitute capital.
At the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the division in charge of planning the relocation of the capital's functions will be abolished this summer.
Hajime Ishii, who chairs the nonpartisan group, told a senior land ministry official that deliberations on the issue will soon reopen in the Diet.
"You should not abolish the division but increase its staffing instead," Ishii, who is vice president of the Democratic Party of Japan, was quoted as saying.
A growing number of individuals and businesses are paying attention to areas outside Tokyo after the accident at the Fukushima plant.
A consultation office for businesses was flooded with inquiries after it was set up March 15 by the Osaka prefectural government and a business organization.
It received dozens of telephone calls a day until recently when the pace slowed.
A baker asked about financial assistance, saying he wanted to move his bakery to Osaka from Tokyo, where the electricity supply has become unstable.
"The number of consultations from people anxious about the nuclear power plant has not declined," said an official at the office.
An official at the Tokyo-based rental apartment operator Leopalace 21 Corp. said the area encompassing Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe accounted for 20 percent of the 4,000 new contracts it concluded after the disaster, second only to Saitama Prefecture.
An official at the Tokyo-based cram school company Sundai Yobi Gakko said more than 10 students studying at its Tokyo school switched to schools in Osaka and Kyoto.
Many of them had moved to Tokyo after graduating from high schools in the Hokuriku and Shikoku regions.
The company received a large number of inquiries from parents about the safety of water in Tokyo after the accident at the Fukushima plant.
2011/05/08
A tower was built at a park in Nasu-Shiobara, Tochigi Prefecture, as a symbol to call for relocation of the capital. (The Asahi Shimbun)
The nuclear crisis, power shortage and aftershocks following the Great East Japan Earthquake have re-energized proponents of relocating the capital from Tokyo.
Political and business leaders in the Kansai region are proposing that the capital--or some of its functions--be moved to their region, citing the risks of a major earthquake taking out Tokyo.
"Japan must send a message to the world that if Tokyo is down, Osaka can take over," said Toru Hashimoto, outspoken governor of Osaka Prefecture.
His view was echoed by Shigetaka Sato, chairman of the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry. "It's time to diversify risks," he said.
Many foreign-affiliated companies moved their headquarters functions to the Kansai region, at least temporarily, after the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
The prefectures of Tochigi and Fukushima were listed by a government panel in 1999 as one of the three candidate sites where the capital functions might be moved.
The Tochigi Association of Corporate Executives plans to push its proposal that a Japanese version of the U.S. president's Camp David retreat be built in the Nasu area in northern Tochigi Prefecture.
The proposal, originally made in 2009, called on the central and prefectural governments to set up Camp Nasu, which would serve as the prime minister's office in emergencies.
"It is a more realistic policy issue than shifting away from nuclear power generation," said Masashi Nakatsu, vice chairman of the association. "We are prepared to reopen discussions at any time."
Local business executives said the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake reaffirmed that the Nasu area is resistant to a strong earthquake.
"The Tohoku Shinkansen Line was largely unscathed through to Nasu-Shiobara Station," one businessman said.
While Diet deliberations on the capital relocation issue have not been held since 2005, there are signs that may change.
At an Upper House Budget Committee meeting on May 1, Prime Minister Naoto Kan said, "We must think hard about the area that could replace the capital's core functions."
After the March 11 disaster, even Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara, who has dismissed the capital relocation proposal as "absurd," said, "It is desirable that the capital's functions be dispersed."
In mid-April, a nonpartisan group of lawmakers agreed to speed up legislation for constructing a "backup" substitute capital.
At the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the division in charge of planning the relocation of the capital's functions will be abolished this summer.
Hajime Ishii, who chairs the nonpartisan group, told a senior land ministry official that deliberations on the issue will soon reopen in the Diet.
"You should not abolish the division but increase its staffing instead," Ishii, who is vice president of the Democratic Party of Japan, was quoted as saying.
A growing number of individuals and businesses are paying attention to areas outside Tokyo after the accident at the Fukushima plant.
A consultation office for businesses was flooded with inquiries after it was set up March 15 by the Osaka prefectural government and a business organization.
It received dozens of telephone calls a day until recently when the pace slowed.
A baker asked about financial assistance, saying he wanted to move his bakery to Osaka from Tokyo, where the electricity supply has become unstable.
"The number of consultations from people anxious about the nuclear power plant has not declined," said an official at the office.
An official at the Tokyo-based rental apartment operator Leopalace 21 Corp. said the area encompassing Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe accounted for 20 percent of the 4,000 new contracts it concluded after the disaster, second only to Saitama Prefecture.
An official at the Tokyo-based cram school company Sundai Yobi Gakko said more than 10 students studying at its Tokyo school switched to schools in Osaka and Kyoto.
Many of them had moved to Tokyo after graduating from high schools in the Hokuriku and Shikoku regions.
The company received a large number of inquiries from parents about the safety of water in Tokyo after the accident at the Fukushima plant.
08/05 Cheers, jeers greet Kan's policy on Hamaoka nuclear plant
2011/05/08
Shizuoka Governor Heita Kawakatsu (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
The prime minister's request to shut down all reactors at the Hamaoka nuclear plant was cheered by those longing for stricter safety standards but jeered by others as a stunning decision that will hurt businesses.
Naoto Kan said May 6 the government asked Chubu Electric Power Co. to halt the reactors at the Hamaoka nuclear power plant in Omaezaki, Shizuoka Prefecture, citing the danger of the long-predicted Tokai earthquake. The plant lies in the focal region of what is expected to be a massive quake.
Omaezaki Mayor Shigeo Ishihara said he was "utterly stunned" by Kan's decision.
"If the government stops the (Hamaoka) nuclear power plant, I think all nuclear power plants should be stopped," Ishihara said.
However, Shizuoka Governor Heita Kawakatsu, who has questioned Chubu Electric's anti-disaster measures, welcomed Kan's decision, saying in a statement the central government has given top priority to requests from local officials and residents to ensure safety.
He also asked the government to deal appropriately with any adverse impact on the local economy.
The effects on the economy and business have already been cited by those opposed to the shutdown.
Chubu Electric officials fear that power demand may exceed its capacity in the summer unless it can secure additional supply from its thermal power plants or other utilities.
Its power generation capacity will fall to 26.37 gigawatts, only 770 megawatts above the projected peak demand this summer, if the Hamaoka nuclear power plant is stopped.
The company said demand will increase by 800 megawatts if the summer temperature rises 1 degree.
The No. 4 and No. 5 reactors are in operation at the Hamaoka plant, and Chubu Electric said in April it planned to restart the No. 3 reactor, currently shut down for regular inspections, in July to ensure a stable power supply in the summer.
The three reactors have a combined capacity of 3.62 gigawatts.
The No. 1 and No. 2 reactors are being decomissioned.
When the No. 3 to 5 reactors were halted in summer 2009, Chubu Electric increased capacity at its thermal power plants.
Officials at the Agency for National Resources and Energy said they do not expect an electricity shortage in the region serviced by Chubu Electric this summer.
But other regional utilities have already raised doubts that they can supply sufficient electricity to Chubu Electric.
Kansai Electric Power Co., which has been asked to support Chubu Electric, expects a tight supply-demand condition if it cannot restart nuclear power reactors now undergoing regular inspections.
Hokuriku Electric Power Co. also said it will lack surplus capacity if it cannot restart two reactors as scheduled at its Shika nuclear power plant. The reactors have been shut down for reasons including regular inspections.
Shikoku Electric Power Co. raised concerns that Kan's decision could delay the scheduled restart of the No. 3 reactor at its Ikata nuclear power plant.
An official at Toshiba Corp. said the company will be "in deep trouble" if rolling blackouts, similar to those Tokyo Electric Power Co. implemented after the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, are introduced.
Once equipment is stopped, it takes one week to resume production at Toshiba's main semiconductor plant in Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture.
The heads of other municipalities where nuclear power plants are located also expressed surprise at Kan's decision.
"It was a considerably bold decision," said Hiroshi Aida, mayor of Kashiwazaki, Niigata Prefecture.
At TEPCO's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, reactors were halted after the Niigata Chuetsu-oki Earthquake in July 2007. Four reactors have since resumed operations after they were reinforced against earthquakes.
Aida said he believes there is no need to immediately suspend those four reactors, but he will examine what countermeasures TEPCO takes against future tsunami.
Hideo Kishimoto, mayor of Genkai, Saga Prefecture, described Kan's announcement as "abrupt." Kyushu Electric Power Co.'s Genkai nuclear power plant is located in the town.
But Nagoya Mayor Takashi Kawamura, citing the safety concerns of local residents, said Kan made a "wise judgment."
Yoshika Shiratori, 78, who represents a group of plaintiffs seeking the suspension of the No. 1 to 4 reactors at the Hamaoka plant, said Kan's words are the most encouraging news she could dream of.
"I thought this country would be finished if it does not reconsider its policies (on nuclear power generation) after the accident in Fukushima Prefecture," Shiratori said. "I hope Kan will carry through his wise decision."
Shizuoka Governor Heita Kawakatsu (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
The prime minister's request to shut down all reactors at the Hamaoka nuclear plant was cheered by those longing for stricter safety standards but jeered by others as a stunning decision that will hurt businesses.
Naoto Kan said May 6 the government asked Chubu Electric Power Co. to halt the reactors at the Hamaoka nuclear power plant in Omaezaki, Shizuoka Prefecture, citing the danger of the long-predicted Tokai earthquake. The plant lies in the focal region of what is expected to be a massive quake.
Omaezaki Mayor Shigeo Ishihara said he was "utterly stunned" by Kan's decision.
"If the government stops the (Hamaoka) nuclear power plant, I think all nuclear power plants should be stopped," Ishihara said.
However, Shizuoka Governor Heita Kawakatsu, who has questioned Chubu Electric's anti-disaster measures, welcomed Kan's decision, saying in a statement the central government has given top priority to requests from local officials and residents to ensure safety.
He also asked the government to deal appropriately with any adverse impact on the local economy.
The effects on the economy and business have already been cited by those opposed to the shutdown.
Chubu Electric officials fear that power demand may exceed its capacity in the summer unless it can secure additional supply from its thermal power plants or other utilities.
Its power generation capacity will fall to 26.37 gigawatts, only 770 megawatts above the projected peak demand this summer, if the Hamaoka nuclear power plant is stopped.
The company said demand will increase by 800 megawatts if the summer temperature rises 1 degree.
The No. 4 and No. 5 reactors are in operation at the Hamaoka plant, and Chubu Electric said in April it planned to restart the No. 3 reactor, currently shut down for regular inspections, in July to ensure a stable power supply in the summer.
The three reactors have a combined capacity of 3.62 gigawatts.
The No. 1 and No. 2 reactors are being decomissioned.
When the No. 3 to 5 reactors were halted in summer 2009, Chubu Electric increased capacity at its thermal power plants.
Officials at the Agency for National Resources and Energy said they do not expect an electricity shortage in the region serviced by Chubu Electric this summer.
But other regional utilities have already raised doubts that they can supply sufficient electricity to Chubu Electric.
Kansai Electric Power Co., which has been asked to support Chubu Electric, expects a tight supply-demand condition if it cannot restart nuclear power reactors now undergoing regular inspections.
Hokuriku Electric Power Co. also said it will lack surplus capacity if it cannot restart two reactors as scheduled at its Shika nuclear power plant. The reactors have been shut down for reasons including regular inspections.
Shikoku Electric Power Co. raised concerns that Kan's decision could delay the scheduled restart of the No. 3 reactor at its Ikata nuclear power plant.
An official at Toshiba Corp. said the company will be "in deep trouble" if rolling blackouts, similar to those Tokyo Electric Power Co. implemented after the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, are introduced.
Once equipment is stopped, it takes one week to resume production at Toshiba's main semiconductor plant in Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture.
The heads of other municipalities where nuclear power plants are located also expressed surprise at Kan's decision.
"It was a considerably bold decision," said Hiroshi Aida, mayor of Kashiwazaki, Niigata Prefecture.
At TEPCO's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, reactors were halted after the Niigata Chuetsu-oki Earthquake in July 2007. Four reactors have since resumed operations after they were reinforced against earthquakes.
Aida said he believes there is no need to immediately suspend those four reactors, but he will examine what countermeasures TEPCO takes against future tsunami.
Hideo Kishimoto, mayor of Genkai, Saga Prefecture, described Kan's announcement as "abrupt." Kyushu Electric Power Co.'s Genkai nuclear power plant is located in the town.
But Nagoya Mayor Takashi Kawamura, citing the safety concerns of local residents, said Kan made a "wise judgment."
Yoshika Shiratori, 78, who represents a group of plaintiffs seeking the suspension of the No. 1 to 4 reactors at the Hamaoka plant, said Kan's words are the most encouraging news she could dream of.
"I thought this country would be finished if it does not reconsider its policies (on nuclear power generation) after the accident in Fukushima Prefecture," Shiratori said. "I hope Kan will carry through his wise decision."
08/05 Chubu Electric to halt reactors in line with Kan request
2011/05/08
The Hamaoka nuclear power plant in Omaezaki, Shizuoka Prefecture (The Asahi Shimbun)
Scratching their heads and rolling their eyes, Chubu Electric Power Co. officials plan to halt all reactors at the Hamaoka nuclear power plant, complying with the request from Prime Minister Naoto Kan.
At an emergency board meeting on May 7, the company discussed whether they can make up for lost capacity this summer, such as raising output at thermal power plants and receiving supply from other utilities.
Kan told reporters May 6 that the government aksed the utility to shut down the reactors at the plant on the coast of Omaezaki, Shizuoka Prefecture.
"Although it is a request, it carries the weight close to an order," a senior Chubu Electric official said.
The company plans to suspend operations of three reactors, including one shut down for regular inspections, until it erects a coastal levee of 15 meters or higher in two to three years, sources said. The two other reactors at the plant are being decommissioned.
If the three reactors are stopped, the company's power generation capacity will fall to 26.37 gigawatts, only 770 megawatts above the projected peak demand this summer.
The utility plans to avoid introducing rolling blackouts or mandatory power-saving measures, but it remains unclear whether it can increase thermal power generation or obtain electricity from Kansai Electric Power Co. and other utilities that use the same 60 hertz frequency.
Chubu Electric said it will be difficult to acquire additional fuel for thermal power plants, such as heavy oil and liquefied natural gas.
"Fuel is desperately short," a top company executive said.
Even if more fuel becomes available, increased costs for thermal power generation are expected to weigh heavy on the company's bottom line.
The company estimates that costs will increase 700 million yen a day if thermal power generation is used to make up for lost capacity of the three reactors at the Hamaoka plant.
Chubu Electric also said it would become difficult to continue supplying electricity to Tokyo Electric Power Co., whose capacity plunged after the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
"Why can we send electricity to TEPCO when demand may exceed capacity in our own service area," a senior Chubu Electric official said.
Kan decided to ask Chubu Electric to halt all reactors at the Hamaoka plant after hearing opinions from nuclear experts he handpicked after the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake.
It marked a turnaround because the government had been unclear even on whether the No. 3 reactor, which has been shut down for regular inspections, should be allowed to restart.
At a meeting with Kan in late April, the experts, who were appointed as special advisers to the Cabinet, expressed concerns about the plant, which is located in the focal region in central Japan of an expected Tokai earthquake.
"If an accident happens, key transportation arteries within a 20-kilometer radius, such as the Tokaido Shinkansen Line and the Tomei Expressway, could be disrupted," one said.
"Depending on wind directions, radioactive materials leaked from the plant could affect the Tokyo metropolitan area," another said.
Kan listened without challenging their opinions, according to sources.
The timing of the prime minister's decision was also important.
Kan plans to outline the government's new energy policy strategy, such as promotion of renewable energy as an alternative to nuclear power, at the Group of Eight summit held in Deauville, France, on May 26 and 27.
How to deal with the Hamaoka nuclear power plant, described by some experts as the world's most dangerous, must be decided before the government formulates the new strategy.
Kan sent Banri Kaieda, the minister of economy, trade and industry, and Goshi Hosono, a ruling party lawmaker and a special adviser to Kan on the nuclear crisis, to the Hamaoka plant during the Golden Week holidays.
During the visit, Kaieda repeatedly said the government will reach its conclusion on the Hamaoka plant in early May.
Some government officials were cautious about seeking the shutdown of all Hamaoka reactors.
A Cabinet minister expressed concerns that other nuclear power plants may be suspended "in a domino effect."
But Kan reaffirmed his policy after discussing the issue with Kaieda, Hosono, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano and Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku for one hour in the late afternoon of May 6.
Nuclear experts were split on Kan's request.
Keiji Miyazaki, a professor emeritus at Osaka University, said Chubu Electric needs to speed up mid- to long-term safety measures, such as erecting a coastal levee, after adding emergency power generation systems and taking other immediate measures.
"I think the Hamaoka plant will be able to continue to operate if those measures are completed and the response to severe accidents is reviewed," said Miyazaki, who specializes in nuclear reactor engineering.
Kenji Sumita, another professor emeritus at Osaka University, said Kan's request was too abrupt, and the issue needs to be discussed at the Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan.
"It is hard to understand what grounds the government based its judgment on and why it made the decision now," said Sumita, an expert on nuclear engineering. "We need to discuss the issue before the public and make a judgment on scientific and technological grounds."
Keiji Kobayashi, a former lecturer of nuclear engineering at Kyoto University's Research Reactor Institute, said there is no guarantee that a coastal levee planned by Chubu Electric will be sufficient to safeguard the Hamaoka plant from tsunami.
Kobayashi had demanded that the Hamaoka plant be shut down immediately, saying a major earthquake is imminent in the Tokai region.
The Hamaoka nuclear power plant in Omaezaki, Shizuoka Prefecture (The Asahi Shimbun)
Scratching their heads and rolling their eyes, Chubu Electric Power Co. officials plan to halt all reactors at the Hamaoka nuclear power plant, complying with the request from Prime Minister Naoto Kan.
At an emergency board meeting on May 7, the company discussed whether they can make up for lost capacity this summer, such as raising output at thermal power plants and receiving supply from other utilities.
Kan told reporters May 6 that the government aksed the utility to shut down the reactors at the plant on the coast of Omaezaki, Shizuoka Prefecture.
"Although it is a request, it carries the weight close to an order," a senior Chubu Electric official said.
The company plans to suspend operations of three reactors, including one shut down for regular inspections, until it erects a coastal levee of 15 meters or higher in two to three years, sources said. The two other reactors at the plant are being decommissioned.
If the three reactors are stopped, the company's power generation capacity will fall to 26.37 gigawatts, only 770 megawatts above the projected peak demand this summer.
The utility plans to avoid introducing rolling blackouts or mandatory power-saving measures, but it remains unclear whether it can increase thermal power generation or obtain electricity from Kansai Electric Power Co. and other utilities that use the same 60 hertz frequency.
Chubu Electric said it will be difficult to acquire additional fuel for thermal power plants, such as heavy oil and liquefied natural gas.
"Fuel is desperately short," a top company executive said.
Even if more fuel becomes available, increased costs for thermal power generation are expected to weigh heavy on the company's bottom line.
The company estimates that costs will increase 700 million yen a day if thermal power generation is used to make up for lost capacity of the three reactors at the Hamaoka plant.
Chubu Electric also said it would become difficult to continue supplying electricity to Tokyo Electric Power Co., whose capacity plunged after the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
"Why can we send electricity to TEPCO when demand may exceed capacity in our own service area," a senior Chubu Electric official said.
Kan decided to ask Chubu Electric to halt all reactors at the Hamaoka plant after hearing opinions from nuclear experts he handpicked after the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake.
It marked a turnaround because the government had been unclear even on whether the No. 3 reactor, which has been shut down for regular inspections, should be allowed to restart.
At a meeting with Kan in late April, the experts, who were appointed as special advisers to the Cabinet, expressed concerns about the plant, which is located in the focal region in central Japan of an expected Tokai earthquake.
"If an accident happens, key transportation arteries within a 20-kilometer radius, such as the Tokaido Shinkansen Line and the Tomei Expressway, could be disrupted," one said.
"Depending on wind directions, radioactive materials leaked from the plant could affect the Tokyo metropolitan area," another said.
Kan listened without challenging their opinions, according to sources.
The timing of the prime minister's decision was also important.
Kan plans to outline the government's new energy policy strategy, such as promotion of renewable energy as an alternative to nuclear power, at the Group of Eight summit held in Deauville, France, on May 26 and 27.
How to deal with the Hamaoka nuclear power plant, described by some experts as the world's most dangerous, must be decided before the government formulates the new strategy.
Kan sent Banri Kaieda, the minister of economy, trade and industry, and Goshi Hosono, a ruling party lawmaker and a special adviser to Kan on the nuclear crisis, to the Hamaoka plant during the Golden Week holidays.
During the visit, Kaieda repeatedly said the government will reach its conclusion on the Hamaoka plant in early May.
Some government officials were cautious about seeking the shutdown of all Hamaoka reactors.
A Cabinet minister expressed concerns that other nuclear power plants may be suspended "in a domino effect."
But Kan reaffirmed his policy after discussing the issue with Kaieda, Hosono, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano and Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku for one hour in the late afternoon of May 6.
Nuclear experts were split on Kan's request.
Keiji Miyazaki, a professor emeritus at Osaka University, said Chubu Electric needs to speed up mid- to long-term safety measures, such as erecting a coastal levee, after adding emergency power generation systems and taking other immediate measures.
"I think the Hamaoka plant will be able to continue to operate if those measures are completed and the response to severe accidents is reviewed," said Miyazaki, who specializes in nuclear reactor engineering.
Kenji Sumita, another professor emeritus at Osaka University, said Kan's request was too abrupt, and the issue needs to be discussed at the Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan.
"It is hard to understand what grounds the government based its judgment on and why it made the decision now," said Sumita, an expert on nuclear engineering. "We need to discuss the issue before the public and make a judgment on scientific and technological grounds."
Keiji Kobayashi, a former lecturer of nuclear engineering at Kyoto University's Research Reactor Institute, said there is no guarantee that a coastal levee planned by Chubu Electric will be sufficient to safeguard the Hamaoka plant from tsunami.
Kobayashi had demanded that the Hamaoka plant be shut down immediately, saying a major earthquake is imminent in the Tokai region.
社説 - 浜岡原発―「危ないなら止める」へ
近い将来に発生が予想される東海地震の想定震源域の真上にある中部電力の浜岡原発について、菅直人首相は運転中の４、５号機を停止し、定期検査中の３号機の運転再開も見送るよう中部電に要請した。
東京電力の福島第一原発が想定外の惨事を引き起こした以上、危険性がより具体的に指摘され、「最も危ない」とされている浜岡を動かし続けるのは、国際的にも説明が難しい。日本周辺の地殻変動が活発化しているとの懸念もある。中部電は、発電量に占める原発の割合も低い。首相の停止要請の判断は妥当だ。中部電は速やかに要請を受け入れるべきだ。
ただ、中部電の需給見通しでは、浜岡をすべて止めた場合、夏の需要ピーク時に余裕を見込むと、数％の節電が必要になる。産業界や各家庭でも節電に協力したい。
中部電は大震災を受けた緊急対策として防潮堤の増設などを計画している。停止はこの工事が完成するなど中長期的な防災対策が整うまでの措置という。
ここで考えたいのは、前提が「安全神話」から、世界最悪の事故が起こりうることに様変わりしたことだ。専門家も予想しなかったＭ９．０の大地震が起きた以上、浜岡での地震の強さ、津波への想定、設備の頑丈さなどについて中部電は妥当性を証明する責任がある。
原発震災は想像を絶する巨大さ、複雑さ、速さで進行する。停電、放射能漏れ、計器の不調、余震の続発などで作業員の行動が極端に制約される中、いざという時は、速やかに廃炉も辞さない判断を下せるのか。中部電は疑問を氷解させる責任があるし、国も厳しく審査しなければならない。
福島第一原発事故は、国の安全基準や審査プロセス、規制機関のあり方など、原子力行政そのものに見直しを迫っている。国は浜岡の停止期間中に新たな体制を整えるべきだ。
夏場の需要期への対応や、収益見通しを立てるため、各電力会社は定期検査中の原発の運転再開を模索している。
濃淡に差はあれ、ハイリスクと懸念される原発は浜岡以外にもある。活断層の真上に立つ老朽原発、何度も激しい地震に見舞われた多重ストレス原発……。立地条件や過去の履歴などを見極め、危険性の高い原発を仕分けする必要がある。
すべての原発をいきなり止めるのは難しい。しかし、浜岡の停止を、「危ない原発」なら深慮をもって止めるという道への一歩にしたい。
東京電力の福島第一原発が想定外の惨事を引き起こした以上、危険性がより具体的に指摘され、「最も危ない」とされている浜岡を動かし続けるのは、国際的にも説明が難しい。日本周辺の地殻変動が活発化しているとの懸念もある。中部電は、発電量に占める原発の割合も低い。首相の停止要請の判断は妥当だ。中部電は速やかに要請を受け入れるべきだ。
ただ、中部電の需給見通しでは、浜岡をすべて止めた場合、夏の需要ピーク時に余裕を見込むと、数％の節電が必要になる。産業界や各家庭でも節電に協力したい。
中部電は大震災を受けた緊急対策として防潮堤の増設などを計画している。停止はこの工事が完成するなど中長期的な防災対策が整うまでの措置という。
ここで考えたいのは、前提が「安全神話」から、世界最悪の事故が起こりうることに様変わりしたことだ。専門家も予想しなかったＭ９．０の大地震が起きた以上、浜岡での地震の強さ、津波への想定、設備の頑丈さなどについて中部電は妥当性を証明する責任がある。
原発震災は想像を絶する巨大さ、複雑さ、速さで進行する。停電、放射能漏れ、計器の不調、余震の続発などで作業員の行動が極端に制約される中、いざという時は、速やかに廃炉も辞さない判断を下せるのか。中部電は疑問を氷解させる責任があるし、国も厳しく審査しなければならない。
福島第一原発事故は、国の安全基準や審査プロセス、規制機関のあり方など、原子力行政そのものに見直しを迫っている。国は浜岡の停止期間中に新たな体制を整えるべきだ。
夏場の需要期への対応や、収益見通しを立てるため、各電力会社は定期検査中の原発の運転再開を模索している。
濃淡に差はあれ、ハイリスクと懸念される原発は浜岡以外にもある。活断層の真上に立つ老朽原発、何度も激しい地震に見舞われた多重ストレス原発……。立地条件や過去の履歴などを見極め、危険性の高い原発を仕分けする必要がある。
すべての原発をいきなり止めるのは難しい。しかし、浜岡の停止を、「危ない原発」なら深慮をもって止めるという道への一歩にしたい。
07/05 天声人語
2011年5月7日（土）付
漱石の「坊っちゃん」に、坊っちゃんと盟友の山嵐が牛鍋をつつく場面がある。江戸っ子の坊っちゃんは何かにつけて気が短いらしい。会津っぽの山嵐は「そこの所はまだ煮えていないぜ。そんなのを食うと条虫（さなだむし）が湧くぜ」と注意する▼実際にその心配があったかどうかはおいて、確かな冷蔵技術もない時代である。生ものへの警戒心は今より強かったのだろう。もう聞くことも少ないが、「鯖（さば）の生き腐れ」や「夏の鰯（いわし）で足が早い」など、用心を促す言い習わしも色々と流布していた▼そんな場面や諺（ことわざ）を思い出させる、焼き肉チェーン店の集団食中毒だ。生肉のユッケを食べた４人が死亡し、２０人を超す重症者が出ている。警察が捜査に着手し、人気の生食への信頼は揺らいでいる▼生食用の表示がなくても、店で衛生基準どおり調理すれば客に出せる。だが基準は行政指導にとどまり罰則はなく、店によっては厨房（ちゅうぼう）という密室で形骸化していたようだ。お上の規制がすべてではないが、これでは「食の安全」も神話のように覚束（おぼつか）ない▼古来、危ない食べ物の代表といえばフグだが、あの美味を好んだ人は多い。〈男の子われ河豚（ふぐ）に賭けたる命かな〉日野草城。しかし現代の、家族や仲間で囲む焼き肉である。その席が「肝試し」になるようでは客はかなわない▼冒頭の山嵐の忠告に坊っちゃんは「大抵大丈夫だろう」と答える。自分で食べるならそれでいい。しかし業者や政府が「大抵大丈夫」では困る。「大抵」を取り去る策が急務だ。
漱石の「坊っちゃん」に、坊っちゃんと盟友の山嵐が牛鍋をつつく場面がある。江戸っ子の坊っちゃんは何かにつけて気が短いらしい。会津っぽの山嵐は「そこの所はまだ煮えていないぜ。そんなのを食うと条虫（さなだむし）が湧くぜ」と注意する▼実際にその心配があったかどうかはおいて、確かな冷蔵技術もない時代である。生ものへの警戒心は今より強かったのだろう。もう聞くことも少ないが、「鯖（さば）の生き腐れ」や「夏の鰯（いわし）で足が早い」など、用心を促す言い習わしも色々と流布していた▼そんな場面や諺（ことわざ）を思い出させる、焼き肉チェーン店の集団食中毒だ。生肉のユッケを食べた４人が死亡し、２０人を超す重症者が出ている。警察が捜査に着手し、人気の生食への信頼は揺らいでいる▼生食用の表示がなくても、店で衛生基準どおり調理すれば客に出せる。だが基準は行政指導にとどまり罰則はなく、店によっては厨房（ちゅうぼう）という密室で形骸化していたようだ。お上の規制がすべてではないが、これでは「食の安全」も神話のように覚束（おぼつか）ない▼古来、危ない食べ物の代表といえばフグだが、あの美味を好んだ人は多い。〈男の子われ河豚（ふぐ）に賭けたる命かな〉日野草城。しかし現代の、家族や仲間で囲む焼き肉である。その席が「肝試し」になるようでは客はかなわない▼冒頭の山嵐の忠告に坊っちゃんは「大抵大丈夫だろう」と答える。自分で食べるならそれでいい。しかし業者や政府が「大抵大丈夫」では困る。「大抵」を取り去る策が急務だ。
05/04 天声人語
2011年5月4日（水）付
思い知らせることを「目に物見せる」と言うが、今の米国は「声を聞かせてやった」だろうか。思い出すのはブッシュ前大統領が９・１１テロのがれきに立って、犠牲者と国民に語った姿だ▼「君たちの声が私に聞こえる。世界が君たちの声を聞く。ビルを倒した連中も間もなく我々の声を聞く」。そのテロを首謀したオサマ・ビンラディン容疑者を１０年がかりで討ち取った。留飲を下げたかのような、人々の高揚が伝えられている▼ここ１０年、米国は良いことが少なかった。アフガニスタンでの戦争は泥沼化している。イラク侵攻は「大義なき戦争」の汚名にまみれた。強欲資本主義は破綻（はたん）し、リベラルと保守は憎み合い、連邦議員が銃で撃たれた――そうした中の勝報である▼とはいえ、その印象はどこか、「ビンラディン狩り」というゲームに勝っただけのような実体の希薄さがある。米国民の歓喜は、「ビンラディンを生んだもの」への想像とまなざしを、いつもながらに欠いていないか▼宮沢賢治に「二十六夜」という物語がある。仲間を人間にやられた梟（ふくろう）たちが復讐（ふくしゅう）を叫ぶのを、梟の坊さんが諭す。「仇（あだ）を返したいはもちろんの事ながら、それでは血で血を洗うのじゃ。こなたの胸が霽（は）れるときは、かなたの心は燃えるのじゃ」▼歓喜の一方で報復を不安がる図は、梟の坊さんの言うとおりだ。テロの背景には貧困と差別、憎悪の荒野が広がる。それをどう沃野（よくや）に変えるか。火薬で退治できるのは、たぶん大したものではない。
思い知らせることを「目に物見せる」と言うが、今の米国は「声を聞かせてやった」だろうか。思い出すのはブッシュ前大統領が９・１１テロのがれきに立って、犠牲者と国民に語った姿だ▼「君たちの声が私に聞こえる。世界が君たちの声を聞く。ビルを倒した連中も間もなく我々の声を聞く」。そのテロを首謀したオサマ・ビンラディン容疑者を１０年がかりで討ち取った。留飲を下げたかのような、人々の高揚が伝えられている▼ここ１０年、米国は良いことが少なかった。アフガニスタンでの戦争は泥沼化している。イラク侵攻は「大義なき戦争」の汚名にまみれた。強欲資本主義は破綻（はたん）し、リベラルと保守は憎み合い、連邦議員が銃で撃たれた――そうした中の勝報である▼とはいえ、その印象はどこか、「ビンラディン狩り」というゲームに勝っただけのような実体の希薄さがある。米国民の歓喜は、「ビンラディンを生んだもの」への想像とまなざしを、いつもながらに欠いていないか▼宮沢賢治に「二十六夜」という物語がある。仲間を人間にやられた梟（ふくろう）たちが復讐（ふくしゅう）を叫ぶのを、梟の坊さんが諭す。「仇（あだ）を返したいはもちろんの事ながら、それでは血で血を洗うのじゃ。こなたの胸が霽（は）れるときは、かなたの心は燃えるのじゃ」▼歓喜の一方で報復を不安がる図は、梟の坊さんの言うとおりだ。テロの背景には貧困と差別、憎悪の荒野が広がる。それをどう沃野（よくや）に変えるか。火薬で退治できるのは、たぶん大したものではない。
30/04 Quyền lực càng lớn phụ nữ càng dễ ngoại tình
Giống như đàn ông, quyền lực và sự tự tin của phụ nữ càng tăng thì ham muốn tìm cảm giác lạ trong tình cảm của họ càng lớn.
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| Giới tính không còn là yếu tố quyết định trong chuyện ngoại tình khi con người nắm giữ quyền lực. Ảnh minh họa: wellheeledblog.com. |
Tiến sĩ tâm lý Joris Lammers, một giảng viên của Đại học Tilburg ở Hà Lan, khẳng định rằng cả nam giới và nữ giới có quyền lực đều dễ rơi vào tình trạng ngoại tình hơn so với những đối tượng khác. Tuy nhiên, phần lớn nghiên cứu trước đây về mối quan hệ giữa quyền lực và nguy cơ ngoại tình đều tập trung vào nam giới. Vì thế nhiều người cho rằng quyền lực không tác động tới xu hướng ngoại tình của phái đẹp, Telegraph cho biết.
Lammers cùng các đồng nghiệp thu thập thông tin về 1.561 người có công việc ổn định. 58% số này không nắm chức vụ quản lý, 36% làm quản lý cấp trung và thấp, 6% nắm chức vụ quản lý cao nhất.
Nhóm nghiên cứu hỏi các đối tượng nghiên cứu về những mối quan hệ tình ái của họ trong quá khứ, mức độ sẵn sàng phản bội bạn đời, vị trí của họ ở nơi làm việc, mức độ tự tin trong giao tiếp và tần suất đi công tác trong năm.
“Số lượng phụ nữ nắm giữ vị trí quyền lực tăng dần theo thời gian. Đối với xã hội, họ được đánh giá ngang hàng với những người đàn ông có quyền. Do đó quan niệm về hành vi của những phụ nữ đó đang thay đổi dần. Họ thực hiện nhiều hành vi mà trước kia dư luận thường thấy ở nam giới”, Lammers phát biểu.
Kết quả cho thấy, mức độ ngoại tình và ham muốn “đổi gió” trong tình yêu ở nam giới và nữ giới trong nhóm nắm giữ quyền lực là ngang nhau. Các chuyên gia nhận định rằng, quyền lực và mức độ tự tin có vai trò quyết định hơn so với giới tính trong vấn đề ngoại tình. Khi quyền lực và sự tự tin tăng lên thì ham muốn ngoại tình của phái đẹp chẳng kém phái mạnh.
“Mọi người thường nghĩ đàn ông nắm quyền lực càng lớn thì nguy cơ phản bội vợ hoặc bạn tình càng cao. Tuy nhiên, chúng tôi phát hiện ra rằng, đối với những người có quyền lực, số lần ngoại tình và ham muốn trăng hoa của nữ giới cũng tương đương nam giới”, Lammers kết luận.
Minh Long
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