I Want For You To Know What Kind Of Thing A Genpatsu (Nuclear Power Plant) Is - Part IV

By: Norio Hirai（平井 憲夫）

1996

IV. “Inspections & Inspectors” Nothing But A Title

There are some who say, “There are no shokunin (artisan) at the plants anymore. So, by conducting strict inspections, that should do it.” However, that is where the problem originates within the inspection system. In Japan, just visually assessing prefabricated equipment and parts from the outside is considered a practical inspection. This is wrong! It is very important to see the construction process in an inspection. A real inspection cannot take place if the inspector lacks the knowhow crucial for the job.

In welding e.g., if the inspector is unable to advise “No, not like that…”, grab attention “Okay, watch carefully…”, demonstrate technique “This is how it’s done…”; if the inspector does not possess competent skills as such, there is no way a high-level inspection can ever take place. Listening to the descriptions from and by the manufacturer, donor, vendor, etc., then submitting the paperwork and reporting to your superior, and finally getting the paperwork rubber stamped “PASSED”; this is currently the official SOP (standard operating procedure) for inspections.

Since frequent genpatsu accidents have been occurring lately, it was decided during a cabinet session to post Operation Management Specialists at each genpatsu. These are the officials who issue operation permits and conduct periodic inspections after the establishment of a genpatsu. I knew about the officials and that they were novices, but not to this horribleness! There is a reason I say this. When I gave a lecture in Mito, there was a person attending the venue and he said, “This is really embarrassing, but I’m an absolute beginner.” It gets worse! He then clearly stated he was from the Science and Technology Agency (JST). Using his real name, he went on saying, “If there was exposure, we absolutely wouldn’t send staff from our agency to the sites because there are extra officers in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries due to administrative reform.” The so called ‘extra officers’, who a week ago, were leading sericulture, yellowtail culturing, etc., were assigned as Technical Inspectors! They knew nothing whatsoever and issued operation permits as professional inspectors at the genpatsus. The specialist stationed at Mihama genpatsu had been inspecting rice like three months ago! Can you trust the operation permit issued by complete novices like this?

During a major accident where the ECCS (emergency core cooling system)  activated at Fukushima genpatsu operated by TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Company), Yomiuri News reported: “Onsite Officer Outside Of The Mosquito Net”. The officer in charge of the genpatsu found out about this major accident from the newspaper the next day! Why didn’t the officer know anything? Because people in the power company knew the officer was a complete neophyte so they kept the person out of the workplace. The officer was left all alone in the mess. Kind of like being in a firestorm and there’s no time explaining the situation to a degenerate teenager. That is why the officer knew nothing…

Personnel from the Nuclear Inspection Association (NIA) are under an irresponsible person like this. So, what’s the deal with this person?  The officer is a retiree from the Ministry of International Trade and Industry slipped into the NIA by way of political amakudari (golden parachute); the person is completely from a different field. This person holds the authority of various inspections pertaining to genpatsu construction. If there is no approval from this person work does not progress, but the person knows nothing about inspections. That is why when inspections are going on, the officer is there just to spectate. Yet, this person holds disastrous authority. Under the NIA are the power companies and then the 3 reactor manufacturers Hitachi, Toshiba, and Mitsubishi. I was at Hitachi, which had construction firms under them. In other words, above the manufacturers they are novices and the construction firms below are mostly novices. So regarding genpatsu accidents, it’s the manufacturers who understand matters in detail, not the power companies.

While working and after quitting the industry, I constantly bring up the subject of forming a third-party agency with no ties to amakudari associations and corporations. MITI is in bed with the nuclear power industry so forget about them. It has to be an organization with no ties whatsoever with the aforementioned and remote from political and corporate interest. That will be the agency handling the inspections. Inspectors will be required to have extended experienced in industrial piping. If seasoned, onsite experienced shokunin supervise the inspections, weld defects and shoddy construction can be detected. I worked very hard stressing this fact but even till now nothing has changed. This is how irresponsible and despicable Japan’s genpatsu administration is.

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Related 2011 NYT article