Nuclear plants need stronger disaster protection
Prime Minister Naoto Kan has requested that nuclear reactor operations at Chubu Electric Power Co.'s Hamaoka power plant in Shizuoka Prefecture be suspended.
Scientists say that over the next 30 years there is an 87 percent chance that a massive Tokai earthquake will strike--and the Hamaoka plant stands near the center of the quake's anticipated focal area.
The prime minister cited this "special circumstance" in making the request.
The government intends to call for thorough mid- to long-term safety measures at the plant, such as the construction of an anti-tsunami seawall around it.
These moves come as government officials try to learn from the Great East Japan Earthquake. Given the fact that serious accidents occurred at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant after it was hit by larger-than-expected tsunami caused by that quake, the decisions were inevitable.
Of the five reactors at the Hamaoka plant, the Nos. 1 and 2 reactors were already set to be decommissioned. The operations of the No. 3 reactor had been halted for a regular inspection. Only the Nos. 4 and 5 reactors were operating. It is extremely unusual for the government to ask for the suspension of reactors that are operating normally.
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An ominous location
But the Hamaoka plant is only 180 kilometers from the heart of the Tokyo metropolitan area. And it is near two major national transportation arteries: the Tokaido Shinkansen Line and the Tomei Expressway.
If a disaster were to strike while reactors at the plant were operating, triggering a release of radioactive materials, the nation as a whole could be paralyzed. The Shizuoka prefectural government and municipal governments concerned also have called for improving safety measures at the plant as soon as possible. Chubu Electric should comply with the prime minister's request.
Chubu Electric already has decided to take disaster countermeasures voluntarily, such as building a seawall that could cope with a 15-meter-high tsunami like the one that hit the Fukushima plant. The utility company previously assumed only an 8-meter-high tsunami in its disaster scenarios.
Taking into account the fact that power for reactor cooling systems was lost at the Fukushima plant, causing a serious situation, Chubu Electric has started working to install an additional standby power system. But we wonder if such a measure will be sufficient.
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Many quakes, many waves
In the Great East Japan Earthquake, massive tsunami were caused not only by the main quake off the Sanriku coast but also by a series of earthquakes that occurred almost simultaneously in a wide surrounding area.
It has been said that the expected Tokai earthquake will likely take place almost simultaneously with two more great earthquakes in the neighboring Tonankai and Nankai areas. Under this scenario, it cannot be denied that quakes and tsunami on a scale far larger than expected could occur.
The government is expected to take thorough measures in cooperation with Chubu Electric to cope with such a possible catastrophe. Surely, it is necessary to ensure the safety of nuclear plants even in other areas where the occurrence of a great earthquake is thought unlikely.
If the government and electric power companies move too slowly, the suspension of nuclear plant operations may not be limited to the Hamaoka plant but may be imposed on other plants in other parts of the nation. To avoid that, the government and electric power companies must swiftly take necessary measures.
Sanitation standards for raw meat need overhaul
Cases of food poisoning linked to raw beef have been spreading.
The Yakiniku-zakaya Ebisu barbecue restaurant chain is at the center of the storm. By Friday, four customers of Yakiniku-zakaya Ebisu's outlets in Toyama, Fukui and Kanagawa prefectures had died after eating yukke Korean-style raw-beef dishes. All four had been infected with E. coli bacteria, including the O-111 strain.
Nearly 100 other Yakiniku-zakaya Ebisu customers have complained of stomachaches and diarrhea after eating raw-beef dishes. More than 20 of them are in serious condition.
Police have launched investigations into the food poisoning cases on suspicion that professional negligence by Yakiniku-zakaya Ebisu resulted in the deaths.
How did food poisoning with such severe symptoms emerge in several far-flung prefectures? Investigators must be relentless in getting to the bottom of this matter.
A Tokyo-based meat processing and wholesale company shipped the raw beef in question to Yakiniku-zakaya Ebisu outlets.
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Pinpoint contamination source
Public sanitation authorities in many prefectures and Tokyo have been scrambling to analyze the bacteria strains to determine whether the beef was contaminated before it was shipped or after it arrived at the restaurants.
A bureau chief at the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry laid down sanitation guidelines for raw-meat dishes including yukke in 1998. This came in the wake of a string of food poisoning cases caused by consuming raw beef liver tainted with the O-157 strain of E. coli bacteria, whose symptoms are similar to the O-111 strain.
Under the ministry guidelines, only meat that meets strict standards--such as being processed on equipment exclusively for handling meat for raw consumption and in a meticulously hygienic environment--can be shipped to be eaten raw.
However, the decision on what meat can be served raw is left up to the restaurant serving it. The wholesaler who sold the beef in question to the Yakiniku-zakaya Ebisu chain reportedly told a public health center that the meat it shipped "was supposed to be eaten after being cooked."
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Rules being flouted
The raw-beef poisoning cases have brought to light the fact that following existing sanitation standards for meat to be eaten raw have been reduced to a mere formality.
The sanitation guidelines have no binding power and have largely been ignored. The health ministry, for its part, has long failed to stringently push industries to comply with the sanitation standards.
In response to the latest fatal poisoning cases, the ministry announced it will tighten inspections and issue advice to prevent restaurants from serving meat that does not meet the criteria to be eaten raw. The ministry is set to incorporate the sanitation standards for meat to be eaten raw into the Food Sanitation Law, with penalties to be imposed on violators.
Adding teeth to this law is the obvious step to take, considering the gravity of the food poisoning cases.
Many consumers are anxious about whether ministry-set sanitation standards are being properly observed for other meat, such as horse meat and chicken, that is eaten raw.
To ensure people can eat raw meat without fearing for their health, the government must review the regulations for the entire meat preparation process.
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