Osaka Protest at KEPCO HQ: Station Exit Blocked, KEPCO Sign "Loitering Prohibited" (7/13/2012)

Reader Rick Streeby joined the protest in front of KEPCO's headquarters in Osaka City for the second time on Friday July 13, and posted the photographs he took of the protest on his blog.

Though much smaller in scale and in publicity, people have been protesting there against the restart of Ooi Nuclear Power Plant operated by KEPCO and the number is increasing.

Here are some of the photographs from Rick's blog post (7/13/2012) (Click to enlarge):

I am surprised that the Osaka police, or the train operator under the advice from the police, mimicked the Tokyo Metropolitan police in closing the exit at the closest station. Rick reports, "They closed the station exit this time, so we couldn't get our message out to commuters, at least for a while."

Ordinary citizens, in front of KEPCO Headquarter:

KEPCO's temporary signs. The first one says "Loitering prohibited", the second one "Agitation like handing out leaflets prohibited" (that's so 1960s):

and this, as Rick says, ""No sales, leafleting, gatherings, placing of objects, loitering or other nuisance behavior --Kansai Electric Power." Yeah. "Nuisance behavior." Unlike the creation of nuclear waste without a plan for safely disposing of it."

More photos at his blog, here.

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July 6 Protest at KEPCO HQ in Osaka City: 2,700 People Despite the Rain

Protests against the restart of Ooi Nuclear Power Plant have been happening outside Tokyo, too.

The largest outside Tokyo is the protest in front of Kansai Electric (KEPCO) Headquarters in Osaka City. The number of people participating in the protest is steadily growing there. This week's 2,700 is up 500 from last week's 2,200, which was up 700 from the previous week.

Here are some photos on the scene from people who were there:

From Soul Flower Union:

From the blog/twitter reader Rick Streeby who participated in the protest (more photos at the link):

(KEPCO employees accepting leaflets as they leave work)

In Tokyo, the number of people who came to protest despite the rain was 150,000 according to the organizers (not bad at all), and 21,000 according to the police (they upped the number from last week's 17,000). Apparently many more were barred by the police from going out from the Kokkaigijidomae subway station exit.

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Ooi Nuke Plant Reactor 3: Problem with Turbine, Start of Power Generation Postponed by One Day to July 5

It's just a bad juju after another. Water leaks, alarms going off along the power transmission lines, protesters preventing the government minister from entering the plant by land, and now this.

The Reactor 3 turbine vibrates too much.

From Jiji Tsushin (7/3/2012):

発電再開、５日に延期＝関電大飯３号機

Start of power generation postponed till July 5 at KEPCO Ooi Nuke Plant Reactor 3

　牧野聖修経済産業副大臣は３日、関西電力大飯３号機の発電再開を、４日朝から５日午前に延期すると発表した。関電によると、発電再開の延期は、タービンの振動がメーカーの推奨値を上回っているためだという。

Seishu Makino, Senior Vice Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry announced on July 3 that the start of power generation at KEPCO Ooi Nuclear Power Plant Reactor 3 will be postponed until the morning of July 5. It was scheduled in the morning of July 4. According to KEPCO, the vibration of the turbine is exceeding the value recommended by the manufacturer.

UK's Guardian has an AP photograph of protesters and the police and the plant. The final access to the plant by land seems to be through the tunnel.

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Problem after Problem after Problem at Ooi Nuke Plant, Still Set to Restart on July 1

(UPDATE) "... after Problem" Alarms sounded off in the central control room for the Reactor 3's pump in the afternoon of June 29, according to Jiji Tsushin (6/29/2012). The pump circulates the primary coolant that goes into the Reactor 3 Pressure Vessel.

Today's protest in front of the PM's Official Residence is shaping up to be big, people are tweeting.

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I have a feeling that KEPCO may be worse than TEPCO when it comes to cost cutting and deferred maintenance. After all, Kansai merchants are historically known for shrewd, economizing ways to make more profit.

In a matter of few days, Ooi Nuclear Power Plant has managed to have three separate minor problems, and two of them triggered alarms. First it was poor maintenance, then it was a human error, then probably another case of poor maintenance.

First, about aging rubber seal that caused the short circuit, from Sankei Shinbun local Fukui version(6/29/2012):

大飯原発３号機一時漏電　雨水浸入が原因

Temporary short circuit at Reactor 3 at Ooi Nuclear Power Plant, caused by rainwater leaking in

大飯原子力発電所３号機（おおい町）の開閉所で一時漏電した問題で、関西電力は２８日、開閉所の電源系統を制御する設備に雨水などが浸入したことが原因だったと発表した。

KEPCO announced on June 28 that a temporary short circuit at the switching station for Reactor 3 at Ooi Nuclear Power Plant (in Ooi-cho) was caused by the rainwater leaking into the equipment that control the power supply system at the station.

関電によると、制御設備１０８個を確認したところ、設備１個に水が溜まっていたという。関電はゴムパッキンが老朽化し、雨水が浸入したとみており、ゴムパッキンを取り換えるなど対策を講じるとしている。

According to KEPCO, after checking the 108 parts that control the system, the company found one of the parts filled with water. KEPCO thinks the rubber seal had deteriorated, allowing the rainwater to leak in. The company says it will take countermeasures such as replacing the rubber seal.

Then, an alarm went off in the central control room at the power panel for Reactor 3, as KEPCO reported on June 28.

From KEPCO's press release on June 28, 2012:

大飯発電所３号機「Ｃ直流電源盤故障注意」警報の発信について（お知らせ）

About the alarm "Attention C DC power panel failure" sounding off at Reactor 3 at Ooi Nuclear Power Plant(announcement)

大飯発電所３号機(加圧水型軽水炉 定格電気出力１１８万キロワット、定格熱出力３４２万３千キロワット)は、再稼動に向けた作業中の平成２４年６月２８日１５時５８分に、中央制御室の３号機所内盤において、「Ｃ直流電源盤故障注意」警報が発信しました。

Reactor 3 at Ooi Nuclear Power Plant is currently prepared for the restart. At 3:58PM on June 28, 2012, an alarm "Attention C DC power panel failure" sounded off at the panel for Reactor 3 in the central control room.

１６時０５分に警報はリセットしました。

The alarm was reset at 4:05PM.

警報が発生した原因については、当社運転員が、モニタ画面が消灯していたため、画面を点灯させようと誤って、電源スイッチを切ったために警報が発生したものです。

The alarm was set off when our operator accidentally turned off the power switch when he tried to turn on the monitor screen.

設備の故障はありません。

There is no failure of the equipment.

なお、本件は、保安規定上の運転上の制限を満足しており、法令に基づくトラブルには該当せず、現在行っている再稼動に向けた作業とも関連がなく、今後の同作業への影響はありません。

This incident is within the safety regulations and it is not a trouble as defined by laws and regulations. It has nothing to do with the work currently undertaken for the restart of the reactor, and there will be no effect on the work.

また、本事象による環境への放射能の影響はありません。

Also, there is no radiation leak in the environment.

That's what the government regulations do. As long as it is within the government-mandated laws and regulations, it is not a problem as far as the laws and regulations are concerned. No one will be at fault.

"Pro forma" was mentioned by the reader Atomfritz on another post about Ooi Nuke Plant mishap. Right on the money.

But wait, there's more. Another alarm was set off on June 29, this time at Reactor 4.

From Jiji Tsushin (6/29/2012):

大飯４号機で警報＝冷却水採取ポンプに異常か－保安院

NISA: An alarm at Reactor 4 at Ooi Nuke Plant, possible failure at the pump that samples coolant

経済産業省原子力安全・保安院は２９日、政府が再稼働を決めた関西電力大飯原発４号機（福井県おおい町）で、タービンを動かすため発生させた蒸気を冷やす復水器に、海水が混じっていないか調べる採取用ポンプで、異常を示す警報が鳴ったと発表した。保安院と関電はポンプを分解し、原因を調べる。

Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry announced on June 29 that an alarm was set off at the pump at the steam condenser. The pump is used to sample coolant to make sure no seawater is mixed in. NISA and KEPCO will disassemble the pump and investigate.

保安院によると、警報は２９日午前１０時前に鳴った。ポンプに大きな圧力が掛かっていることを示す警報で、採取した水が流れにくくなったり詰まったりした可能性があるという。

According to NISA, the alarm was sounded before 10AM on June 29. The alarm is set off when there is a large excess pressure in the pump. There is a possibility that the sampled water didn't flow smoothly or was blocked.

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Ooi Nuke Plant Reactor 3 to Start on July 1st

Never mind the 28 alarms.

From Yomiuri Shinbun (6/25/2012):

大飯原発３号機、１日に原子炉起動へ…関電

KEPCO to start the reactor No.3 at Ooi Nuclear Power Plant on July 1

関西電力は、再稼働に向けて作業中の大飯原子力発電所３号機（福井県おおい町）について、７月１日に原子炉を起動する見込みになったことを明らかにした。

Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO) has disclosed that the company now expects to start the nuclear reactor on July 1 at Ooi Nuclear Power Plant Reactor 3 (Ooi-cho, Fukui Prefecture), which KEPCO has been working on to prepare for the restart.

関電はこれまで原子炉の起動日が７月１日～３日の間になると幅を持たせてきた。６月２６日に２次冷却水の配管洗浄作業が終わる見通しとなり、原子炉を再起動できる日程が固まった。

So far, KEPCO has hinted that the start date for the reactor would be sometime between July 1 and 3. The clean-up of the pipes for the secondary cooling system is expected to be finished on June 26, which has made the schedule for the restart much firmer.

関電によると、１日中に核分裂反応を制御する制御棒を引き抜く操作を始める。

According to KEPCO, the control rods will be removed on July 1.

By the way, someone tweeted on June 23 that he called Yomiuri Shinbun and asked why the newspaper hadn't reported on the protest on June 22 in front of the Prime Minister's Official Residence in central Tokyo. The alleged answer from the newspaper was, "These people were doing what is against our principles and positions, so we made the decision not to report the protest. They were doing what we couldn't possibly approve of."

If this is true, Yomiuri Shinbun has no pretense about what they are, and that is good. People can now jettison the idea that Yomiuri is in a business of reporting news.

Let's see what Yomiuri is reporting today that must be satisfying their principles and positions and which they highly approve of. From their online version top headlines:

社会保障・税一体改革法案、衆院特別委で可決

Social security and taxation integrated reform bill passed the special committee of the Lower House

対決の朝…首相、苦悩の表情・小沢氏は気合十分

Day of confrontation: Prime Minister has anguished look, Mr. Ozawa full of fighting spirit

「入れ墨ある」教諭１人含め１０人…大阪市教委

10 members of Osaka City Board of Education has tattoos, including one teacher

So the paper likes the so-called reform which will destroy what's left of the middle class and punish the poor and the elderly. It also likes the tattooed educators in Osaka City.

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Alarms Sounded 26 Times at Power Transmission Line Monitoring Systems for Ooi Nuke Plant

The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, still the one and only regulatory agency for the nuclear power plants in Japan, disclosed it during the press conference in Ooi-cho on June 24. Plant operator KEPCO says that happens all the time, nothing to worry about.

And the famous last word, "It won't have any effect", on the restart.

Sankei Shinbun (6/24/2012) reported:

警報作動は計２６回　大飯原発の送電線　

Alarm sounded 26 times at the power transmission line to Ooi Nuke Plant

関西電力大飯原発（福井県おおい町）と京都市の送電施設を結ぶ送電線の監視設備であった警報作動は、２３日深夜から２４日午前にかけ、２カ所で計２６回に上ったことが分かった。関電と経済産業省原子力安全・保安院が２４日、おおい町での記者会見で明らかにした。

Alarms sounded 26 times total, at two monitoring facility locations for the power transmission lines between KEPCO's Ooi Nuclear Power Plant (Ooi-cho, Fukui Prefecture) and the power transmission facilities in Kyoto City from midnight on June 23 till June 24 morning. KEPCO and the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) announced the incident in the press conference held in Ooi-cho on June 24

　関電によると、福井県南部から京都府北部の、関電高浜原発（同県高浜町）や送電施設間を結ぶ送電線の設備計５カ所でも、同様に大気の不安定な状態によるとみられる警報作動が２３～２４日に計３２回あったという。

According to KEPCO, alarms also went off 32 times at 5 power transmission facilities located in southern Fukui and northern Kyoto Prefectures between KEPCO Takahama Nuclear Power Plant and the power transmission facilities, due to the unstable atmosphere.

　警報が作動したのは、２３日午後６時４１分から２４日午前８時１２分まで、計５８回。実際に送電設備の異常はなく、大気のゆらぎにより監視用の無線信号が途切れたことが原因だったとしている。

In all, 58 alarms sounded between 6:41PM on June 23 and 8:12AM on June 24. There was no actual problem at the power transmission facilities themselves, and [KEPCO and NISA says] the alarms were due to the wireless signals for monitoring were cut off by the atmospheric disturbances.

　関電は「気象条件でしばしば起こる現象」と説明、再稼働準備作業への影響はないとしている。

KEPCO explained it was "a phenomenon that happens often, due to the weather conditions", and said there would be no effect on the work to prepare for the restart of the plant.

It may be that such an incident is very common and very minor, and is usually not reported at all. But now that NISA and the electric power companies in Japan have lost credibility, whenever they do report an incident it is immediately upgraded to something that could be a major problem in the minds of the general public. When KEPCO says there will be no effect, people simply hear the echo of then-Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano in March 2011.

These alarms are connected to the carrier relays, and use microwave for communication. Because of the bad weather in June 23 and 24, the atmospheric disturbances caused the phenomenon called "fading", according to Kaden Watch News.

KEPCO's press release has this diagram:

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Ooi Nuke Plant: KEPCO Waited 10 Hours Before Announcing the Alarm and Leak, with NISA's Approval

Certain things will never change, nuclear accident or not.

From Jiji Tsushin (6/21/2012):

警報出ればすぐ公表＝大飯原発、遅れ批判で－保安院
Responding to the criticism in delay in announcement regarding Ooi Nuke Plant, NISA says if an alarm sounds it will be promptly announced

　再稼働の準備が進む関西電力大飯原発３号機（福井県おおい町）で、発電機冷却系の警報の公表が遅れた問題で、経済産業省原子力安全・保安院は２１日、「予期されていない警報などが出た場合は、安全への影響にかかわらず速やかに公表する」とのルールを決めた。

About the delay in announcing the alarm at the generator cooling system of Reactor 3 at Kepco's Ooi Nuclear Power Plant which is being prepared for the restart, the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency under METI decided on a new rule on June 21 that "if an unexpected alarm sounds, it will be promptly announced regardless of the effect on safety".

　大飯原発では１９日午後９時５０分ごろ、発電機冷却系のタンク水位低下を示す警報が鳴ったが、関電は安全上の影響はないとして、保安院の了解を得た上で１０時間以上たった翌２０日朝に公表した。

At Ooi Nuclear Power Plant, an alarm sounded at about 9:50PM on June 19 indicating the water level decreased in the tank of the generator cooling system. KEPCO decided that there was no effect on safety, and obtaining the consent from the NISA to do so announced the event in the morning of June 20, more than 10 hours after the event.

There was also a leak at the pump in the cooling system at Reactor 3 on June 19, and KEPCO also waited until June 20 to announce. According to Sankei Shinbun (6/21/2012):

関西電力は２０日、大飯原子力発電所３号機（おおい町）で、発電機を冷やす水をタンクから送り出すポンプの一部から、わずかに水漏れしていたと発表した。前日１９日夜のタンクの水位低下には影響なく、環境への影響はなかった。

KEPCO announced on June 20 that there was a slight leak of water from the part of the pump that transfers water from the generator cooling system tank. [According to KEPCO,] the leak had no effect on the water level decrease in the tank on the night of June 19, and there was no effect on the environment.

　関電によると、１９日午後１０時ごろ、水位低下が見つかった同３号機の発電機の冷却水タンク周辺を調べている際、現場作業員が微量の水漏れを発見したとしている。

According to KEPCO, a worker was inspecting the area around the generator cooling system tank of Reactor 3 at about 10PM on June 19, when he noticed a minute amount of leak.

　水漏れは、ポンプの部品を通った水に含まれる不純物を除去するチューブ部分。

The water leak was from the tube that removes foreign matters in the water running through the pump.

　関電は、チューブ接続部のボルトを締め、交換も検討している。

KEPCO has tighten the bolt at the connection of the tube, and is considering replacing it.

According to KEPCO's press release, the leak was 0.02cc/second. The press release has a PDF file with a diagram of the system, but it is hard for me to figure out what is what. The location of the leak is not immediately clear, and there is no photograph of the actual leak. It looks KEPCO needs to learn a little bit from TEPCO when it comes to communicating with the outside world. TEPCO's communication skills have improved over the past year under the unfortunate circumstance.

(I don't want to be too familiar with a pressurized water reactor. I don't want to do a self-inflicted crash course on one, like I did on the boiling water reactors in Fukushima as they blew up. Don't start Ooi Nuke Plant. I don't have time to learn a new reactor type. I don't want to even learn about a turbine generator. Don't do it. Learning a little about Mitsubishi's steam generators is already too much...)

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June 15 Protest Planned Against Ooi Nuke Plant Restart in Front of PM Official Residence, KEPCO

Net citizens in Japan are planning for large demonstrations in front of the Prime Minister's Official Residence in Tokyo and in front of the Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO) headquarters in Osaka on Friday June 15, 2012.

If you are in the area (whether you live in Japan or are traveling in Japan), stop by and take in the atmosphere, and feel free to report your experience here in the comment section. (As someone commented in one of the posts about Ooi Nuke Plant restart, the Japanese media do pay a bit more attention if they see people who don't look like native Japanese.)

Last Friday, 4,000 people of all walks of life gathered in front of the Prime Minister's Official Residence to protest the then-ongoing press conference by Noda in which he said he would restart Ooi Nuke Plant to "protect the people's living". The organizers are hoping to have 10,000 people or larger this Friday.

I've been asked if I could spread the information to the foreign residents in Japan by writing a post, so here it is.

Information from a @twitnonukes on the demonstrations is as follows, from their website (I added the addresses):

Date: June 15, 2012
Time: from 6PM
Places:

• Prime Minister's Official Residence [東京都千代田区永田町２丁目３−１　2-3-1 Nagata-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, google map]

• Kansai Electric Power Company headquarters [大阪市北区中之島3丁目6番16号　3-6-16 Nakanoshima, Kita-ku, Osaka City, google map]

Please refrain from carrying political signs not related to "anti-nuclear".
Please follow the general guidance from the organizers.

Probably by Friday, PM Noda is expected to make his final decision (foregone conclusion, as we all know). And then he's off to Mexico, I hear, to attend G20 meeting.

You can also view the translation of @twitnonukes webpage at this blog.

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Mayor of Osaka City: Never Waste a Good Crisis, Younger Generation Needs to Experience Rolling Blackout

Toru Hashimoto, current Mayor of Osaka City and ex-Governor of Osaka Prefecture, wants the younger generation who does't know the first oil crisis (1973-74) to experience what it is like to live with the rolling blackouts. I suppose that includes him, having been born in 1969 and not even in the elementary school when the oil crisis hit. His older sidekick, Governor of Osaka Ichiro Matsui, is playing the "good cop" saying it's not that easy. A comedy routine.

Ah bright future for Japan when he is considered the forerunner to become the next Prime Minister. The other choices are equally bleak - Goshi Hosono, Yukio Edano, among others.

From Yomiuri Shinbun (5/14/2012), who has been one of the biggest cheerleaders for this boy-wonder mayor:

橋下徹大阪市長は１４日、関西電力大飯原発３、４号機（福井県おおい町）が再稼働しない場合に関西で深刻な電力不足が見込まれることについて、報道陣に「こういう状況は二度とない。次世代のために電力使用制限令とはどういうことなのか、しっかり経験することが必要だ」と述べ、制限令の受け入れもやむを得ないとの考えを示した。

Toru Hashimoto, Mayor of Osaka City, spoke to the press on the potentially serious power shortage in Kansai Region in case Reactors 3 and 4 of Ooi Nuclear Power Plant operated by Kansai Electric (KEPCO) do not restart [by summer]. He said, "This kind of situation will never materialize again. For the next generation [of people], it is necessary to fully experience what it will be like to live under the decree to restrict the usage of electricity", indicating his willingness to accept such a decree.

関電管内での制限令は１９７４年のオイルショック以来出されていない。

There has been no decree to restrict the usage of electricity within the areas supplied by KEPCO since 1974 oil crisis.

一方、松井一郎大阪府知事は、報道陣に「昨年の計画停電は、経済に大きな影響があった。電力制限を安易に『はい、そうですか』と受け入れるわけにはいかない」と述べた。

On the other hand, Governor of Osaka Ichiro Matsui told the press, "Last year's rolling blackouts severely affected the economy. Restriction of electricity usage cannot be accepted that easily."

滋賀県の嘉田由紀子知事も「必要とあればやむを得ないが、産業界への影響は避けるべきだ」と慎重な姿勢を示した。

Yukiko Kada, Governor of Shiga Prefecture, was also cautious, saying "If it's necessary, then it can't be helped. But the industry should not be affected by it."

So who should be affected? Household users I suppose, with electricity being cut off in the peak mid-day hours during the summer. To save the businesses and the economy. Very Japanese.

In the meantime, the town of Ooi-cho in Fukui Prefecture, where the nuclear power plant is located, is all for the re-start. At least the town assembly is, voting 11 to 1 in favor of the earliest restart. They say the town greatly benefits from the nuclear power plant. I'm sure it does, until it doesn't. Just ask mayors of Futaba-machi and Okuma-machi in Fukushima. The governor of Fukui Prefecture seems to be still holding out for more perks from the national government, and hasn't said yes to the restart.

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