Nuclear Monstrosity: Monju Nuclear Power Plant
Channel: onthewaytoextinction
Date: 2013-06-04

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monju_Nuclear_Power_Plant
Monju's data transmitting system fails

A technical glitch prevented data from the Monju fast-breeder nuclear reactor in Fukui, central Japan, from being sent to the government's monitoring system for more than 4 hours on Monday.

Technicians became aware of the problem early in the morning when an alarm sounded indicating that real-time data including the reactor's condition and radiation levels in the surrounding area were not being transmitted.

The plant operator, the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, found the device's computer server was turned off.

It says workers switched the server back on, and that the device restarted transmitting data about 4 and a half hours after it shut down.

The agency says during this period, there were no problems and that it instead sent data to the Nuclear Regulation Authority's Secretariat using fax and e-mail.

The secretariat says part of the facility that houses the server lost its power supply. It is investigating the cause of the power loss.

The Japan Atomic Energy Agency's former president resigned after it was found that workers failed to inspect about 10,000 pieces of equipment.

Last week, the Nuclear Regulation Authority ordered the agency to suspend preparations to restart Monju until it could confirm that safety procedures have been improved.

Jun. 3, 2013 - Updated 04:42 UTC

MONJU OPERATOR ORDERED TO STOP RESTART PREPARATION

 Japan's nuclear regulator has ordered the operator of the Monju fast-breeder reactor to suspend preparation for its restart until measures are put in place for its proper maintenance and management.

A senior official of the Nuclear Regulation Authority communicated the order on Thursday to the Japan Atomic Energy Agency's executive vice president.

The regulators acted after finding the operator had missed checkups on about 10,000 pieces of equipment.

They ordered that sufficient manpower and funds be allocated for maintenance and management. They also called for a system ensuring accurate equipment checks.

Executive Vice President Yonezo Tsujikura said the agency will address the problem.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority requested that Japan's science ministry urge the operator to comply.

As a consequence of the order, the Monju reactor is unlikely to restart before next March.

The reactor in Tsuruga City, central Japan, is at the center of the nation's nuclear-fuel recycling policy. But its operator has been hampered by a series of problems.

May 30, 2013 - Updated 04:43 UTC

REGULATORS TO INSPECT FAULT UNDER MONJU REACTOR

 Japan's nuclear regulators will examine the fault beneath the Monju fast-breeder reactor complex on the Sea of Japan coast to determine whether it is active.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority is also surveying the faults at 5 other nuclear plants across the country.

The Japan Atomic Energy Agency is the operator of the Monju reactor in the city of Tsuruga in Fukui Prefecture.

On June 13th, the agency will brief regulator Kunihiko Shimazaki and 4 experts on the results of its own survey of the fault. The regulators will then examine the fault.

The agency submitted a report to nuclear regulators last month claiming the fault is not active.

Experts have said if an active fault about 500 meters west of the Monju reactor moves in some way, it could shift the fault directly beneath the complex.

May 29, 2013 - Updated 07:49 UTC

MONJU REACTOR RESTART WON'T HAPPEN IN FY2013

 Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority has officially decided not to prepare the restart of the Monju fast-breeder reactor in Tsuruga City in central Japan.

This means the currently offline prototype reactor will unlikely to be restarted before the end of next March. The reactor generates power using plutonium extracted from spent nuclear fuel.

The authority officially made its decision at a meeting on Wednesday.

On May 15th, the authority decided to issue the order after a government inspection last year found about 10,000 missed equipment check-ups at the reactor.

The authority criticized the operator, the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, for inadequate safety management.

The operator was ordered not to prepare the restart of the Monju until it is confirmed that improvements are in place.

The order mandates the operator implement a system that allows accurate checks of all pieces of equipment, while ensuring necessary maintenance of the reactor without fail.

The order also demands the operator review security measures for ensuring that safety is the top priority. It calls for the science ministry to instruct the operator to properly implement these requirements.

The order will be delivered to the operator on Thursday in the form of a document.

May 29, 2013 - Updated 04:59 UTC