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The Prime Minister in Action

Nuclear Energy Disaster Prevention Drill

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Photograph of the Nuclear Energy Disaster Prevention Drill meeting (1)

Photograph of the Nuclear Energy Disaster Prevention Drill meeting (1)

  • Photograph of the Nuclear Energy Disaster Prevention Drill meeting (1)
  • Photograph of the Nuclear Energy Disaster Prevention Drill meeting (2)
  • Photograph of the Prime Minister issuing a Declaration of a Nuclear Emergency Situation during the Nuclear Energy Disaster Prevention Drill
  • Photograph of the first Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters (Nuclear Energy Disaster Prevention Drill) (1)
  • Photograph of the first Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters (Nuclear Energy Disaster Prevention Drill) (2)

Photograph of the Nuclear Energy Disaster Prevention Drill meeting (2)

Photograph of the Nuclear Energy Disaster Prevention Drill meeting (2)

Photograph of the Prime Minister issuing a Declaration of a Nuclear Emergency Situation during the Nuclear Energy Disaster Prevention Drill

Photograph of the Prime Minister issuing a Declaration of a Nuclear Emergency Situation during the Nuclear Energy Disaster Prevention Drill

Photograph of the first Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters (Nuclear Energy Disaster Prevention Drill) (1)

Photograph of the first Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters (Nuclear Energy Disaster Prevention Drill) (1)

Photograph of the first Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters (Nuclear Energy Disaster Prevention Drill) (2)

Photograph of the first Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters (Nuclear Energy Disaster Prevention Drill) (2)

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe conducted the FY2013 Nuclear Energy Disaster Prevention Drill at the Prime Minister's Office.

The drill was based on a scenario in which an earthquake with a seismic intensity of 6 upper and tsunamis occurred off the coast of Satsumasendai City while constant rated thermal power output operations were underway at Sendai Nuclear Power Station Unit 2 in Kagoshima Prefecture, causing the automatic shutdown of the nuclear reactor. Following this, there was an aftershock of 5 upper, causing a loss of external power due to the collapse of a steel high voltage power transmission tower and other damage. There was furthermore a failure to secure emergency power and backup power and so on, as well as the complete loss of AC power and loss of water supply functions to the steam generator, leading to a full-fledged emergency situation.

At the drill, first the Secretary-General of the Nuclear Regulation Authority gave a report on the state of the accident, made a proposal to issue a Declaration of a Nuclear Emergency Situation, and presented a proposal to municipalities for public notification and instructions. In response, the Prime Minister issued a Declaration of a Nuclear Emergency Situation.

"At 11:15 on October 12, 2013, there was the total loss of cooling function at the nuclear reactor at Unit 2 of Kyushu Electric Power Company's Sendai Nuclear Power Station, causing a full-fledged emergency situation.
For this reason, based on the Act on Special Measures Concerning Nuclear Emergency Preparedness, I hereby issue a Declaration of a Nuclear Emergency Situation.
There is a need to implement emergency measures, including evacuation and other measures, around the nuclear power station in order to prevent the expansion of nuclear hazards.
Specifically, I ask the residents within 5 kilometers of the power station in the Soro, Mizuhiki, Mineyama, Yorita Areas of Satsumasendai City to please follow the instructions of your municipality and evacuate immediately. I also ask that you take stable iodine prophylaxis when you evacuate. 
In addition, I ask that residents within 30 kilometers of the power station in Satsumasendai City, Ichikikushikino City, Kagoshima City, Akune City, Izumi City, Hioki City, Aira City, Satsuma Town, and Nagashima Town of Kagoshima Prefecture evacuate indoors immediately. The names of the areas in these cities and towns within 30 kilometers of the power station where indoor evacuation is to be done will also be publicized by municipalities soon after my press conference.
Areas that should implement emergency measures include the previously mentioned cities and towns as well as the sea area within a 30 kilometer radius of Kyushu Electric Power Company's Sendai Nuclear Power Station.
The Government will immediately establish Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters within the Prime Minister's Office and an Off-site Center in the Local Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters. Relevant ministries, agencies and organizations will come together as one, and we will exert every effort to resolve this emergency, prioritizing efforts to bring this situation to a swift conclusion and secure the safety of the public.
I will provide information rapidly regarding progress in the situation. I request that everyone in the public pay attention to information conveyed over television, radio, the internet and other forms of media, that everyone abide by the instructions of the national government and municipalities, and that everyone act in a calm manner."

Later, relevant ministers gathered and a simulated meeting of the Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters was held. Prime Minister Abe, who chairs the headquarters, gave a report on the Declaration of a Nuclear Emergency Situation. The Chairman of the Nuclear Regulation Authority reported an outline of the accident and the response situation; the Minister of the Environment reported on the resident evacuation situation; and the Senior Vice Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry reported on the situation of the initiatives of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Furthermore, after the meeting grasped the local situation through a television conference with Kyushu Electric Power Company, the Governor of Kagoshima Prefecture, the Mayor of Satsumasendai City, and the head of the Local Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters, the Prime Minister issued the following instructions to each minister and others.

"I ask that each minister and the Chairman of the Nuclear Regulation Authority cooperate to immediately respond, to the greatest extent possible, to the requests that were just heard from the local area.
In addition, due to the need to swiftly and securely implement the evacuation of residents, I request that the Minister of Defense implement a nuclear disaster relief mission by the Self-Defense Forces.
The Government will also swiftly provide data and other information related to the situation at the nuclear power station and radiation monitoring in the surrounding area. I ask that Governor Yuichiro Ito and Mayor Hideo Iwakiri continue to provide information to residents with swiftness and precision such that unease does not spread among the residents.
I ask Kyushu Electric Power Company to follow the instructions of the Nuclear Regulation Authority and make every effort to recover the cooling functions of the nuclear reactor. The Government will fully provide backup for those efforts.
In addition, I ask that Kyushu Electric Power Company swiftly and successively report progress in the situation and radiation monitoring data, and work to ensure that there have been no omissions in the sharing of data with relevant organizations.
I request that the Chairman of the Nuclear Regulation Authority anticipate a possible situation in which the initiatives of Kyushu Electric Power Company such as those to recover the power supply do not work, and respond accordingly. Please list up the materials and equipment you need and the support you require from relevant ministries and agencies, and submit that list to the Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters. The relevant ministries and agencies will respond."

Lastly, the Chief Cabinet Secretary submitted the basic policy on emergency measures, and the simulated meeting came to an end.

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