Ibaraki Tokai Village Criticality Accident 21 Years Mayor's Instruction "Always on Your Side to Protect the Life of Villagers" September 30, 12:22
It has been 21 years in 30 days since the criticality accident that occurred at the nuclear fuel processing company "JCO" in Tokai Village, Ibaraki Prefecture.
At the village office, Mayor Yamada instructed the staff and called on them to "pursue safety and be prepared to protect the lives and property of the villagers."
On September 30, 1999, at the nuclear fuel processing company "JCO" in Tokai Village, Ibaraki Prefecture, a "criticality" occurred in which fission reactions occurred continuously, killing two workers and surrounding the area. More than 600 people, including residents of Ibaraki, were exposed.
As it has been 21 years since the accident, about 40 executives gathered at the village office on the morning of the 30th to offer a minute of silence to the victims.
After that, Mayor Osamu Yamada gave an instruction, saying, "The accident was a big shock and gave me many lessons." He said, "It is very disappointing that the accidents are constant at the nuclear power plant. I want you to pursue safety first and foremost. "
He also called on the staff to say, "Nuclear safety is not just a problem for businesses, but we want them to be prepared and determined to protect the lives and property of the villagers."
According to the village, the number of staff at the time of the accident has decreased to 30% of the total, and passing on experience is an issue, so we will share a video of the instruction on the 30th so that all staff can think about the accident.
After the instruction, Mayor Yamada said, "We cannot rely on those who have experienced an accident, and we want our staff to be aware that they can act on their own in the event of a disaster."