An investigation into Japan's Hamaoka nuclear power station has uncovered widespread data falsification, leading to the resignations of the top executives at operator Chubu Electric Power, according to state broadcaster CCTV News and reported by IThome.
The 250-page report, released on September 14 by a committee of external experts, found that at least 208 of 225 assessments under scrutiny involved improper conduct such as false explanations or concealment of information. The plant, located in Shizuoka Prefecture, has been under pressure to restart its reactors.
Pressure to restart
The report attributed the misconduct to pressure on staff and management to achieve a swift restart of the reactors. Some employees and managers developed justifications for their improper actions, and this mindset became shared within certain groups or organizations at the company.
Criticism from management over delays in the review process may have prompted plant officials to take improper actions, the report said. Chubu Electric President Koji Hayashi and Chairman Tetsu Katsuno have indicated they will resign.
Admissions of tampering
At a press conference on August 27, Chubu Electric acknowledged that during decommissioning work on units 1 and 2 in fiscal 2024, some demolition reports had been falsified, with figures not matching actual conditions. In January, the company also admitted to manipulating important earthquake prediction data to pass safety reviews for units 3 and 4, providing false explanations to the Nuclear Regulation Authority.
The Hamaoka plant has long been considered vulnerable to major earthquakes, making safety assessments particularly sensitive. The scandal adds to a series of setbacks for Japan's nuclear industry, which has faced heightened scrutiny since the 2011 Fukushima disaster.
