Earthquakes continue to hit Niigata Prefecture, Japan. Niigata is home to the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant.
Yesterday (Thursday, 4 November) at 8:57am there was a tremor of magnitude 5.2. On the Japanese seven-stage seismic scale it measured 5 in Kariwa Village and 4 in Kashiwazaki City.
Until now the reactors at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa have continued operating. On this occasion, however, reactor No. 7 scrammed automatically. The other reactors continued to operate, with the exception of No. 4 which is down for a periodic inspection. The owner of the reactor, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) says the cause of the problem was in the turbine.
We continue to demand that the plant be closed down until the tremors subside. There is a limit to how much of the plant can be inspected while the reactors are operating, so it is impossible for TEPCO to be sure that there are no other problems.
Philip White
International Liaison Officer
