The Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corp. announced April 21 that nine executives will have their salaries cut 30 percent for one month for their supervisory failures over mishaps at two nuclear plants.
Two vice chief directors of the corporation are among those who will have their pay cut for the accidents at the Fugen advanced prototype converter reactor in Fukui Prefecture and the spent nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in Tokai, Ibaraki Prefecture. In addition, Norito Takeshita, president of the Fugen plant, and his deputy, Akira Imazu, had one day of their salaries halved as a disciplinary measure. Toshiyuki Kondo, chief director of the corporation, offered to have his monthly salary reduced by half for a month, the corporation said.
A small amount of radioactive tritium leaked from the heavy water refining system at the Fugen plant April 14. But the accident was reported to the central government and Fukui Prefectural Government more than 30 hours later on April 15. The next day, the PNC announced disciplinary steps against the head of its Tokai plant and nine other officers for falsifying the report on a fire and explosion at the plant.