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From: SUGIMOTO, Jun[SMTP:sugimoto@sarl.tokai.jaeri.go.jp]
Sent: Thursday, September 30, 1999 9:55 AM
To: ashley@avn.be; asmolov@nsi.kiae.ru; michele.auglaire@tractebel.be; axb@nrc.gov; bart.boesmans@tractebel.be; k131cyj@pinpoint.kins.re.kr; dececco@bologna.enea.it; die@main.nri.cz; fieg@inr.fzk.de; wiktor.frid@ski.se; gonzalez@ipsncad.cea.fr; hart@ecn.nl; peter.hosemann@psi.ch; hozer@sunserv.kfki.hu; leguern@accra.ipsn.fr; orazi@anpa.it; rjpark@nanum.kaeri.re.kr; flavio.parozzi@s1.cise.it; sandersb@aecl.ca; saa@grs.de; sehgal@ne.kth.se; seiler@dtp.cea.fr; vfs@ibrae.ac.ru; theo@crss.ucsb.edu; trb@grs.de; harri.tuomisto@ivo.fi; brian.turland@aeat.co.uk; ovg@csn.es; cea@nrc.gov; bava@anpa.it; bolshov@ibrae.ac.ru; Gianni.FRESCURA@oecd.org; Wiktor@ski.se; georges.hache@ipsn.fr; hdkim@kaeri.re.kr; k036lji@pinpoint.kins.re.kr; ketelaar@nrg-nl.com; kth@grs.de; kupferschmidtw@aecl.ca; werner.scholtyssek@psf.fzk.de; peter.storey@hse.gov.uk; szabados@sunserv.kfki.hu; vasa@main.nri.cz; jivt@csn.es; Alex.MILLER@oecd.org; Jacques.ROYEN@oecd.org; Makoto.TAKAHASHI@oecd.org
Cc: hashimoto@sarl.tokai.jaeri.go.jp
Subject: Criticality accident occurred! - Urgent!!!
Dear Sir,
As you may have already known, the criticality accident has occurred at JCO fuel manufacturing company in Tokai on Sept. 30. Although the detailed cause of the accident has not been clarified, it is supposed that the accident has occurred during the process of the transportation of the liquid fuel, which was much more(16kg) then the limited critical mass(2.4kg). Three employees were severely damaged by radiation and sent to the hospital.
Since the radiation rate is still high (4 mR/hr) at the boundary of the site, it is supposed that the criticality may be still continued. Nobody may not be able to approach to the plant due to high radioactivity or radiation rate. The people near by were recommended to evacuate to the public building or to be inside in their houses.
We would much appreciate it if you could provide us the following information AS SOON AS POSSIBLE:
(1) The possible way to stop the recriticality. Uranium with liquid acid may be still in the tank without any control device.
(2) Any suggestion on the evacuation. The current reaction may be too overestimated.
(3) Other useful information
Sincerely,
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SUGIMOTO, Jun
Senior Staff, Office of Planning
Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute
Fukoku-Seimei Bldg. 2-2, 2-Chome, Uchisaiwai-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100 JAPAN
tel: 81-3-3592-2105
fax: 81-3-3592-2119