Safety and cost competitiveness: These two factors are clearly incompatible when it comes to nuclear energy. Yet these were some of the key words used by the government and the nuclear industry to promote nuclear energy.

That, of course, was until the criticality accident at the JCO uranium-processing plant in Tokai, Ibaraki Prefecture, on Sept. 30, 1999. The mere 1 mg of uranium involved in that accident caused a nation-wide panic. At least 439 people were exposed to radiation, and two plant employees died. Some 180 people were forced to evacuate, and 300,000 were advised to stay indoors. The prefectural government announced that just within the month after the accident, the direct cost of damage done amounted to about 15.3 billion yen. This figure does not include perceived damage to tourism, agricultural products, fisheries and real-estate values, which have not recovered since the accident. The investigation by the government simply concluded that the direct responsibility for causing the accident fell on the workers. However, it was the pressure for competitiveness and lax governmental safety control that led to this accident.

Sales had been dropping at JCO, due to intense price competition caused by pressure to reduce electricity costs after the liberalization of the electric industry. The company therefore cut the number of its staff and the time allowed for training and education. Employees were not properly educated on criticality, and did not have enough training to carry out the task of preparing uranium solution. Under such conditions, the chances were slim that precautions for criticality would be taken.