TEPCO president apologizes in Fukushima

[Photo: Masataka Shimizu of TEPCO.]

FUKUSHIMA--Masataka Shimizu, the president of Tokyo Electric Power Co., visited Fukushima Gov. Yuhei Sato on Friday to apologize for the ongoing crisis at the firm's Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, but the governor expressed dissatisfaction with the company's handling of the situation.

"We have caused very serious trouble," Shimizu told the governor at the meeting in the prefectural government office building. This was the first time the TEPCO president had met with the governor since the nuclear crisis began.

Shimizu explained TEPCO's plan to end the nuclear crisis and discussed compensation for evacuees with the governor. "We'll soon begin handing out initial payments, set up consultation centers and respond to people's requests," Shimizu said.

Sato replied, "Compensation must be provided at all cost," and demanded the firm pay for several kinds of damages, including those caused by rumors.

Regarding the possibility of restarting the nuclear power plant, the governor said it was "impossible under the current situation."

Sato openly showed emotion when he talked about children who have been forced to evacuate due to the nuclear accident. Sato said about 6,000 children had moved to other prefectures. "How can you understand the feelings of children from the disaster-hit areas? They've been scattered across the nation and only want to come home as soon as possible."

The governor also expressed displeasure about Shimizu's response to the accident. "Isn't there a more sincere way to apologize? I don't want to hear the words 'unpredictable scale of the tsunami' ever again," Sato said.

"[The workers in the nuclear plant] are working harder than the president. They're the only hope for the residents of this prefecture. I wish their working environment would be improved," Sato said.

Later in the day, Shimizu and other TEPCO officials visited a shelter in Koriyama in the prefecture and offered an apology to evacuees.

-The Yomiuri Shimbun/Asia News Network