TOKYO – Japan’s nuclear regulator said Wednesday that the operator of a crippled nuclear plant knew it might be hit by a far bigger tsunami than it was designed to withstand.
The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said the operator informed it just four days before Japan’s massive March 11 earthquake and tsunami that waves exceeding 10 metres (33 feet) could hit the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant.
The plant was only designed to withstand a tsunami about half that height.
Agency officials said Wednesday they recommended that Tokyo Electric Power Co. take measures to prepare for a bigger tsunami but did not give specific instructions.
The March tsunami hit the plant with waves higher than 15 metres (49 feet), destroying its cooling systems, triggering explosions and fires and sending large amounts of radiation into the environment. The cores of three of the plant’s six reactors melted within a few days
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・福島第１原発：１０メートル超津波 東電、直前に試算報告 via mainichi.jp
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