Impact of the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake on Hokuriku Electric Power Company’s Shika Nuclear Power Station in Japan

On January 1, 2024, at 16:10, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck the Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture. The maximum seismic intensity of 7 was observed in Shika Town of Noto region. About 10 minutes after the earthquake, a major tsunami warning, tsunami warning, and tsunami advisory were issued. The Japan Meteorological Agency designated the earthquake as the “2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake”. The Shika Nuclear Power Station of Hokuriku Electric Power Co. is in the town. This paper reviews the damage to the Shika Nuclear Power Plants over the past month from the viewpoint of industrial accidents (NATECH) caused by natural hazards and the response to such accidents. The power plant had originally been subject to safety measures based on the "New Regulation Standards" after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Accident since 2011, but this time the station was hit by a tremor that exceeded expectations, and although it escaped external spills, there were reports of leaks of radioactive spent fuel storage pool water, oil leaks from transformers, tsunami, and damage to power transmission lines. Discussions held by the Nuclear Regulatory Authority also included problems with monitoring posts. In addition, many of the evacuation roads were closed at this time, and of the 11 national and prefectural roads designated as Shika Nuclear Power Station’s evacuation routes in the event of a nuclear accident, the majority, seven, were closed due to collapses or cracks. Furthermore, the repeated intensity and frequency of the earthquakes made it difficult to evacuate indoors and take protective measures against radiation, even at residences and designated evacuation centers. Although this series of disasters did not develop into a severe nuclear disaster that resulted in radiation leakage, the most important and necessary information, actions to utilize the wisdom of that are now being questioned once again for the protection of the lives and property of the people and the global environment.