Japan quake city orders nuclear plant to stay closed

KARIWA, Japan July 18 (Reuters) A quake-hit Japanese city called in the head of Asia's biggest utility today and ordered him to keep a nuclear plant closed until safety could be ensured after the tremor caused minor radiation leaks.

Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) said yesterday that the previous day's 6.8 magnitude quake caused 50 problems at its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in northwest Japan, including emission of a small amount of radioactive material into the atmosphere.

The leaks renewed fears over safety in Japan's nuclear industry, whose image has been tarnished by scandals over cover-ups and fudged safety records.

About 1,200 litres of radioactive water also leaked into the sea from a reactor at the world's biggest nuclear plant, and a fire erupted in an electricity transformer.

''I apologise for causing you worry and trouble,'' TEPCO president Tsunehisa Katsumata, dressed in blue overalls, told Hiroshi Aida, mayor of the city worst hit in the tremor.

Nine elderly people died and more than 1,100 were injured in the tremor. It flattened hundreds of homes, and thousands of people are staying in evacuation centres.

''I think we can say the size of the earthquake was beyond our expectations,'' Katsumata said.

Television showed another TEPCO official bowing as he accepted a written order from Aida not to re-start the plant until safety could be ensured.

LOCAL CONCERN The company said reactors closed down automatically in the quake and all emissions were well within government safety guidelines, presenting no threat to the environment, but local people voiced unease.

''We've had two big ones in three years,'' said 60-year-old Hoshi Murofushi, who was sheltering with her two grandchildren in an evacuation centre in Kariwa.

''There's no guarantee that there won't be another one. It will be too late if we have another Chernobyl,'' she said.

Though some local people say they would be better off without the plant, the economically struggling city is dependent on nuclear power and fishing for its income.

Senior officials including Prime Minister Shinzo Abe criticised TEPCO, saying it had been slow to issue information and risked undermining public trust in the nuclear industry.

But Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki said it was important not to cause unnecessary concern.

''There were media reports this morning that 50 problems had been found,'' he told reporters today. ''But I asked about the content and while there were various problems, most were not directly linked to radiation emissions,'' he said.

Quake proofing regulations for nuclear power stations were stepped up last year, requiring power companies to re-assess the risks for their reactors.

Shiozaki said it was a matter of course that there should be nationwide inspections to ensure safety.

THOUSANDS EVACUATED Almost 9,000 people spent a second night in evacuation centres after hundreds of mostly wooden houses were flattened in the quake and many others damaged.

''I couldn't really sleep, but even if I go home, there is no electricity, gas or water,'' one evacuee told NHK television.

There have been a relatively small number of aftershocks since the quake, NHK television said, but weather forecasters warned that rainfall in the area could lead to further landslides.

The United States was set to send emergency cash aid for the victims, while US forces were to provide material support, Japan's Foreign Ministry said.

REUTERS PY VV1026