社説：九電やらせ指示 変わらぬ体質に驚く

(Mainichi Japan) July 8, 2011
Kyushu Electric bid to manipulate public opinion on reactor restart a colossal mistake
社説：九電やらせ指示　変わらぬ体質に驚く

Kyushu Electric Power Co.'s attempt to manipulate public opinion on the reactivation of two reactors at its Genkai Nuclear Power Plant by asking employees at its subsidiaries and others to send e-mails to a TV program in favor of the reactivation must be criticized as extremely ill-advised.
　「民意」を捏造（ねつぞう）しようとした、あまりに浅はかな行為だ。定期検査で止まっている九州電力玄海原子力発電所（佐賀県玄海町）２、３号機の運転再開に向け、経済産業省がケーブルテレビで放送した県民への説明番組に対し、九電の課長級社員が子会社などに、原発再稼働を支持する電子メールを投稿するよう依頼していた。

The scandal not only damaged the public's confidence in Kyushu Electric Power Co. but also could amplify the public's distrust of Japan's nuclear power business as a whole. It could also lead to the resignation of top executives at the company.
九電の信用が失墜しただけでなく、原発事業全体に対する国民の不信感を一段と増幅しかねず、経営トップの進退にも直結する不祥事といえるだろう。

It has been confirmed that a division chief-level employee at the company asked four employees at subsidiaries and three individuals at the firm's nuclear power-related divisions to pose as members of the general public and send e-mail comments to a TV program about the Genkai plant, expressing support for the reactivation.
　この社員は、子会社４社の社員４人と九電社内の原発関連部署３カ所の３人に、メールで依頼した。

He also asked them to send e-mails from their home computers to conceal their identities as employees at Kyushu Electric or its subsidiaries.
しかも、九電関係者と分からないよう、自宅などのパソコンから送信するよう、「隠蔽（いんぺい）工作」も指示していた。

These revelations illustrate the employee's willful attempt to manipulate public opinion on the issue in an unfair manner.
民意を不正に操作する「犯意」は明らかだ。

A prefectural assembly member in Kagoshima Prefecture, which hosts the utility's Sendai Nuclear Power Plant, asked a question about the scandal during a July 4 session, but the company categorically denied any wrongdoing.
この問題をめぐっては、今月４日に、九電川内原発がある鹿児島県の県議会でも、メールで依頼したことの真偽について質問が出たが、九電幹部は明確に否定。

The president of the power company only admitted to the allegations on July 6, when the matter was brought up during a Diet session.
６日に国会で取り上げられて初めて、社長が事実を認めた。

The electric power industry has come under fire for covering up many accidents and falsifying data, thereby damaging the public's trust.
　電力業界ではこれまで、数々の事故隠し、データ捏造などが問題になり、住民の信用を損ねてきた。

Calls for the industry as a whole to change its dogmatic and closed culture intensified following radiation leaks from the tsunami-hit Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant, run by Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO). 東電の福島原発事故では、そうした独善的、閉鎖的な企業体質の改善が強く求められた。

However, Kyushu Electric does not appear to have learned anything from the Fukushima nuclear crisis.
しかし、今回も反省は生かされなかったようだ。

The latest scandal involving Kyushu Electric could spur distrust in other power suppliers.
　国民の不信感は、他の電力会社へも波及しかねない。

As the public is increasingly critical of nuclear power generation, power suppliers have been unable to resume operations at reactors stopped for regular checkups.
原発への国民の視線が厳しさを増し、定検を終えた原発も再稼働できない事態が続いている。

The latest scandal is particularly serious as Kyushu Electric cannot reactivate the Genkai plant without consent from local residents.
再稼働には、地域住民の理解と納得が欠かせないだけに、今回の不祥事の影響は深刻だ。

The mayor of Genkai has retracted his approval for the planned resumption of operations at Genkai Nuclear Power Plant.
実際、再稼働を了承していた玄海町長は、了承を撤回した。

政府の「ストレステスト」実施という要因も加わったが、地元の信頼は大きく損なわれた。

It remains unclear how many executives and employees were involved in the scandal.
　「やらせメール」に関しては、上司を含めた他の社員の指示や関与など不明な点も多い。

Kyushu Electric is required to conduct an in-house investigation of the scandal, and implement measures to improve compliance in order to prevent a recurrence.
まず、事実関係を調査し、その結果を明らかにしなければならない。九電は、調査結果を踏まえ、再発防止に向けたコンプライアンス（法令順守）体制の立て直しを急ぐ必要がある。

　それにしても、なぜこんな愚行を犯したのか。

Behind the scandal are desperate moves to hasten the reactivation of the Genkai Nuclear Power Plant, as symbolized by Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Banri Kaieda's declaration that all nuclear reactors undergoing regular inspections are safe.
海江田万里経産相が定検中の原発について、「安全宣言」したことに代表される原発再開を急ぐ動きと無関係ではないだろう。

Those in favor of the resumption of operations at the Genkai power station have placed high expectations on the plant as a milestone on the road to restarting nuclear reactors across the country.
地元も再稼働に前向きとみられた玄海原発には、再開の一里塚として、再開促進派の期待は大きかったようだ。

The TV program in question has been criticized by some as an attempt to pave the way for resuming operations at the Genkai plant rather than to gain local residents' understanding, as only seven people selected by the national government were allowed to appear.
もともと県民への説明番組にしても、出席者が国の選んだ７人に制限されたことなどから「再開への地ならし」との批判があった。

In short, such hasty and desperate moves triggered Kyushu Electric's act of folly.
拙速が招いた愚行だったということだ。

毎日新聞　2011年7月8日　2時30分