Impact of Tohoku Pacific Earthquake and Nuclear Complex Damage on Tosoh
Impact of Tohoku Pacific Earthquake and Nuclear Complex Damage on Tosoh
Tokyo, Japan—Japan continues to cope with a series of events set off by the massive Tohoku Pacific Earthquake one month ago, on March 11, 2011. In particular, authorities and experts from around the world are working with Japanese scientists to solve the problems at the quake- and tsunami-damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear complex. Tosoh Corporation, meanwhile, provides this update on the impact of the earthquake and of the damaged nuclear complex on the company and its operations.
Tosoh’s main manufacturing complexes, Nanyo and Yokkaichi, report no injuries, no damage, and no change in radiation levels from those recorded before the earthquake. Both complexes, which together produce most of Tosoh’s products, are situated some distance from the quake’s epicenter. The Nanyo Complex, in Yamaguchi Prefecture, is approximately 1,100 kilometers (680 miles) from where the quake occurred, and the Yokkaichi Complex, in Mie Prefecture, is some 600 kilometers (370 miles) away. Neither of the regions that are home to our principal complexes has been subjected to the scheduled rolling blackouts that are common in the more quake-proximal areas of Japan. Our Nanyo Complex, moreover, has coal-fired electrical generation plants that provide a steady supply of power for operations.
In central Tokyo, meanwhile, Tosoh headquarters too have not been and are not expected to be subjected to rolling blackouts. So Tosoh Corporation, like its main complexes and most of its Japan-based group companies, is fortunate enough to have been able to conduct business as usual, albeit with heavy hearts here at headquarters, in the aftermath of the events of and stemming from March 11.
Further north and closer to the stricken areas, Tosoh’s advanced materials factories are located far enough west of the earthquake’s epicenter to have sustained no damage. Tosoh Group companies nearest the quake’s epicenter, however, were damaged, and their operating conditions are reported below. Fortunately, there have been no reports of additional loss of life among Tosoh Group employees other than the deaths of the two workers cited in our March 16 news release. All other Tosoh Group employees are accounted for. Tosoh Corporation sends their condolences to the families of the two workers that perished from our affiliate company Toho Acetylene, Co., Ltd.
Tosoh Corporation can report that radiation levels remain safe at all main facilities due to the long distance from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear complex. Tosoh Corporation administrative offices, such as headquarters and other group companies, are located 240 kilometer (150 miles) southwest of the damaged nuclear plant, and report radiation readings fairly close to normal background levels.
Nevertheless, the company continues to monitor radiation levels and its business divisions and group companies are able to provide its customers and other stakeholders and the general public with certification of radiation levels. The certification is based on monitoring conducted by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and is specifically in reference to cargo bound for export. We offer the certification as assurance of the safety of our products and packaging. Certification on radiation levels can be requested of any of our business divisions or directly through our International Corporate Development Department in Tokyo.
Below, we outline the impact of the earthquake and the events it initiated on individual Tosoh Group facilities in Japan located nearest to the quake’s epicenter. We will provide updates as soon as new information is available.
Tosoh Corporation Sendai Office
Sendai office reports no injuries and that it reopened for business on March 14.
Tohoku Tosoh Chemical Co., Ltd.
The Ishinomaki plant has confirmed no injuries, but reports that its offices, plant, raw materials, and finished products did suffer damage from the tsunami that is impossible to assess fully at this time. The Sakata plant reports no injuries and that it resumed operations on March 20. The Noshiro plant reports no injuries and that it resumed operations on March 13.
Tosoh Quartz Corporation
The Yamagata, Sakata, and Yonezawa plants report no injuries or damage. Operations resumed at all three plants on March 22.
Tosoh Speciality Materials Corporation
The Yamagata plant reports no injuries or damage and that it resumed operations on March 22.
Plas-Tech Corporation
The Tsukuba plant reports no injuries and that its manufacturing operations are expected to resume completely by mid-April.
Organo Corporation
The Iwaki plant reports no injuries and that its water treatment device unit resumed operations on April 6 after assessing the availability of raw materials and the operating conditions of its various affiliate and service companies. The Tsukuba plant reports no injuries and that it resumed operations on March 22. The Tsukuba plant is supplying the resins produced at those facilities and no problems have been reported.
Tosoh Corporation expresses its deepest sympathy for those affected by the Tohoku Pacific Earthquake and thanks everyone for the support and concern that you have shown us worldwide.
The full economic impact of the quake and tsunami and of the ongoing nuclear crisis on our operations overall is unknown at this time. If a major impact is projected, we will release the details separately.
TOSOH CORPORATION
WHO WE ARE
Tosoh Corporation is a Japanese chemical company established in 1935 and listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. It is the parent of the Tosoh Group, which comprises 140 companies worldwide and a multiethnic workforce of over 11,000 people and generated net sales of ¥628.7 billion (US$6.8 billion at the year-end rate of ¥93.04 to the US dollar) in fiscal 2010, ended March 31, 2010.
WHAT WE DO
Tosoh is one of the largest chlor-alkali manufacturers in Asia. The Company supplies the plastic resins and an array of the basic chemicals that support modern life. Tosoh’s petrochemical operations supply ethylene, polymers, and polyethylene, while its advanced materials business serves the global semiconductor, display, and solar industries. Tosoh has also pioneered sophisticated bioscience systems that are used for the rapid diagnosis of life-threatening diseases, such as diabetes and certain cancers, and to prevent epidemics by identifying pathogenic microbes. In addition, Tosoh develops products and provides services to purify water and to monitor the environment as part of a commitment to a sustainable future.
Stock Exchange Ticker Symbol: JP: 4042
For more information, please contact
Michael Hoover
International Corporate Development
Tosoh Corporation
[email protected]
Tel: +81-3-5427-5118
Fax: +81-3-5427-5198
">www.tosoh.com