Rengo Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Kita-ku, Osaka; President & CEO: Kiyoshi Otsubo) announces the resumption of operations by Marusan Paper Mfg. Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Minamisoma-shi, Fukushima Prefecture), a Rengo subsidiary. Marusan Paper facilities were damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake, and the company is located 25 kilometers from the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company. A decision was made to suspend operations until the end of June, but following discussions with officials from the local governments of Fukushima Prefecture and Minamisoma-shi, Rengo decided to resume operations as detailed below.
Resumption of Operations by Marusan Paper
Marusan Paper produces containerboard and specialty papers using three paper machines, but operations will be resumed in stages in accordance with the following schedule.
| Machine | Product | Resumption of operations |
| No. 2 paper machine |
Specialty paper |
June 20 |
| No. 7 paper machine | Containerboard (corrugating medium) | July 1 |
| No. 6 paper machine | Containerboard (linerboard) | July 10 |
Careful testing of the radiation levels has been conducted since March 11, and levels are substantially below the regulatory standards. Therefore, there is no problem with conducting operations at the plant, but plant entrances will be covered with sheets of Cellgaia, a product developed by Rengo that contains zeolite. Likewise water used in paper making processes will be processed by passing it through water tanks that contain bags packed with zeolite to eliminate any radiation.