Japan Press Weekly

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2012 April 25 - May 8 TOP3 [NUCLEAR CRISIS]

Gov’t must make sure all nuclear reactors stay offline

Akahata edirotial (excerpts)

Hokkaido Electric Power Company shut down the number 3 nuclear reactor at its Tomari nuclear power plant for regular inspections on the evening of May 5. Japan has no nuclear reactors in operation at this moment for the first time in 42 years.

When the triple disaster occurred in Fukushima in March 2011, Japan had 54 nuclear reactors, including those already under suspension for regular checkups and troubles. After the disaster, the seriously damaged four reactors at the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant were set to be decommissioned and another 10 reactors in the disaster-hit prefectures of Fukushima, Miyagi, and Ibaraki were inactivated due to disaster damage. In addition to these reactors, the remaining reactors were shut down one after another for regular inspections. All nuclear power plants in Japan have stopped generating electricity.

With the intention to restart idled nuclear reactors, the Noda government and the power industry claimed that as long as a nuclear power plant meets certain requirements, including stress tests and the government’s new safety standards, they will be considered to be safe. However, how they can possibly say that they can assure the safety when they do not even have all the information in regard to the on-going Fukushima debacle. The government indicated that its new safety standards would be the conditions required for reactivating offline nuclear reactors at the Oi nuclear power plant. However, the standards do not require a plant operator to construct a quake-proof emergency operation center, which is essential in case of accident, if the operator works out emergency measures for an accident and conducts primary stress tests.

The problem is that a nuclear power regulatory body, the Nuclear and Industry Safety Agency, is part and parcel of the administrative body promoting nuclear power generation, the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry. However, no independent regulatory body for nuclear safety has yet to be established. It is absolutely impossible for the public to so readily accept resumption of operations of nuclear reactors.

Make earliest possible decision to end reliance on nuclear energy

In the first place, nuclear power generation is technologically deficient. The present technology cannot develop a “safe” nuclear reactor. After the 3.11 disaster, the call for withdrawal from nuclear energy is rapidly increasing not only in Japan but worldwide.

The government and the power industry argue that inactivating nuclear reactors will cause a power shortage which is equivalent to committing “mass suicide”. This is a malicious threat that borders on comedy. Prospects of securing enough electricity to meet peak demand will increase if the government decides to break away from nuclear energy and divert funds and technologies to the introduction of renewable sources of energy and energy reduction programs. The need is for Japan to make the earliest possible decision to end reliance on nuclear energy.