Japan Press Weekly

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2012 November 21 - 27 [NUCLEAR CRISIS]

Stop NPP operations first: Energy & environmental experts

Leaders of Japan’s energy and environmental think tanks have demanded that the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) immediately stop operating the Oi nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture and investigate the potential active fault running underneath the plant premises. It will enable the authority to recover the people’s trust, they said.

The NRA invited those experts on November 21 to its regular meeting. NRA Chair Tanaka Shun’ichi said, “The top of our agenda is to restore confidence in the nuclear regulatory administration.”

Iida Tetsuya, the head of the Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies, referred to the matter that the fracture below the Oi plant may be an active fault. He pointed out that stopping the reactors will enable the authority to regain the people’s trust, saying, “It seems strange to examine the fracture while the plant is being operated.”

Regarding the resumption of the construction work of a nuclear power plant in Aomori’s Oma Town, Iida stated, “The plant is being built according to the old safety standards. The construction should be halted until the standards are revised.”

Concerning the regulatory body’s competence, Kiko Network Chair Asaoka Mie said, “I think the organization should be able to give advice not to reactivate nuclear reactors that are experiencing troubles at present.”

The authority is to establish new safety standards for NPPs by July 2013. The two figures also said, “To review the criteria thoroughly, the deadline should not be set in advance.”