Japan Press Weekly

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2013 June 19 - 25 [NUCLEAR CRISIS]

NRA will give nod to continued operations of Oi nuclear reactors

The Nuclear Regulatory Authority will give a green light to the continued operations of two nuclear reactors at the Oi Nuclear Power Plant in Fukui Prefecture, the only atomic energy site in operation at present, despite their evaluation that they are not meeting the new nuclear safety standards released on June 19.

An NRA inspection team in its evaluation found that the Oi NPP falls short of the new standards but that it does not immediately cause serious safety problems.

The new standards require nuclear energy facilities to be equipped with severe quake-resistant functionality as an emergency response center, but none of the buildings at the Oi NPP have been modified to meet those standards.

The inspection team even shelved an assessment on the issue of active faults running under the plant, though it is considered to be a major safety hazard.

Reportedly, the NRA will use the team’s final judgment as a benchmark for reviewing other NPPs which are currently under suspension.

If this substandard plant is judged to be okay, it means that the NRA will approve the resumption of all reactor operations.