Japan's nuclear watchdog formally disqualifies a reactor for the first time since Fukushima disaster
Japan’s nuclear watchdog on Wednesday formally disqualified a reactor in the country’s north-central region from restarting, the first rejection under safety standards that were reinforced after the 2011 Fukushima disaster. The decision is a setback for Japan as it seeks to accelerate reactor restarts to maximize nuclear power.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority said the Tsuruga No. 2 reactor is “unfit” as its operator failed to address safety risks stemming from the presence of possible active fault lines, which can potentially cause earthquakes, underneath it.
Tsuruga No. 2, operated by the Japan Atomic Power Co., is the first reactor to be rejected under safety standards adopted in 2013 based on lessons from the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi meltdown disaster following a massive earthquake and tsunami.
“We reached our conclusion based on a very strict examination,” NRA chairperson Shinsuke Yamanaka told reporters.
The verdict comes after more than eight years of safety reviews that were repeatedly disrupted by data coverups and mistakes by the operator, Yamanaka said. He called the case “abnormal” and urged the utility to take the result seriously.
The decision is a blow to Japan Atomic Power because it virtually ends its hopes for a restart. The operator, which is decommissioning its other reactor, Tsuruga No. 1, had hoped to put No. 2 back online, but it would require an examination of dozens of faults around the reactor to prove their safety.
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