Countdown to shutdown of all nuclear plants
All Japan's nuclear reactors face a possible shutdown if none are allowed to resume operations before the last working reactor in northern Japan, is turned off in May.
At the time of the Fukushima nuclear accident last March, 37 out of Japan's 54 nuclear reactors were operating.
The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency has now received the results of stress tests of 16 reactors checked since last October. The tests are designed to see how well the reactors can withstand earthquakes and tsunami.
Japan's Nuclear Safety Commission on Friday endorsed the test results of 2 reactors at the Ohi plant on the Japan Sea coast.
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and 3 Cabinet members in charge of nuclear issues will decide soon whether the government can obtain local agreement and restart the 2 reactors.
The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency also finished assessing another reactor in Ehime Prefecture, western Japan.
The Nuclear Safety Commission says a second stage of stress tests are needed that takes into account whether reactors are prepared for severe accidents such as a nuclear meltdown.
Local municipalities such as Fukui Prefecture are demanding the government show a temporary safety guideline that reflects lessons from the accident of the Fukushima plant.
The government was planning to set up a new nuclear safety agency in April to unify supervision of nuclear power generation. But, the negotiation between the ruling and the opposition parties is deadlocked.
The report from the government's investigative panel probing the Fukushima accident is expected to be released in July. Some experts say the inspection of the accident is not enough at the present stage.
The main focus of the issue is how the government will judge the safety of a nuclear plant and how it can convince the local governments.
【単語】
endorse ；支持する
municipalities ；地方自治体
investigative ；調査の
convince ；納得させる
遂に、残り一台で原子力発電が全部停止になるようですね。
今年の夏は、どうなるのか不安いっぱいです。
0 件のコメント:
コメントを投稿