Japan’ s Nuclear Regulation Authority has for the first time rejected a request to restart a nuclear reactor shut down after the Fukushima disaster, detailing a report on the potential dangers of the tectonic fault on which it sits.
Japan’s NRA denies nuclear reactor reactivation
In 2015, Japan Atomic Power requested the reactivation of reactor number 2 at the Tsuruga nuclear power plant, established in the center of the country. However, the nuclear regulator determined that the unit does not meet the required safety standards after the 2011 atomic incident.
The regulator explained that future movement of the tectonic fault under the facility cannot be ruled out, which could trigger a disaster, NHK reports. This could weaken the land it occupies and seriously affect the region.
Although this is the first time Japan’s nuclear regulator has denied reactor restart, it is not the first instance in which a reactor has been shut down. In the past, some courts have blocked reactor restarting in response to lawsuits from resident communities concerned about the possibility of natural disasters similar to Fukushima.
Japanese nuclear safety
The nuclear disaster in March 2011 in northeastern Japan, triggered by an earthquake followed by a devastating tsunami, forced more than 100,000 people to evacuate due to the risk of exposure to high levels of radioactivity. Many of these evacuees have decided not to return, and the prefecture continues to suffer the consequences of the disaster, especially in contaminated areas.
According to the Agency for Reconstruction, approximately 26,000 people are still unable to return to their homes because these areas remain uninhabitable. This is collateral damage that the government intends to avoid and find an effective solution.
Japan Atomic Power, on the other hand, now faces an uncertain future. It must either request a new safety review or proceed with the decommissioning of the Tsuruga plant, which would affect the entire project and significant revenues, since none of its four nuclear power plants are currently in operation.
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Source: NHK Japan
Photo: Shutterstock
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